Immigration lawyer who has handled many visa applications for clients in domestic as well as overseas will ensure that you get the visa you need in Japan.
Our firm have the following advantages over other agents because of our confidence in our visa application experiences.
Quick Solution
It is our pleasure to satisfy our clients by obtaining visas in the fastest possible time.
Low price
Our low fees are based on our confidence in processing your application quickly and reliably, based on our many years of experience in immigration practice.
Money-back guarantee in case of refusal
In the event that your application is not approved, we will refund about 50% of the fee.
Each applicant’s situation is different. We will assess your individual situation through interviews and prepare the documents required by the Immigration to ensure that your visa application is approved.
We offer a tailor-made application process that takes full account of clients’ circumstances. That is why we have many experience of recovering clients who have had their applications rejected.
The visa will be definitely granted if we understand the rules and convince the Immigration.
Cases where a visa (在留資格) is required in Japan
There are many types of Japan visas (在留資格), which are required when staying in Japan, for example in the following cases.
When working for a Japanese company (就職)
I am now living abroad but have been offered employment by a Japanese design company.
I am now studying in Japan and I will continue to stay in Japan for work.
I want to work in Japan as a chef.
When starting a business in Japan (起業)
I run a software company in my country and want to set up a company in Japan to do business.
I worked for a trading company in Japan but want to start my own company.
When changing jobs (転職)
I work as an SE for a electronics company and got a good offer from a software company.
International marriage (国際結婚)
I married a Japanese and I want to continue living in Japan.
When applying for permanent residence (永住)
I have lived in Japan for many years and would like to obtain permanent resident status.
I am carrying out research in a company with a high degree of expertise. I want to continue working without having to worry about my visa.
and so on….
Visa application can be troublesome once you have failed
The basic documents required for a visa application are generally known, but in order to be granted without problems, the documents must be tailored to the applicant’s individual circumstances.
It can be a challenge to understand the relevant laws and immigration rules and to prepare a large number of documents. Especially if it is not in one’s own language.
If you prepare and submit documents improperly because you are not familiar with them, you may be faced with a penalty in the worst case scenario.
From my experience in domestic and international immigration practice, once your visa application has been rejected(不許可), you need to be much more careful than if you apply for a visa for the first time. It is not easy to change the immigration officer’s mind once he has examined the application and made a decision.
We (申請取次行政書士) are qualified and authorized by the government to carry out visa application procedures for foreigners. As professionals in visa application, we can help you to handle the tedious visa application process and help you to settle down in Japan as soon as possible.
Our service flow – From your enquiry to getting a visa (在留資格)
Enquiry
Contact us by email or phone. We will discuss your situation and set up a meeting if necessary.
Interview
We will ask for the information we need from you to get the visa you want. For example, if you need a visa to work, information about your education and work history and the company you plan to work for. The documents you need to submit to the Immigration will differ depending on the circumstances. In case we think it will be difficult to obtain the visa you want, we may suggest another way to stay in Japan with a different visa, depending on the circumstances.
In order to provide you with more appropriate advice, please bring as much documentation as possible to the interview, such as your passport and other identification and background documents that will help us to assess your situation.
Preparation of application documents
Depending on the circumstances discussed in the interview, the necessary documents will be collected and prepared.
Depending on the visa you are applying for, there are certain documents that are always required and others that you should submit. As noted above, once a visa has been refused, it is difficult to recover. Therefore, even if it is not required, if submitting the documents can shorten the examination and reduce the possibility of a visa refusal, we will do our best to submit them.
In the case of foreign documents, it is necessary to translate them into Japanese. (We offer free translation of English-language documents in normal volumes.)
Reviewing application documents & signature
Once the application documents are ready, I will ask you to review the contents and sign it if everything is fine.
Submission of application documents to the Immigration
Your visa application documents will be submitted by us to the competent immigration authorities. As you may already know if you have done it yourself, it takes time just to submit your application documents to the immigration authorities. When you ask us to submit your application, you don’t have to waste time.
