Immigration Rejection Reasons

How Immigration Decisions Are Made

Japan Immigration Services Agency (ISA) processes visa applications through immigration officers who evaluate documentation against internal criteria that are not fully published. Officers have significant discretionary authority within their guidelines.

Rejections rarely come with specific explanations — you receive a denial notification, sometimes with a general category (e.g., "the documents submitted are insufficient to confirm the facts stated in the application"). This opacity is intentional.

Business Manager Visa — Common Rejection Reasons

• Business plan is not credible: vague revenue projections, no market analysis, no explanation of why Japan specifically. Officers assess whether the business can realistically sustain itself. If your plan reads like a pitch deck rather than an operating document, expect rejection.
• Office requirement not met: the office must be a space dedicated to business use. A home address, a virtual office with no actual space, or a co-working membership without a fixed dedicated desk may be rejected. Some shared office configurations are accepted — get a letter from the provider confirming dedicated space.
• Capital amount is insufficient: ¥30,000,000 minimum is required as of October 2025 (raised from ¥5M). A mandatory qualifying employee is also required — see the Visa Strategy guide for the full updated requirements.
• Director status is unclear: you must be an active director or manager. Passive investors are not eligible. The business plan should clearly document your operational role.
• Prior visa violations: even minor overstays or status violations from prior trips significantly damage your application. Disclose anything and let a lawyer assess impact before you apply.
• Financial backing is unclear: where did your ¥5,000,000 capital come from? Officers may question large recent transfers. Have documentation of your income history and the source of funds.

Highly Skilled Professional — Rejection Patterns

• Points calculation error: applicants self-calculate their points and sometimes overcount. Officers verify each claimed point with documentation. An undocumented claim is treated as zero.
• Academic credential translation: foreign degrees must be translated and verified. Translations not from an official organization may be rejected.
• Income documentation: the income claimed on your application must match tax records or employment documents exactly. Rounding up or using gross vs net inconsistently causes issues.
• Employment contract ambiguity: the contract must clearly state your position, responsibilities, and salary in a format consistent with HSP category requirements.

Engineer / Specialist — Rejection Patterns

• Degree does not match job: the most common rejection. You must have a degree in a field relevant to the work you will perform in Japan. A music degree holder applying as a software engineer will be rejected unless they have 10+ years of documented professional software engineering experience as a substitute.
• Company cannot demonstrate ability to pay: small companies applying to sponsor a foreigner must show financial stability. Provide company financials, tax filings, or audited accounts.
• Job description is vague: the work must clearly fall within the permitted Engineer/Specialist in Humanities categories. Hybrid roles (part administrative, part technical) need careful framing.
• Previous tourist or student visa irregularities: working on a tourist or student visa is a serious violation that permanently affects your record. If this applies, get a lawyer's assessment before applying.

Behavioral Red Flags Across All Visa Types

• Frequent short-term entries before applying for a long-term visa: patterns of 90-day tourist entries with short gaps can flag intent to work illegally
• Inconsistent statements across documents: your application form, business plan, employment contract, and previous visa applications must be consistent. Discrepancies are grounds for rejection.
• Missing or incomplete documents: the required document list is not optional. Submitting an incomplete application is not penalized — it is simply rejected or returned. But incomplete applications delay the process significantly.
• Previous visa renewals denied at other embassies: Japan immigration officers can access records of denials at other countries' embassies in some cases. This is not always visible to them, but known violations should be disclosed with explanation.
• Mismatch between stated income and lifestyle evidence: this is rarely the initial reason for rejection, but social media and digital footprint are occasionally referenced.

How to Use an Immigration Lawyer

An 行政書士 (gyoseishoshi) or 弁護士 (bengoshi) specializing in immigration is the highest-leverage investment in your visa process. The fee is ¥100,000–300,000 depending on visa complexity. The alternative cost of rejection and delay can be 3–6 months of lost time.

• Use a lawyer who specializes in immigration, not a general practice firm
• Request their experience specifically with your visa category and nationality
• Provide them with all documentation early — they need to identify gaps before you submit
• They can submit the application on your behalf (代理申請) — this is sometimes more effective than applicant-submitted applications for complex cases
• For Business Manager visa: the business plan review alone is worth the fee
• Recommended finding method: Japan Immigration Lawyers Association (日本行政書士会連合会) directory, or referrals from the expat founder community