How to request a change of interview venue for applicant through the NVC?

[TaskenLander 12]

Hello again,

My wife lives on the island of Okinawa, but her interview with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate is slated to be held in Tokyo (mainland Japan). No date has been scheduled just yet. How do we go go about having her interview changed from Tokyo to Okinawa? Do we just submit an inquiry via this form?: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html?fbclid=IwAR3yTD25H5FBWGpYUj1FCz_rGiA4g8nQh3Stst5P_S1i4-Yu3Ek_Bd6IzB4

 

Is there a better, more preferred way? Ideally, we'd love to save her the unnecessary cost of travel and hotel expenses to conduct her eventual interview. 

 

Thank you in advance for any insight,

Michael 

Edited July 21, 2023 by TaskenLander

[Lemonslice 4,819]

These days, usually only one diplomatic mission per country is offering immigrant visa interviews.  Are you sure they're available in Okinawa?

[Redro 4,611]

From this information it appears she can only interview in Tokyo… click the link… 
 

From Tokyo/Naha to another U.S. Embassy/Consulate

If you wish to have your immigrant/fiancée visa file transferred from Tokyo/Naha to another U.S. Embassy/Consulate, please contact the appropriate U.S. Embassy/Consulate directly in the country where you wish to apply and follow their instructions for case transfer. Please click here  for the full list of all U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Redro

[SteveInBostonI130 3,429]

Only one office - either the embassy itself or a consulate office - conducts immigration interviews.  For Canada it's Montreal, for Germany it's Frankfurt, for Ukraine it's Kyiv (or was), for Mexico it is Ciudad Juarez, etc.

[SalishSea 17,786]

2 hours ago, TaskenLander said:

Hello again,

My wife lives on the island of Okinawa, but her interview with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate is slated to be held in Tokyo (mainland Japan). No date has been scheduled just yet. How do we go go about having her interview changed from Tokyo to Okinawa? Do we just submit an inquiry via this form?: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/ask-nvc.html?fbclid=IwAR3yTD25H5FBWGpYUj1FCz_rGiA4g8nQh3Stst5P_S1i4-Yu3Ek_Bd6IzB4

 

Is there a better, more preferred way? Ideally, we'd love to save her the unnecessary cost of travel and hotel expenses to conduct her eventual interview. 

 

Thank you in advance for any insight,

Michael 

Not possible.

[pushbrk 12,859]

Even if there IS  a US Consulate in Okinawa, there is only one Immigrant Visa Unit for Japan, Tokyo.

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from IR1/CR1 Process & Procedures to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion, as the topic is about procedures at a specific consulate ***

 

12 hours ago, TaskenLander said:

How do we go go about having her interview changed from Tokyo to Okinawa?

 

Have your wife submit a request through the File Transfer Request Form -- https://japan2.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-form-iv-transfer.html

 

Please submit this online form if you wish to have your immigrant/fiancée visa file transferred under the following circumstances:

• You wish to have your visa file transferred from another Embassy/Consulate to Tokyo/Naha.
• You wish to have your visa file transferred between U.S. Embassy Tokyo and Consulate General Naha

So yes, Naha does process immigrant visa cases and they do accommodate transfer requests from Tokyo.  My understanding is that it's mainly for family members of US military members assigned in Okinawa, but it wouldn't hurt your wife's case to request for transfer anyway.  Please do update us on the outcome.

 

[TaskenLander 12]

11 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Even if there IS  a US Consulate in Okinawa, there is only one Immigrant Visa Unit for Japan, Tokyo.

  

Further investigating yields that there *is a consulate in Naha, Okinawa. You're saying though that the interview can only be conducted at at an Immigrant Visa Unit? (Sorry if this may be a dumb question; am earnestly trying to make sense of everything) Thank you. 

Edited July 22, 2023 by TaskenLander

[Redro 4,611]

6 minutes ago, TaskenLander said:

  

Further investigating yields that there *is a consulate in Naha, Okinawa. You're saying though that the interview can only be conducted at at an Immigrant Visa Unit? (Sorry if this may be a dumb question; am earnestly trying to make sense of everything) Thank you. 

 

9 hours ago, Chancy said:

*** Moved from IR1/CR1 Process & Procedures to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion, as the topic is about procedures at a specific consulate ***

 

 

Have your wife submit a request through the File Transfer Request Form -- https://japan2.usembassy.gov/e/visa/tvisa-form-iv-transfer.html

 

Please submit this online form if you wish to have your immigrant/fiancée visa file transferred under the following circumstances:

• You wish to have your visa file transferred from another Embassy/Consulate to Tokyo/Naha.
• You wish to have your visa file transferred between U.S. Embassy Tokyo and Consulate General Naha

So yes, Naha does process immigrant visa cases and they do accommodate transfer requests from Tokyo.  My understanding is that it's mainly for family members of US military members assigned in Okinawa, but it wouldn't hurt your wife's case to request for transfer anyway.  Please do update us on the outcome.

 

 

[TaskenLander 12]

Just now, Redro said:

 

 

OMG, thank you so much!! Will requesting a transfer potentially significantly delay things? We have yet to submit my AOS and she has yet to receive an interview date.

 

Thank you again in advance! 

[Redro 4,611]

3 minutes ago, TaskenLander said:

OMG, thank you so much!! Will requesting a transfer potentially significantly delay things? We have yet to submit my AOS and she has yet to receive an interview date.

 

Thank you again in advance! 

This was @Chancy’s post  not mine… but I have seen mention of interviews at Naha… you can submit all the documents to NVC now but request a transfer at the same time… so please update us on the outcome as this will help others in the future 

[TaskenLander 12]

4 minutes ago, Redro said:

This was @Chancy’s post  not mine… but I have seen mention of interviews at Naha… you can submit all the documents to NVC now but request a transfer at the same time… so please update us on the outcome as this will help others in the future 

Copy that. So just to be clear -- I'd do best to wait until I have my AOS complete and submit that, along with proof of my 2022 tax filing, at the same time I do the change of interview venue request? Thank you.

[TaskenLander 12]

22 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

These days, usually only one diplomatic mission per country is offering immigrant visa interviews.  Are you sure they're available in Okinawa?

I am officially no longer... The wife has just said that she has read of previous Japanese women holding their interviews there (Naha, Okinawa). 

[Redro 4,611]

13 minutes ago, TaskenLander said:

Copy that. So just to be clear -- I'd do best to wait until I have my AOS complete and submit that, along with proof of my 2022 tax filing, at the same time I do the change of interview venue request? Thank you.

Do it at the same time… you don’t have to delay the request or submitting the ds260 or AOS 

[TaskenLander 12]

2 minutes ago, Redro said:

Do it at the same time… you don’t have to delay the request or submitting the ds260 or AOS 

Copy that. Thank you for the help and the feedback.