In the unlikely event of any queries or requests from the immigration authorities, we are responsible for dealing with and resolving them and delivering the good news to you.
Permission of your visa
The result of your visa application will be sent to our office. We will also receive your visa (COE) / residence card (在留カード) and other documents on your behalf and deliver them to you. You can now study, work and live with your spouse in Japan with peace of mind.
Visa (査証) vs. Status of Residence (在留資格)
As in other countries, foreigners need a visa to work and live in Japan. In addition to visas (査証) in the general sense, Japan has a system of Status of Residence (在留資格). Even most Japanese who are not involved in immigration practice do not have a good understanding of this system (査証 & 在留資格).
※ In line with the common usage of the “Visa” term in other countries, unless specifically marked “査証”, Visa is used to refer to the Status of Residence (在留資格) in this page.
At time of entry into Japan : Visa (査証)
Under the Immigration Law in Japan, the screening process upon entry into Japan is known as the Landing Procedure (上陸手続).
When you arrive at an airport in Japan, you present your passport to an immigration officer. Your passport is an identity document issued by your country and contains your nationality and name and other personal information. This allows the immigration officer to verify your identity.
The officer will then check the visa (査証) in your passport. The visa (査証) is like a recommendation letter that the Japanese embassy/consulate in your country has examined before you enter the country and has no problem admitting you to Japan.
At the time of entry (Landing Procedure), your passport and visa are double-checked to ensure that there are no problems with your entry into Japan. In other words, the visa is a certificate used at the ‘point’ of entry.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan is responsible for issuing these visas (査証).
After the permission to enter Japan : Status of Residence (在留資格)
After entering Japan, the Status of Residence (在留資格) described below is required in order to stay and carry out certain activities. Unlike the visa (査証) explained earlier, The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the examination of Status of Residence (在留資格) .
The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Immigration law) stipulates that foreigners must obtain status of residence if they wish to engage in certain activities in Japan, such as working.
The number of types of Status of Residence (在留資格) has been increasing year by year for reasons such as the circumstances of Japanese society and consistency with the international community, and now exceeds 30 types.
From among these many Statuses of Residence (在留資格), you need to choose the one that best suits the activity you intend to carry out in Japan. Such as studying at a school as a foreign student, working for a Japanese company, marrying a Japanese national and living as a couple, or living permanently in Japan with a permanent residence visa.
When applying for a visa (在留資格), the requirements differ for each type of status of residence. Each has different requirements, so when applying, you need to check that you meet the criteria for the Status of Residence you require according to the Immigration law and rules.
Once it has been confirmed that you meet the criteria for residence status, you must now collect and compile the necessary documents to prove it. In the end, a visa application requires many documents. The immigration officers who examine visa applications process many cases every day, so you must submit documents that they can easily understand and that convince them that it is acceptable to grant you a visa. Otherwise, the examination may take a long time or you may have to correspond with the immigration officer’s request several times. In the worst case, the application may even be rejected due to a misunderstanding of the information provided, despite the fact that it is actually an application that will be granted.
And individual conditions are stipulated for each Status of Residence (在留資格). If you do not observe those conditions properly, it will be illegal, regardless of whether you have a valid Status of Residence (在留資格). Therefore, you need to have a clear understanding of what activities your status of residence allows you to carry out, and be careful not to derail from that scope.
Your status of residence and its validity period can be checked and proved by the residence card issued at the time of entry. While a specialist familiar with immigration law can understand what activities you can carry out by checking your residence card, you or your employer may not understand exactly what you are entitled to do. In such cases, do not take it lightly that it is probably OK, but check with the Immigration or experts like us. If you are carrying out unauthorized activities due to your misunderstanding, you may not be able to extend your visa or it could have a negative impact on your future application for permanent residence.
