Permanent Resident Visa - online resources and lawyers

[ExpatScot]

Just wondering if there are any English websites with a definitive list of documents needed for applying for PR and/or advice on the process?

Also, what's the general consensus on employing immigration lawyers to handle the application? Is it worth the money? If they were charging less than ¥50,000 I'd probably pay, but many of them seem to be asking for around the ¥100,000 mark, which seems pretty high for checking a few documents.

[Beaglehound]

I didn’t find anything definitive in English, and largely relied on the missus to interpret the documents required. I applied in December and they contacted me in March asking for six extra documents...she claimed the official website was vague and I believe her, it was certainly vague reading it in translation.

Not sure if applying through a lawyer is worth it. What it would (hopefully) do is avoid having to submit extra documents like we did, but whether this actually increases one’s chances of success is anyone’s guess.

[RetireJapan]

I have never used a professional for visa issues, both my own visas (working, spouse, PR) or visas for teachers my wife employs. The immigration office is pretty user friendly.

The main reason to use a lawyer is to save time/hassle. So is your time worth more than their fee, etc.

[adamu]

The official definitive English list is available from the Immigration Services Agency here.

Pay particular attention to the "Demonstrative Materials" links under the photo requirements that list all the documents depending on your residency status.

The benefit of a lawyer is that they have hands-on experience doing this many times, and may know a lot of the unwritten rules you don't. But there's no reason why you can't read through the requirements and apply directly yourself. You can even ask the Immigration Services Agency questions before applying if you're unsure of anything.

Just remember to take it seriously. Put yourself in the shoes of the inspector - make sure all the information is there, is clear, and make it easy for them to decide Japan wants you here forever.

I also put this information on the wiki: https://retirewiki.jp/wiki/Permanent_Residency

[Butterball]

I’d say for the average person, a lawyer is definitely not worth the cost.

As has been mentioned, the official Japanese language resources are more reliable than the English ones, but even the Japanese ones may be vague, incomplete or outdated. This is not a big problem as long as you’ve filled out everything correctly; when you hand in your application they’ll just give you a list of some additional documents they need.

There’s also a lot of Japanese-language info floating around on message boards, etc. about the process; things like “what should I write in my riyusho”, etc.

[ExpatScot]

Thanks for the advice everyone, no lawyer it is then. And thanks to adamu for the link to the official list, I'll cross-check those documents with translations from the Japanese site and maybe ask my wife to call the immigration office for a final confirmation.

[JapaneseMike]

Related question: I saw something recently that Japan would allow visa change applications online. Any idea if this would be possible for PR do you know?

[AreTheyTheLemmings?]

Related question: I saw something recently that Japan would allow visa change applications online. Any idea if this would be possible for PR do you know?

IIRC, the story on the NHK news last night mentioned allowing applications for visa extensions to be performed online, on the condition that your My Card details are included in the application. It didn't, as I recall, mention anything about applying for new visas.