Tokyo Experience

[kazuchan 0]

Our Tokyo experience ~

Being as that we don’t live in Tokyo, the best option for filing the I-130 petition was via mail. We sent our documents off with evidence on the 14th of November by register mail and they arrived 2 days later.

On the 7th of December we received a package including out petition approval letter, instructions for preparing for the interview, all of our original documents, the evidence of relationship I had sent and our joint-sponsor’s I-864 because I had forgot to include his proof of US Citizenship.

We gathered up the proof, some other documents they requested (birth certificate of his daughter, who is not immigrating, her family registry) and had them translated. At the same time my husband applied for and received his police certificate (took one week) and had his medical in Kobe. After we got the medical results (took about 10 days, as it was over New Year’s), I applied for the interview. I got the response in less than a week. They granted our preffered date/time- January 30th, 9 a.m.

The morning of we arrived at the embassy at 8:15 a.m. to find a line had already formed. We jumped in and were ushered through security. When we entered the embassy we were given a number (28) along with a file that his name, some paper to fill out and a slip of paper indicating the order in which the documents should be arranged.

We took our seat and waited till 9:15 to be called up to the window. The officer, a woman, took the police report, medicals, I-864, passport and the paper we filled out. She never asked for his daughter’s birth certificate or registry. Once things were in order, we sat back down. About 10 minutes later he was called up for fingerprinting and given the IV fee bill. We paid at the cashier and got our receipt and sat back down. 15 minutes later he was called by name to another window by another officer, again a woman. Actually, they were all women. This was the interview but we didn’t know that right away.

The officer seemed surprised to see me with my husband, asked me a question about where we were going to live and who is our joint-sponsor in relation to me, then she asked me to take a seat. I couldn’t hear what was going on but five minutes later my husband came to my seat and said we were finished.

They asked him:

1.How many siblings does your wife have?

2.How did you meet your wife?

3.What was she doing at the time?

4.Did your (my husbands) parents come to your wedding party?

5.What is your job?

He was sworn in, signed the DS-230 part II and the lady said “everything looks fine, you will receive the documents in a week”. We walked out of there and less than 24 hours the courier was knocking on the door with the completed visa.

Some things I thought were worth noting about Tokyo:

1.As the USC, you CAN enter the embassy but you cannot actually be physically present at the window for the interview.

2.If the USC lives outside of the Tokyo area and chooses not to go, make sure your spouse knows all the names of the forms as they are refered to by name on the slip you are given when you enter.

3.On said slip, it says to include the DS-230 part II, which I had sent in with our original petition. I had the photocopy but the officer had the original to sign. Take at least the photocopy of the whole packet with you when you go in case something gets lost.

4.Tokyo is fairly fast and to-the-point. He was never asked to provide more evidence, even though I brought tons!

5.Relax! I was observing people the whole time we were waiting and no one was getting angry, all officers look calm and friendly and all applicants looked relatively stress-free. I did so much stressing for no reason.

6.From the time we were called up to we walked out – 45 minutes.

7.They no longer issue visas the same day. You have to include a self-addressed, pre-paid “Expack 500” for your passport to be sent back to you.

I hope this is helpful!!

If you have any questions, email me at d_skinner80@hotmail.com

Danielle

[RussianGirl 0]

Very interesting! Thank you for posting your story and congrats again!!!

[Jasman0717 9]

Thanks for sharing

[sntoria 0]

Very nice...thanks for sharing.

Very nice...thanks for sharing.

[meauxna 15]

Great report! Thanks and congrats again!

[Decen 0]

hey thanks that sounds too simple. hehe

our first interview if anyone wants to know

my wife and i just had our first interview on the 25th. well i guess it was my interview but we set it up six months in advance. and we got married in tokyo on the 23rd. we had a 9am appt so we got there about an hour early the embassy opens its gates at 8, and we had to get the i-864 notarized. so we did that and picked up our number which was number one. we got the same paper telling what order everything should be in which i messed up i think. the officer went through the paperwork to make sure evrything was there. the officer kept asking me for the paystubs for my household members, which i had to explain to her that one was a stateworker. she thought that one was a W-2. but besides that there was very little confusion. she gave us the reciept and directed us to pay at the cashier. then when i came back she explained that everything looked like it was in order except the i-864 because i didnt have my proof of employment. and she said to have a seat. so we sat down for like 20 or so minutes and she called us back up and told us our i-130 was accepted and told my wife what she would need for the final interview. she kept all the paperwork except the umm something she didnt keep lol. i dont remember but whatever it was my wife has it. but she did keep the i864.

oh and if you schedule an afternoon appt they close for lunch for 2 hours and if you need anything notarized they only do that till lunch which starts at 1100. we got lucky and some guy kinda got on my case when we went to get the affidavit of something to marry. the paper that lets you get married in japan once it is translated. he had the nerve to ask me if i was in the military.

but all in all everything went extremeley smoothly the people who work at the embassy are all professionaly nice people even when they deal with someone like me

Edited February 4, 2006 by Decen

[panzeraufklarer 0]

I was also asked if I was in the military (I am, but not overseas). This is a standard helpful question, because US Forces Japan personnel need additional documents to get processed. The consular officer asked just in case you needed further assistance.

he had the nerve to ask me if i was in the military.

but all in all everything went extremeley smoothly the people who work at the embassy are all professionaly nice people even when they deal with someone like me

[kazuchan 0]

Decen-

glad you had no problems! i still check here from time to time so if you have a question, shoot me a PM.

if your wife lives in tokyo, the process for final interview should be fairly short. you can only schedule final IV interview 3 weeks to 3 months out, so keep that in mind.

Good luck!

and thanks everybody for the congrats! feels so good to be done (for now)

Edited February 6, 2006 by kazuchan

[Decen 0]

yeah that makes since panzer, but since i am ex military and dont realy like being grouped with anyone that is stationed in japan currently i dunno it was just irritating, like i wasnt supposed to be there.

oh thank you kazu chan i will let ryo-chan know she has her appt on the 27 and planning on flying out on the 11 of march