IMMIGRATION
Status of residence (visa) applications
A residence application is largely decided the moment you choose which status to apply for and how to explain it — not at the point of collecting documents. Our office is a four-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Chiba Station. The first 60 minutes are free, we tell you what we think the outcome will be, and when a case is difficult we say so.
What we handle
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Work status (Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services)
We set out how your education and career connect to the actual duties of the job, and explain it in the letter of employment rationale. The points examiners press on — a vocational-school qualification, duties that can look like unskilled labour — are addressed before filing.
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Specified Skilled Worker and transfer from Technical Intern Training
We check the eligible field, the examination requirements and the support structure required of the accepting organisation, and help build that structure where it is missing.
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Dependent, Spouse of a Japanese National, Long-Term Resident
Bringing family to Japan, and obtaining or changing a status based on personal circumstances. We assemble the evidence around what the examiner actually looks at: how the relationship developed, and how the household will be supported.
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Permanent residence
Years of residence, tax, pension and health insurance payments, conduct, and the guarantor. We check each requirement in turn, and where something is missing we start from when you will be able to apply.
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Naturalisation
We help gather and prepare the documents for an application to the Legal Affairs Bureau, and set out what you need to weigh — including whether to give up your current nationality — before we proceed.
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Extension, change of status, permission for activity outside status
Extensions after changing employer, moving from Student to a work status, permission to work outside your status, and the other procedures that come up in ordinary life.
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Re-applying after a refusal
We first go to the Immigration Bureau to establish the reason for the refusal and identify what was missing. Refiling the same papers changes nothing. We rebuild the case, then apply again.
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Employer notifications and accepting structures
We also handle the notifications employers owe in relation to mid- to long-term residents and to the affiliated organisation.
HOW IT WORKS
How we work
- 01
Get in touch
Call us or use the form. We will arrange a time to talk.
- 02
First consultation (60 min, free)
We listen to your situation and set out the options and the likely outcome. If a case is difficult, we say so plainly.
- 03
Scope and fee
We set out what we will take on and what it costs, and begin only once you agree.
- 04
Gathering and drafting
We tell you which documents are needed and prepare the application together with the written explanation and supporting materials.
- 05
Filing and result
We file with the authority and respond to any request for further material. When the result arrives we contact you and explain what comes next.
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
- Can I just come for advice?
- Yes. The first 60 minutes are free, including if you intend to file the application yourself.
- Can you tell me in advance whether it will be approved?
- No one can guarantee an outcome. But once we have seen the papers we will tell you frankly what we expect and what is missing. If we think it is difficult, we say so and explain why.
- My Japanese is limited.
- We work in Chinese, and also accept enquiries in Vietnamese and English.
- I live outside Chiba Prefecture. Can I still instruct you?
- Yes. We consult online and exchange documents by post or electronically.
- Our company wants to hire a foreign national. Where do we start?
- The safest starting point is to confirm, before advertising the role, that the duties actually map onto a status of residence. That avoids hiring someone whose status is then refused.
What we can and cannot do
Filing residence applications on a client’s behalf and preparing the documents fall within the work of an administrative scrivener. Representation in litigation or in deportation proceedings is the work of a lawyer, and at that stage we will refer you to one.
RELATED ARTICLES
Articles on this area
How the Permanent Residence Guidelines Changed on October 1, Reiwa 8｜Japanese B1, Pension, Household Income, Days Abroad
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan revised the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence on October 1, Reiwa 8. Following the original text, this article sets out the new factors to be considered — the household income level, the projected pension amount, Japanese at B1 equivalent, days spent outside Japan, understanding of systems and rules — together with the timing of application from April 1, Reiwa 9 and the transitional measures.
Guidelines on Revocation of Permanent Resident Status｜When It Is Revoked and When It Is Not
On October 1, Reiwa 8, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan established the "Guidelines on Revocation of the Status of Residence of Permanent Residents" (operation starting April 1, Reiwa 9). Following the original text, this article explains the grounds for revocation under Article 22-4, paragraph 1, items 8 and 9 of the Immigration Control Act, examples that do and do not fall under them, and the approach to an ex officio change to "Long-Term Resident."
Residence Procedure Fees Revised from October 1, Reiwa 8｜Renewal Fees Depend on the Period Granted; Permanent Residence Is 200,000 Yen
Fees have been revised for applications for change of status of residence, extension of period of stay, and permission for permanent residence received on or after October 1, Reiwa 8. Changes and extensions cost 10,000 yen to 75,000 yen (counter applications) depending on the period of stay granted, and permission for permanent residence costs 200,000 yen. Based on materials published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, this article sets out the difference between counter and online amounts, the treatment of applications made by September 30, and the fee reduction system.
A PARTNER FOR LIFE AND BUSINESS
We think through the future that lies beyond the paperwork — with you.
Your first 60-minute consultation is free. By phone or through the form, tell us where you stand.
〒260-0028 4 min walk from JR Chiba Station South Exit
Open 10:00–19:00 (occasional closures)
Weekends, holidays and evenings by advance appointment (please contact us early)