(日本語)

Domestic employees accompanying or following to join an employer in the United States may be eligible for B-1 visas.

Domestic employees accompanying or following to join an employer who is a foreign diplomat or official may be eligible for A-3, G-5 or NATO-7 visas, depending on the visa status of the employer.

This category of personal or domestic employees includes, but is not limited to, housekeepers, nannies, cooks and chauffeurs.

Requirements vary based on the status of the employer. Please apply for the category that best fits your situation:

• Employer is a U.S. citizen residing in Japan who will be making a short visit or temporarily assigned to the U.S.
  
• Employer is a foreign nationals in nonimmigrant status.
• Employer is assigned to an international organization or bilateral mission (A, G or NATO visa holders)

• The employee has a residence abroad which he/she has no intention of abandoning;


• The employee has been employed abroad by the employer for at least six months prior to the date of admission to the U.S. , in the alternative, the employer can show that the employer has regularly employed a domestic employee in the same capacity while abroad;


• The employee can demonstrate at least one year experience as a personal or domestic employee by producing statements from previous employers attesting to such experience;


• The employer and employee have signed a written employment contract;
• The employer normally works abroad. As a condition of employment, the employer is subject to frequent international transfers lasting two years or more and submits documentation from corporate headquarters confirming this condition;


• The employer is returning to Japan after the trip to the US;


• The employer is the official sponsor of the employee in Japan and can submit documentation to support this fact; and


• The employer is returning/coming to the U.S. for no more than four years.

Domestic employees of U.S. citizens moving temporarily to the U.S. may be eligible for B-1 visas, however under current U.S. law there is no provision that enables U.S. citizens who are moving permanently to the U.S. to bring their domestic employees with them.

Personal/Domestic Employees of Foreign Nationals in Nonimmigrant Status
Personal or domestic employees who are accompanies or follows to join an employer who is seeking admisstion into, or is already in the U.S. in B, E, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q nonimmigrant status, must meet the following requirements:

• The employee has a residence abroad which he/she has no intention of abandoning;


• The employee has been employed abroad by the employer for at least one year prior to the date of admission to the U.S. or if the employer-employee relationshhip existed immediately prior to the time of application, the employer can demonstrate that he has regularly employed(either year-round or seasonally) domestic help over a period of years preceding the time of application;


• The employee can demonstrate at least one year experience as a personal or domestic employee by producing statements from previous employers attesting to such experience;


• The employer and employee have signed a written employment contract; and
• The employer must pay the domestic employee's initial travel expenses to the U.S., and subsequently to the employer's onward assignment, or to the employee's country of normal residence at the terminationof the assignment.

Personal/Domestic Employees of Persons Assigned to International Organizations or Bilateral Missions (A, G or NATO Visa Holders):

Persons Assigned to International Organizations or Bilateral Missions may bring a domestic employee to the U.S. under the following conditions:

• The employer can provide a "Note Verbale" requesting issuance of the visa from the principle's international organization or mission confirming the employment status of the principle, the date of departure from Japan, the purpose of the trip and the length of stay in the United States.


• The employer can provide an employment contract certified or endorsed by the employer's mission or organization, and


• The employer and employee have signed a written employment contract.

Application Procedures: For information on applying for this visa, please see the application checklist.

Due to new security regulations, some applications may require additional clearance and longer processing. Since the application process cannot be accelerated, please apply well in advance of your travel date, and do not purchase plane tickets until you have received your visa. Applicants should refrain from calling the Embassy to inquire about the status of their application. Visa applicants should never assume their application will be automatically approved.