Contents
Key points
- You prepare your own application. Before you submit it, a certified gyoseishoshi (Keiichi Tanaka) reviews your documents and sends you a written report in English.
- We check whether your documents are complete, find errors and inconsistencies, and point out weak evidence.
- Granted only one year last time? We look for possible reasons for the one-year period in your documents and tell you what you may be able to do about them.
- One re-check of your revised documents is included. Everything is done online and in English.
- For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services and spouse visas. Fees from JPY 33,000 (tax incl.).
Many people prepare their visa applications themselves. The most common problems are not the big ones, but small ones: a missing document, a date that does not match, or an explanation that is not supported by evidence. Such points can lead to a request for additional documents, a shorter period of stay or, in some cases, a refusal. The Document Check helps you find them before you apply.
1. What we check
- Completeness: whether all the documents required for your application are there, and which additional documents we recommend for your situation
- The application form: blank items, errors and omissions
- Consistency: names, dates, addresses, employer, income, living arrangements and other details across all your documents
- Evidence: points where your evidence appears weak, with suggestions for additional evidence
- Type and timing: comments on whether the type and timing of your application seem right for your situation
- Period of stay (renewals after a one-year period): possible reasons for the one-year period, based on the criteria in the Immigration Services Agency's examination guidelines (available only in Japanese), and what you may be able to do about them
Our report (PDF, usually 1–3 pages) separates the points you must correct before applying from the points we recommend improving, and lists anything we could not check.
2. What is not included
- A list of required documents in advance. Please prepare your documents using the Immigration Services Agency's official list for your application. Whether your documents are complete is part of our review: our report tells you if anything is missing and what we recommend adding.
- Preparing, rewriting or translating documents, including letters of explanation and the questionnaire for spouse visas
- Submitting your application or dealing with the Immigration Services Agency on your behalf
- Responding to requests for additional documents after you apply, or hearing the reasons for a refusal
- Consultations by phone or video (available separately as a paid consultation)
- A prediction of the result or of the period of stay you will be granted
3. Who this is for
Applications we review
| Status of residence | Applications |
|---|---|
| Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | Extension (same employer), extension after a change of employer, change of status, Certificate of Eligibility |
| Spouse or Child of Japanese National (spouses only) | Extension, change of status, Certificate of Eligibility |
| Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (spouses only) | Extension, change of status, Certificate of Eligibility |
| Dependent | Only together with the application of the family member who supports you (one of the above) |
Who can request it
- The applicant, or
- for a Certificate of Eligibility, a family member in Japan who acts as the applicant's representative (for example, a Japanese spouse). Applicants living outside Japan can also request it for a Certificate of Eligibility.
We accept requests directly from these individuals only, not through a third party. We do not accept requests from companies or other organizations, including the applicant's employer.
We cannot accept
- Permanent residence, Business Manager, Long-Term Resident and naturalization applications
- Applications for children of Japanese nationals or permanent residents
- Cases where your period of stay expires within two weeks
- Cases with a past refusal, revocation of status, deportation or criminal penalty, or a past violation (for example, working more hours than allowed)
If your period of stay expires within two weeks, or if you have a past refusal or violation, your case needs more than a review of documents. Please consider a paid consultation or asking us to handle your application.
4. How it works
- Request. Fill in the form below. Within 3 working days, we tell you whether we can accept your request.
- Terms and consent. If we can accept it, we email you our Terms of Service and Privacy Notice (PDF). If you agree, you reply with a consent sentence.
- Payment. The full fee is paid in advance (see Fees).
- Your documents. We send you a reference number and two links: a private upload link for your documents and the identity check video, and a short online self-declaration checklist. Please complete both within 21 days.
- Report within 7 business days after we have received everything.
- One re-check. If you send your revised documents within 14 days after our report, we check them once more.
Please request the Document Check when your documents are ready, or nearly ready, to submit. If your application form is largely blank or most documents are missing, we will let you know and ask you to complete them by the deadline; we do not fill in documents for you. If some documents are not uploaded by the deadline, we review the documents you have sent and list the missing ones in our report. Please do not send us any documents until we send you the upload link.
5. Identity check
To protect you and to prevent misuse, we confirm your identity before we review your documents. Instead of a video call, we ask you to record a short video (10–20 seconds) in which you:
- show your face and your residence card (tilting it slightly),
- read your residence card with the Immigration Services Agency's free app and show the result on screen (we will send you simple instructions), and
- read out a code we send you.
If you do not have a residence card, you show the photo page of your passport (or, for a Japanese family member, a driver's license or My Number Card) instead. Please cover your passport number, My Number or license number. If your phone cannot read your residence card, please tell us; we will confirm your identity in another way. We also check the card number with the Immigration Services Agency's online validity check, and that the payer's name matches your documents.
