Services
What each visa needs
For each type of application: the main documents you will collect, our fee, how long the immigration review usually takes, and what we do for you. After the first meeting you get a document list for your own case.
This is a fictional office created as a design sample.
Work visas (Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, and others)
Work
“I want to work in Japan, or change jobs.”
Handled by
Kenichi Iwasa
Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent · employer contact
日本語 · English · 中文
Nguyễn Thị Hà
Assistant · document preparation and translation
日本語 · Tiếng Việt
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Graduation certificate (university or vocational school)Applicant
- CV showing your education and work historyApplicant
- Employment contract or job offer letterEmployer
- Company registration certificate and last year's financial statementsEmployer
- Residence card and passport (if you are already in Japan)Applicant
Check before you apply
Your job has to match what you studied, and your salary has to be at least what a Japanese employee would get for the same work. If you leave a job, you have 14 days to notify immigration, and three months without work in your status can be grounds for losing it.
Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse of Permanent Resident, Dependent, Long-Term Resident
Spouse & family
“I married a Japanese national, or want my family here.”
Handled by
Saki Murase
Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent
日本語 · 中文
Miho Noguchi
Assistant · reception and document preparation
日本語 · Tiếng Việt
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Family register (koseki) of the Japanese spouse, showing the marriageApplicant
- Marriage certificate from your home country (we translate it)Applicant
- Photos of the two of you, from when you met until nowApplicant
- Resident tax certificates of the Japanese spouseApplicant
- Questionnaire on how you met and marriedOur office
The questionnaire
Spouse applications include a questionnaire about the two of you: where and when you met, how often you met before marrying, which language you speak together, and whether you held a wedding. We draft it and you both check it.
Permanent Residency
Permanent residency
“I want to live in Japan permanently.”
Handled by
Naoki Shinohara
Principal · Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent
日本語 · English
Nguyễn Thị Hà
Assistant · document preparation and translation
日本語 · Tiếng Việt
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Resident tax certificates and proof of payment (last 5 years)Applicant
- Pension and health insurance payment records (last 2 years)Applicant
- Certificate of employment, or copies of your tax returnsApplicant
- Certificate of residence for everyone in your householdApplicant
- Letter of guarantee from a Japanese national or permanent residentApplicant
- Statement of reasonsOur office
Guideline revised in October 2026
The Immigration Services Agency revised its permanent residency guidelines in October 2026. From April 2027, Japanese ability and an understanding of Japan's rules and systems will also be taken into account. If your application will straddle spring 2027, we check at the first meeting which rules apply to you.
Naturalization (filed at the Legal Affairs Bureau)
Naturalization
“I want to become a Japanese citizen.”
Handled by
Saki Murase
Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent
日本語 · 中文
Nguyễn Thị Hà
Assistant · document preparation and translation
日本語 · Tiếng Việt
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Birth and family-relationship certificates from your home country (these vary by country)Applicant
- Resident and income tax certificates (last 5 years)Applicant
- Pension payment records (last 2 years)Applicant
- Driving record certificate (if you drive)Applicant
- Statement of motivation (you write it; we help with the draft)Applicant
- The bureau's own forms, such as your personal history and family overviewOur office
Changed in April 2026
The Legal Affairs Bureau now generally expects at least ten years of residence in Japan (the Nationality Act itself still says five). It also checks five years of tax records and two years of social insurance payments. Allow about a year and a half from our first meeting to the decision.
Business Manager
Business Manager
“I want to start or run a business in Japan.”
Handled by
Naoki Shinohara
Principal · Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent
日本語 · English
Kenichi Iwasa
Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent · employer contact
日本語 · English · 中文
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Business plan, checked by a qualified professionalOur office
- Company registration certificate and articles of incorporationApplicant
- Proof of investment of at least ¥30 millionApplicant
- Office lease, with photos of the inside and outsideApplicant
- Employment contract for at least one full-time employeeApplicant
- Proof of Japanese ability (yours or a full-time employee's)Applicant
New rules from 16 October 2025
To qualify you now need at least ¥30 million in capital (up from ¥5 million), at least one full-time employee who is a Japanese national or holds a status such as Permanent Resident, Japanese ability at about B2 level (you or a full-time employee), three years of management experience or a relevant master's degree, and a business plan checked by an SME consultant, accountant or tax accountant. Current visa holders have until October 2028 to meet the new standard at renewal.
Work visas, Specified Skilled Worker and others (for employers)
Hiring staff
“We want to hire foreign staff.”
Handled by
Kenichi Iwasa
Gyoseishoshi, certified filing agent · employer contact
日本語 · English · 中文
Miho Noguchi
Assistant · reception and document preparation
日本語 · Tiếng Việt
Documents to collect (main ones)
- Company registration certificateEmployer
- Last year's financial statements and annual statutory report summaryEmployer
- Employment contract or terms of employment describing the jobEmployer
- Company brochure, or printed pages from your websiteEmployer
- The new hire's graduation certificate, CV and passport copyApplicant
What we don't do
We are not a registered support organization, so we do not carry out support plans for Specified Skilled Workers. We do prepare and file all the immigration paperwork, and we can refer you to a labor and social security attorney for insurance and payroll matters.
Timeframes are rough estimates from our own experience. Requests for extra documents add time, and every case is different. Naturalization timeframes come from our own experience, because the Ministry of Justice does not publish a standard processing time. They vary with the bureau's workload and with each case. Government fees (revenue stamps) are charged separately. Information as of October 2026.
Contact
Call us
+81-3-0000-0000Weekdays 9:30–18:30. If you would rather speak English, Chinese or Vietnamese, just say so when we pick up and we will pass you to the right person.
You can also reach us on LINE, WeChat or Zalo (IDs will appear on the live site).