“I was flying home for summer break and had to connect through Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan, so during the two weeks of finals I made two trips to Chicago just to get the visa done. :roll:”
Since I had just received my Japan transit visa, the required documents and application process for a Japan visa were still fresh in my mind. In this post, I’ll walk through how to apply for a Japan visa in the United States if you hold a Chinese passport and a U.S. visa, including a transit visa, a single-entry tourist visa, and a single-entry visa for temporary visit as academic purposes.
When I first heard that I needed to get a Japan visa, honestly, I really didn’t want to deal with it. I had heard so many stories from people applying in China that left me with one strong impression: it’s a hassle. “You need to use a Taobao agency, it’s expensive, the paperwork takes forever, and you need tons of bank statements...” Even though I knew some of that was exaggerated, it still left a lasting impression on me: avoid visa applications whenever possible. But after reading some online posts from people who had applied for Japan visas in the U.S. and said it was actually pretty easy, I went to the Japanese consulate website to look up the process. It turned out not to be nearly as complicated as I had imagined, so I decided to roll up my sleeves and get it done.
The visa application process can basically be broken down into these steps: figure out which visa type you need, identify the consulate that serves your area, prepare the required documents, submit your application, and pick up your visa.
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Figure out which visa type you need
For those of us holding Chinese passports and U.S. visas, the Japan visa types we usually deal with are pretty limited: a transit visa for connections, a single-entry tourist visa for leisure travel (there are also multiple-entry tourist visas; the official site has a special multiple-entry visa page for Chinese nationals, click here if you’re interested), and a single-entry academic visa for short-term academic exchange or study-abroad programs involving a visit to a Japanese university.
Transit visa For transit
What is a transit visa? A foreign national enters Japan while traveling to another country. The only purpose is transit, and the person is permitted to stay in Japan for a short period. It may not be used for business, academic activities, or visiting relatives/acquaintances.
This can be divided into two scenarios: traveling from the U.S. through Japan to another country, and traveling from another country through Japan back to the U.S.
Traveling from the U.S. through Japan to another country
If you are heading to China,
- If you stay at the Japanese airport only within the same calendar day—for example, arriving in the morning and leaving in the afternoon—you do not need any visa;
- If your stay at the Japanese airport is not within the same day, requires an overnight stay, or requires changing airports (for example, arriving at HND Haneda and departing from NRT Narita), then you need a transit visa. A few things to keep in mind:
- You may see a lot of posts online saying Narita is not a 24-hour airport and that you must leave the airport, but if you check the airport information, there actually are places to stay overnight inside the airport—they’re just limited in size. If you’re interested, click the link here.
- If your departing flight from Japan HND is on Juneyao Airlines (even though it is a Star Alliance Connecting Partner, you still need to clear immigration after arriving on a Star Alliance carrier for the previous segment) or on any airline that is not in the same alliance as your previous segment, then you will need to go through immigration and check in your baggage again.
- Japanese airports may issue a 72-hour “visa on arrival,” including a shore pass (for overnight transit at the same airport) and a transit pass (for transfers between different airports in the same city, such as HND Haneda - NRT Narita). While convenient, these are not guaranteed. An immigration officer may refuse to issue one, ask you to rebook an earlier departure, or your next airline may deny boarding because you do not have a transit visa.
If you are traveling to a country other than China, and your stay at the Japanese airport is within the same day, then you only need to have the visa for the third country ready. If your stay is not within the same day and requires an overnight stay, then you need a transit visa.
Traveling from another country through Japan back to the U.S.
If your U.S. visa will still be valid when you return to the United States, then you can apply for the Japan visa without worry. If your U.S. visa will have expired by the time you return to the U.S., then the Japanese consulate will not issue you the visa. In that case, your only option is to go back to China and apply for a Japan visa there.
Tourist visa For Tourism
What is a tourist visa? A foreign national travels to Japan for sightseeing and tourism, and may not use it for business, academic activities, or visiting relatives/acquaintances. It does not permit income-generating business or compensated activities.
This applies to people traveling from the U.S. to Japan and back specifically for tourism.
The requirement is also straightforward: your U.S. visa must remain valid for the entire duration of your trip to Japan. So this does not mean you can go to Japan and apply for a U.S. visa there.
Academic visa For Temporary Visit as Academic Purposes
What is an academic visa? A foreign national travels to Japan for academic purposes, such as attending academic conferences, seminars, short-term study, or internships. It does not permit income-generating business or compensated activities.
This applies to people traveling from the U.S. to Japan and back specifically for academic exchange.
The requirement is the same as above: your U.S. visa must remain valid throughout your academic stay in Japan.
Find the consulate that serves your area
After determining which visa type you need, the second step is to identify the consulate where you will submit your application materials. In the United States, Japan has a total of 18 diplomatic posts for this purpose (1 embassy and 17 consulates). Each one covers a specific jurisdiction; click this link to view it. For convenience, I also included a screenshot below so you can browse it directly.
