(日本語)

The first step of the immigrant visa process is the filing of the immigrant visa petition (I-130) by the petitioner. After the immigrant visa petition has been approved and (if applicable) the priority date is current, the second step is the submission of the immigrant visa application by the beneficiary of the petition.

As soon as the petition is approved, or the priority date is current, we will ask you to prepare all of the necessary documents for your application. Read the instructions carefully and when all of the necessary documents have been gathered and forms completed, an appointment can be requested through this website. We conduct interviews by appointment on Mondays with the exception of U.S. & Japanese holidays. If Monday is a holiday, interviews for that week will be conducted on Tuesday.

We now require all applicants to provide a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope so we can return your passport and visa to you by mail. Processing and mailing time takes approximately one week, so please allow enough time before your intended date of departure. All applicants should enclose an "ExPack 500" envelope with their applications. The "ExPack 500" can be purchased at convenience stores and post offices throughout Japan. Please note that all applicants must provide a local Japanese address. This includes members and dependents of the U.S. military, who must use their base's local address if no other local address is available.

Click here for the document checklist and to request an interview appointment.

If your interview is in Naha:

This information refers only to second step of the Immigrant Visa process. You must have already completed the first step (approval of the I-130) in order to continue on to the second step.

If you are looking for information about the first step, please go here.

Before requesting a final interview in Naha, please be sure that you have obtained all necessary documents requested in the instructional packet you received when completing step one. Be especially careful that you obtain the correct tax documents, and that you will have completed your medical exam at least two weeks prior to your interview.

You should expect to wait six weeks for an appointment. Ideally, your interview will take place a month or two before you plan to depart for the United States. Therefore, to avoid scheduling problems, you should request your interview 3 to 4 months before you wish to enter the U.S.

Click here for the document checklist and to request an interview appointment.

If the petition was filed in the U.S.:

If the petition was filed in the U.S. at Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the National Visa Center (NVC) will provide instructions directly to the petitioner and beneficiary. It is vital that NVC be provided with a correct mailing address and that all instructions be followed promptly. Failure to do so will result in delay in transferring the petition to us. Click here for more information.