Getting a visa/passport stamped.

[ibiza]

Mabey you guys can help me out with this.

I'm getting a Intership Visa through a friend I have in Japan. Once she sends me the visa, I know that I need to get it stamped, but I'm not sure how. Do I need to send both the visa and my passport to the Japanese embassy in DC?

Do any of you know exactly what to do?

Thanks!

[kamome]

You're not making much sense. Someone is sending you a visa? I thought only embassies can issue visas. Maybe you need to explain what's going on for anyone to give you advice.

[ibiza]

Sorry.

I just emailed my friend to see if she could clarify this a little bit for me. Last time I went to Japan, my visa was taken care of by a company I was doing some consulting for.

Basically she says, if I'm correct, that she needs a few documents from me, ie a personal letter, 2 letters of recommendation, and a brochure from my college. She will then apply for my visa at her local immigration office. Once my visa has been approved, she will send it to me.

Now this is where I can kind of confused. With my last visa, I just gave my passport to the company I was working for, and a month later they returned it to me with a visa pasted in it. From there, all I had to do was fly to japan and get my passport stamped at Narita, then I was in.

However, my friend is telling me that once she sends my visa to me, I have to either go to the Japanese embassy, or mail my passport to them so that they can stamp it. But, as of right now, the only "stamps" that I have in my passport were from the nice ladies at Narita airport when I first entered the country, and when I left.

Mabey, (and I'm just guessing here), my friend doesn't send me the actual visa, but rather something that says I'm eligible for a visa. I then send that eligibility for along with my passport to the Japanese embassy, and they place a visa in my passport and mail it back to me. Is this correct?

Like I said, I emailed her, so hopefully she cleared it up. She's been getting visas like this for about 3 years, so she must be doing somethign right.

[Caustic Saint]

Mabey, (and I'm just guessing here), my friend doesn't send me the actual visa, but rather something that says I'm eligible for a visa. I then send that eligibility for along with my passport to the Japanese embassy, and they place a visa in my passport and mail it back to me. Is this correct?

That's most likely the case. If it's anything like the Korean system, what she'll send you is the official form saying your visa's been approved, and what kind/duration/etc. You'd then take that form and your passport to the nearest Japanese consulate/embassy and they'll put the actual visa into your passport.

[Steve Bildermann]

[ibiza]

Thanks guys.

So if she acts as my proxy, and I she returns my passport with the visa already in it, then I'm all set and I don't have to worry abou the contacting the Japanese embassy or a consulate in the US, right?

[kamome]

Thanks guys.

So if she acts as my proxy, and I she returns my passport with the visa already in it, then I'm all set and I don't have to worry abou the contacting the Japanese embassy or a consulate in the US, right?

If your passport has the visa in it, there would be no need to contact the Japanese embassy in the US because the process will have been completed.

Incidentally, what do you mean by "internship visa"? Are you working for a company or going to a school?

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

[GomiGirl]

NeoNecro is correct. the certificate she is talking about is the Certificate of Eligibility. This is issued by the immigration office and sent to your sponsoring company. They forward this to you (while you are still in your "home country" - the US in this case)

Then all you need to do is wander down to the Japanese Embassy/consulate closest to you (do a web-search to find the closest one). Drop in your passport and the certificate of eligibility and your visa is stuck into your passport by the next day. You can then travel into Japan easily.

Once you are here you will need to take your passport to your ward office (where you are living) to get your alien card.

Also, head to the Immigration office to get your reentry permit - essential if you leave the country for a holiday or any other reason - it allows you to return. get a multiple reentry.

But as NeoNecro said - all of this info is available on-line in English. We all had to do it too - so let your fingers do the walking. You can even call your local consulate and have a chat to them to explain it further.