Wow, that seems blatantly corrupt. You shouldn't need a 3rd-party agency to submit forms to a government agency. In Japan, you just submit applications yourse

Wow, that seems blatantly corrupt. You shouldn't need a 3rd-party agency to submit forms to a government agency. In Japan, you just submit applications yourself. There are immigration lawyers you can use, but AFAICT they're only needed if you have some really special circumstances, or you're just too lazy (or busy) to handle the paperwork yourself. For most people, you just fill out the form, get your supporting documentation, then go wait in line at the government office for half a day.