Categories of Application for Status of Residence (在留資格)
As mentioned above, there are various types of Status of Residence (在留資格) depending on your purpose of stay, and you must choose the Status of Residence (在留資格) that best suits your activities in Japan. The application of Status of Residence (在留資格) is then divided into several categories depending on your current situation. For example, if you are still living abroad without a Status of Residence, or if you are already living in Japan with a Status of Residence but that Status of Residence is about to expire. In the above example, the application forms are different even for the same Status of Residence.
We will now explain the categories of application.
Certificate of eligibility (COE)
If you are still living abroad and wish to live in Japan, you may have heard of “COE.” The “COE”, i.e. Certificate of Eligibility (認定証明書), is issued to foreigners who do not yet have Status of Residence and apply to the Immigration to get it.
If you intend to work in Japan, you choose a work-related Status of Residence. At the time of applying for COE, an employment contract has already been concluded between you and your employer, so the COE application documents will be prepared by you and your employer together. We, Immigration Lawyer, specializing in immigration practice, will prepare the application documents on behalf of you and your employer.
Meanwhile, if, for example, you are marrying a Japanese national, the COE application documents are prepared by you and your spouse together. And of course in this case too we can help you with the paperwork.
Your employer or spouse in Japan (or we on their behalf) will then submit the COE application documents to the Immigration, and if the COE application is approved, notification will be sent to your employer or spouse (or to us on their behalf). Upon receipt of the COE in Japan, the original COE is delivered to you abroad. This means that you do not have to travel back and forth between your country and Japan throughout the COE application and receipt of the original COE.
Once you have received the original COE, you can apply for a visa (査証) at the Japanese embassy/consulate in your country. This visa (査証) is usually issued within a few days to a week, depending on the country.
The COE is issued by the Ministry of Justice, speeds up the visa (査証) issuance process. In other words, the COE serves as the Ministry of Justice’s recommendation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that you are fit to be issued a visa to engage in activities in Japan in accordance with your Status of Residence (在留資格).
After issuance of the visa (査証), you enter Japan with the original COE. By presenting your passport (with the visa affixed to it) and the original COE at the time of entry, you can start activities in Japan according to your Status of Residence. Residence card (在留カード) will be issued on the spot depending on the airport you arrive at.
Change of Status of Residence
This is an application made when you are already in Japan with a certain Status of Residence (在留資格) but want to change from your current status to another.
It was explained earlier that there are many types of Status of Residence (在留資格) for individually defined activities. Only one Status of Residence (在留資格) can be granted in a single application. The immigration will examine whether you meet the criteria for that Status of Residence (在留資格). If your application is approved, you are allowed to engage in activities in Japan within the scope of the Status of Residence (在留資格) granted.
However, your circumstances may change while you are living in Japan and your current Status of Residence (在留資格) may be inconvenient for you. For example, you may be working for a company now but want to run your own business. Or, for example, if you have a Status of Residence (在留資格) to work, but you marry a Japanese national, changing your Status of Residence (在留資格) may be more convenient for your work.
If you need to change your Status of Residence, you will be of course required to apply, but even if you do not need to change your Status of Residence at present, you should consider which Status of Residence will be more convenient and advantageous for you in your future life in Japan, and apply for a change if necessary.
Extension of stay
Your status of residence has a validity period and you may stay in Japan for that period.
If you have been issued a residence card (在留カード), you can check the expiry date of your residence status on the card. Staying in Japan beyond this expiry date is unlawful, so if you wish to continue to stay in Japan, you are obliged to apply for an extension before the expiry date. If you have a history of staying in Japan illegally beyond the expiry date of your visa, you will be subject to stricter scrutiny in future visa procedures, so please be careful.
Obtaining a status of residence
This application is required when a Japanese national leaves Japanese nationality and becomes a foreigner, or when a person becomes a resident in Japan without going through the landing procedure due to birth.
If the person concerned wishes to continue to stay in Japan, he or she must apply within a certain period of time to obtain status of residence.
