What is the cost of hiring an administrative scrivener to apply for naturalization?
Application for naturalization is a procedure for foreigners living in Japan to obtain Japanese citizenship. If the application is approved, you can live as a Japanese citizen. However, the percentage of applications approved is lower than that of other statuses of residence. Therefore, many people request an administrative scrivener, who is a specialist in this field.
What is an application for naturalization?
An application for naturalization is an application made by a foreign national living in Japan to the Immigration Bureau in order to acquire Japanese citizenship. If the application is approved, the applicant loses his/her foreign nationality and becomes a Japanese citizen.
For example, the person applying for naturalization must have reached the age of majority (18 years old). They must also be of legal age under the laws of the country in which they currently hold nationality. This is called the “capacity requirement.
In addition, the applicant must have paid his/her taxes in good standing and not have been convicted of any serious crimes during the period he/she has been living in Japan. This is called the “background requirement.
Cost of Gyoseishoshi Lawyer
Since this is such a difficult application, many people request a specialized Gyoseishoshi Lawyer. The most common question is, “How much will it cost?” The most important question is “How much does it cost?
In each prefecture, there is a “XX Gyoseishoshi Lawyers Association” to which all administrative scriveners are members. In addition, there is an organization called the “Japan Federation of Gyoseishoshi Lawyers Associations (JGSSA)” that oversees these associations. Every five years, the JFSA conducts a survey of fees (remuneration) for administrative scriveners by category.
The results of the survey conducted in 2020 are as follows. The “application for naturalization” is divided into three categories: “employees,” “sole proprietors and corporate officers,” and “simplified naturalization,” but here we will take the general category of “employees (company employees)” as an example.
The sample size is 67, and the average amount is 177,500 yen. The smallest amount is 44,000 yen and the largest is 500,000 yen. The mode with the highest number of cases was “200,000 yen” with 11 cases.
From these figures, it can be seen that the cost for a foreigner (company employee) residing in Japan to request an administrative scrivener to apply for naturalization is around “200,000 yen”.
How can the cost be reduced?
Currently, many administrative scriveners have created websites and posted the necessary fees. However, please be careful not to be attracted only by the amount of money to make a request.
If possible, it is better to meet with the Gyoseishoshi Lawyer in person to confirm the cost presented and the scope of work the Gyoseishoshi Lawyer is responsible for. Specifically, you should ask whether the cost is commensurate with the amount of work the Gyoseishoshi Lawyer will perform.
If the applicant collects most of the documents to be submitted, it is natural that the fees are set low. However, an applicant who is uncertain about collecting the documents may want to hire an administrative scrivener who will collect most of the documents, even if the cost is a little higher.
Also, if you want to keep the proposed fee as low as possible, you can inform Gyoseishoshi Lawyer of the documents you can collect by yourself and ask for a discount.
Summary
The average cost of requesting an administrative scrivener to apply for naturalization is around 200,000 yen. Many Gyoseishoshi Lawyers have websites and list their fees, but when making a request, be sure to meet with them in person to confirm that the cost is commensurate with the scope of their work.