6. Fees
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
| Application | Fee (tax incl.) |
|---|---|
| Extension of period of stay (same employer)Includes the period-of-stay review for renewals after a one-year period. | JPY 33,000 |
| Extension after a change of employerYour new employer and job are checked from the beginning. | JPY 55,000 |
| Change of status of residence, or Certificate of Eligibility | JPY 66,000 |
Spouse of a Japanese national / Spouse of a permanent resident
| Application | Fee (tax incl.) |
|---|---|
| Extension of period of stayIncludes the period-of-stay review for renewals after a one-year period. | JPY 33,000 |
| Change of status of residence, or Certificate of EligibilityIncludes a careful review of the questionnaire and the evidence of your relationship. | JPY 77,000 |
For all clients
| Service | Fee (tax incl.) |
|---|---|
| Family members with Dependent statusWhen they apply at the same time as you. | JPY 11,000 / person |
| Further re-checkAfter the included re-check, for the points in our report. | JPY 11,000 / re-check |
All fees include one re-check and 10% consumption tax, also for clients residing outside Japan.
Payment and credits
- The full fee is payable in advance, by bank transfer from an account in your name (bank transfer fees are paid by the sender). If a bank transfer is difficult for you, for example if you live outside Japan, you can pay by credit card in your name.
- If you ask us to handle your application within one month after our report, we credit the full Document Check fee toward our application fee.
- If you used our Education Requirement Assessment within the past month, JPY 11,000 of that fee is credited toward your Document Check. If you then ask us to handle your application, the remaining JPY 11,000 is also credited.
- Consultation fees are not credited toward the Document Check.
Cancellation
- Before we start the review: full refund.
- After we start the review, but before we send our report: 50% refund.
- After we send our report: no refund.
The full conditions are in the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice, which we send you before you pay.
7. Please read before you apply
- This service is a review of documents you prepare. We do not prepare, translate or submit documents for you, and we do not deal with the Immigration Services Agency on your behalf.
- Our comments are based only on the documents and information you provide. We assume that all documents are genuine and that the information you give us is true and complete. Matters you do not tell us about (for example, past violations, unfiled notifications, or unpaid taxes or pension contributions) are not reflected in our review.
- The Immigration Services Agency decides each application at its discretion and does not publish all of its criteria. We cannot guarantee approval or the period of stay you will be granted.
- We do not accept requests if we suspect false documents or false statements, and we will end the service if we find them during the review.
- Our review covers one check and one re-check of your revised documents. Additional questions are handled as a paid consultation.
- Our report is for your own use. Please do not submit it to the Immigration Services Agency.
8. Would you rather we handle it?
If you prefer not to apply on your own, we can handle your application for you: we tell you which documents you need, prepare the application form and letters of explanation, submit the application as a certified gyoseishoshi, and deal with any request from the Immigration Services Agency. See our application fees. If you start with a Document Check and then ask us to handle your application within one month, the full Document Check fee is credited.
| Document Check | We handle your application | |
|---|---|---|
| Telling you which documents you need | No (you use the official list; we check completeness) | Yes |
| Collecting the documents | You | You (with our guidance) |
| Preparing the application form and letters of explanation | You | We do |
| Reviewing all documents before you apply | Yes | Yes |
| Submitting the application | You | We do |
| Requests for additional documents after you apply | You | We do |
| Re-application without additional professional fee if refused | No | Yes, under the conditions on our Fees page |
9. Frequently asked questions
Do you give me a list of required documents?
No. The Document Check reviews the documents you have prepared. Please prepare them using the Immigration Services Agency's official list for your application. Whether your documents are complete is part of what we check: our report tells you if anything is missing and what we recommend adding. If you would like us to tell you which documents you need before you start, please book a paid consultation, or ask us to handle your application for you.
Can you tell me whether my application will be approved?
No. We point out problems we can see in your documents, but the decision is made by the Immigration Services Agency, which does not publish all of its criteria.
I was granted only one year last time. Can you tell me why?
We check your documents against the criteria for the period of stay in the Immigration Services Agency's examination guidelines (available only in Japanese) and tell you which may apply and what you may be able to do. Parts of the guidelines are not disclosed, and the Immigration Services Agency may also rely on information it holds. If we cannot find a likely reason, we will tell you so honestly; we cannot always identify the reason from documents alone.
Is everything done online?
Yes. We communicate by email, you upload your documents through a private link, and you answer a short online checklist. There is no meeting or video call.
I live outside Japan. Can I use this service?
Yes, for a Certificate of Eligibility application. Our fees include Japanese consumption tax for all clients, including clients living outside Japan.
Can you check my permanent residence application?
No, permanent residence is not covered by the Document Check.
What if the Immigration Services Agency asks me for additional documents after I apply?
You respond to the request yourself; responding to requests after you apply is not included in the Document Check. If you would like advice on how to respond, please book a paid consultation.
What if my application is refused after the Document Check?
The free re-application in our fee terms applies only to applications we have handled ourselves. If your application is refused, please contact us; we can tell you what we can do, for example accompanying you to hear the reason for the refusal.
10. Request a Document Check
Answer the questions below. Within 3 working days, we will tell you whether we can accept your request. Please do not send any documents yet. Fields marked * are required.
Disclaimer: This page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of October 22, 2026. Immigration procedures, requirements and documents may change without notice. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information.