[brudgers]

helped me put together a three-page document that I was sure wouldn’t be sufficient for the Japanese immigration authorities.

This struck me as a case of bureaucracies operating the same way everywhere (though I could be wrong).

The magic key to documents submitted to governments: don't say anything that requires denial.

So less is often more and it is critical to use the right words and not their apparent synonyms even when the synonyms mean pretty much the same thing.

I.e. if you plan to paint your shed green, don't mention that in your building department application. It doesn't help and can only hurt.

[Ao7bei3s]

Can't speak for Japan, but in the US, the immigrant does have the burden of proof that all requirements are satisfied and not submitting enough evidence can lead to a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID). And so the law firm we used had the opposite strategy: submit as much evidence as possible and really help the adjudicator check all the boxes. Our petitions tended to be 250-500 page documents.

[apwell23]

Yea exactly my thoughts. Onus is on the US immigrant to prove that they are committing immigration fraud.

[anigbrowl]

I think you're mean 'not committing...'? The US immigration system is almost uniquely hostile, by design.

[netsharc]

Yeah, this part smells like the government agency needing a document with the correct contents so someone working there can tick several boxes saying "Requirement fulfilled". The post ends with him wondering why he got the visa, I suppose he just met all the requiments...

[throwaway2037]

Modern Japan gov't agencies are much less adversarial than people imagine. The bad old days of 1990s are gone. Japan is much more liberal about work visas now. If you have a good reason to be here, you make good money, and you pay your taxes, short of a criminal act, you can renew your work visa forever, without issue.