Announcement of Fee Policy & Service Revisions for Permanent Residence Applications (Effective October 1, 2026 / Phased Rollout from Sept 15)

Thank you very much for choosing and trusting our service.

We have assisted numerous clients with Permanent Residence (PR) applications and visa changes in Japan. In light of the Immigration Services Agency's proposed guidelines and the recent, significant tightening of the screening process, we are revising our service structure and fee policy.

Under the new environment, many requirements lack rigid, clear-cut benchmarks, making simple "pass/fail" assessments inaccurate. Instead, thorough early-stage risk analysis and comprehensive preliminary assessment are crucial. To better protect our clients and deliver higher-quality service, we are transitioning to a structure focused on early risk identification and strategy building.

We deeply appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

1. Background & Key Reasons for Revisions

(1) Advanced Risk Analysis Due to Stricter Guidelines

Recent PR screenings demand exhaustive review of tax records, social insurance (pension history, projected future pension benefits), and language proficiency (e.g., JLPT certification). Because explicit numerical criteria are not provided for every single item, conducting an in-depth risk analysis and meticulous document preparation has become indispensable.

(2) Implementation of Free Email Screening & Mandatory Pre-Application Audit

Given the detailed and strict nature of current reviews, it is virtually impossible to evaluate eligibility or outcome likelihood through short verbal consultations.

Therefore, we will first conduct an initial fact check via our Free Email Screening. Upon agreement and formal contract, we proceed directly to the Pre-Application Document Audit stage, reviewing gathered documents to uncover potential risks and address issues prior to filing.

Note: Depending on the information provided in the initial email screening, we may conduct an online hearing session as needed.

2. Permanent Residence Application Fee Schedule (Phase 1 Revision — Effective Sep 15, 2026)

Services requested from September 15, 2026, onward will be onboarded under this new structure.

① Inquiries & Initial Hearing

• Free Initial Screening

  
  

  • Details: Fact-checking via email or web form. (No prediction or guarantee of application outcome will be provided.) An online hearing will be scheduled if necessary based on your situation.

    
    

  • Fee: FREE

    
    

② Base Menu Items (Mandatory After Engagement)

• Pre-Application Document Audit

  
  

  • Details: Comprehensive analysis of non-permission risks regarding good conduct, independent livelihood, and national interest. Includes review of employees' pension (Kōsei Nenkin) enrollment history, future benefit estimates, and language proficiency requirements via JLPT certificates. (Mandatory for all clients)

    
    

  • Fee: ¥71,500 (tax included)

    
    

• Application Document Preparation

  
  

  • Details: Preparation of the complete application set, Statement of Reason (reasons for application addressing potential risk factors), and supporting document cover letters.

    
    

  • Fee: ¥99,000 (tax included)

    
    

• Immigration Submission & Representation

  
  

  • Details: Filing documents with the Immigration Bureau, accompanying attendance, and handling post-submission communications.

    
    

  • Fee: ¥88,000 (tax included)

    
    

③ Additional Options (If Applicable)

• Additional Family Member (Adult)

  
  

  • Details: Spouse or adult child (per person)

    
    

  • Fee: ¥33,000 (tax included)

    
    

• Additional Family Member (Minor)

  
  

  • Details: Minor child (per person)

    
    

  • Fee: ¥22,000 (tax included)

    
    

④ Re-Application Services (Post-Refusal Cases)

• Re-Application Guarantee Option

  
  

  • Details: Available at initial contract signing only. Requires passing the initial document audit and strictly following legal advice. If refused, 1 re-application attempt is included for free.

    
    

  • Fee: +¥38,500 (tax included)

    
    

• Re-Application Service (Existing Clients without Guarantee Option)

  
  

  • Details: Utilizing existing client records, focused specifically on root cause analysis, risk strategy re-building, and re-filing.

    
    

  • Fee: ¥121,000 (tax included)

    
    

• Re-Application Service (Existing Clients with Guarantee Option)

  
  

  • Details: Free for the first attempt if all qualification conditions are met.

    
    

  • Fee: ¥0 (1 time only)

    
    

• Re-Application Service (New Clients / Transfers from Self-Filing or Other Agencies)

  
  

  • Details: Comprehensive zero-based review of prior submission history, root cause investigation, and risk mitigation strategy.

    
    

  • Fee: ¥242,000 (tax included)

    
    

3. Cost Examples (Estimated Totals)

Because language and pension checks are now integrated into the mandatory base items, our service cost structure is categorized into three main examples below:

• Pre-Application Document Audit Only

  
  

  • Breakdown: Pre-Application Document Audit

    
    

  • Estimated Total: ¥71,500 (tax included)

    
    

• Document Preparation Only (Self-Submission)

  
  

  • Breakdown: Application Document Preparation only

    
    

  • Estimated Total: ¥99,000 (tax included)

    
    

• Standard Case

  
  

  • Breakdown: Pre-Application Document Audit + Application Document Preparation + Immigration Representation

    
    

  • Estimated Total: ¥258,500 (tax included)

    
    

• Note 1: A separate official government handling fee (¥200,000 per PR application starting October 1, 2026) payable to the Immigration Services Agency will be required.

  
  

• Note 2: Phase 2 fee revisions are planned for April 2027 to align with the full enforcement of updated PR guidelines (including institutional understanding factors).

  
  

4. Application Flow & Process

1. Free Email Screening

   Please fill out our inquiry web form with your current status. (This step is strictly for fact-checking; we do not provide legal opinions or outcome assessments at this stage.)

   
   

2. Online Hearing (If Needed)

   Based on your submitted details, an online meeting will be arranged if further clarification is required.

   
   

3. Contract & Pre-Application Document Audit (Risk Analysis)

   Upon signing the agreement, you will collect necessary documents. We will conduct a thorough risk audit regarding pension records, language qualifications, and financial sustainability.

   
   

4. Document Preparation & Immigration Filing

   Based on the risk analysis, we will draft customized statements of reason and supporting documents to address any potential concerns, then submit the application to Immigration.

   
   

We remain committed to providing transparent, highly analytical, and thorough assistance to minimize your application risks.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Daichi Ito

Immigration Consultant(Gyoseishoshi)

daichiito@kamalegal.com