As you can see from the image above, Japanese consular offices are spread across the U.S.: 14 in the continental U.S. including the embassy in New York, 1 in Alaska, 1 in Hawaii, and 2 in overseas territories. If you live within the metro area near a consulate, the consulate may require you to submit your materials in person; if you live farther away, you may be able to apply by mail. That said, because the application package includes important documents such as your passport—and U.S. mail isn’t always the most reliable—applying in person is probably the better option if you can manage it.
Prepare the required documents
Here, let’s use the transit visa as an example. Click the official website link () to see the required documents.
Here are the required materials:
1. A valid passport with a valid visa. Your passport must have at least 2 blank pages.
2. A completed Japan visa application form. There are two versions available: one that you print and fill out by hand, and one that you complete on a computer and then print. I recommend the handwritten version, because if there are parts of the application you are not sure about, you can leave them blank and ask the consulate when you get there. If you use the typed version and don’t complete it correctly, it can be more troublesome. Below is a screenshot of the handwritten version. Just click the print button in the upper-right corner of the page to print it; that button will not appear on the printed document.
3. One passport-size photo. The size should be 2in * 2in, in color. It must have been taken within the past 6 months. It’s best not to forget to write your name on the back of the photo before attaching it to the “paste photo here” area of the visa application form (as shown above). I forgot to do that this time and it wasn’t a big deal, but just in case, it’s still best to write your name on it.
4. Flight itinerary/booking confirmation. If needed, provide a flight booking confirmation issued by a travel agency or the airline, and it must show the complete round-trip itinerary. One very user-friendly point here is that the consulate suggests that you do not need to actually purchase the ticket; you only need a confirmation. Most U.S. airlines allow free cancellation within 24 hours, so you can simply place a booking, print the confirmation, and then cancel it. Once the Visa is approved, you can buy the ticket again.
5. Hotel reservation. Because I applied for a transit Visa and did not need to stay in a hotel, I was exempt from this. If you arrive in Japan on 6/1 and leave on a flight on 6/3, and you need to stay at a hotel in Japan, then just print out the hotel reservation confirmations. What is needed is the complete reservation for every hotel stay.
6. Itinerary form. There are both Japanese and English versions available. It is very simple—just fill in your plan for each day. In my case, since I arrived on the first day and departed on the second day, I wrote: date: 6/1; activity plan: arrive in HND airport; contact: not needed; accommodation: no hotel reservation. For the second day, you can simply change it to departure HND airport.
7. Proof of your legal U.S. status. Remember that they want copies here—do not submit the original documents, and of course they will not accept them anyway. For example, if you are a student on an F visa, you should prepare a copy of your F Visa, a copy of your I-20 with the travel authorization signature from the appropriate school officer, and a copy of your I-94 (an electronic version is also accepted). Online, some people say you also need proof of enrollment/employment. I prepared it this time as well, but the consulate staff said it was not needed and did not take it. If you want to be safe, you can still prepare one (it is actually quite simple—just email the relevant officer).
8. Passport, or a passport containing the Visa required to enter a third country. If you are transiting through Japan on your way back to your own country, then your passport alone is enough. If you are transiting through Japan to a third country and that country requires you to have a Visa, then prepare the passport containing that country’s visa or clearance. If you are transiting through Japan to a third country that does not require a visa for you, then prepare your passport and print out the page from that country’s consulate website showing that your nationality can enter that country visa-free.
9. Visa fee (you actually do not need to prepare this at this step; you will need it later when you go pick up your passport, so I will cover it in the visa pickup section)
*** If you need someone else to submit the application or pick it up on your behalf, you need to print and fill out an authorization form. If you truly need to apply by mail, you need to prepay for a USPS express mail or priority mail return envelope and write your address on it. I strongly do not recommend doing this, but if you really have no other option, make sure to read the requirements carefully.
Submitting the documents
Because Japan grants visa-free entry to U.S. citizens, there are actually very few people inside the Japanese consulate, and the space is not large. The Visa section at the Chicago consulate was just a small room. Once you have your materials ready, you only need to go to the consulate during Visa processing hours, Monday through Friday, 9:30-12:15 in the morning and 1:15-4 in the afternoon, excluding holidays. Remember: it must be during Visa processing hours. The consulate itself may close later than the visa processing window, but if the visa section is closed, there is no point in going. Because I had prepared everything thoroughly, I went there, passed a very simple security check, and submitted the materials. The visa officer kept my passport, copies, and some other materials, returned originals such as my I-20 and green card, and gave me a receipt. They will remind you that this receipt is very important; in theory, without it they will not return your passport. The receipt includes your visa application number, the time when you can pick up the visa, and the fee you need to pay when you come back.
Picking up the visa
My wait time this time was one week. Once the time comes, just bring the receipt and a photo ID (driver license) to the consulate.
Before you go pick up the visa, remember to prepare the visa fee. It must be the exact amount in cash or Money order! The exact amount in cash or Money order! The exact amount in cash or Money order! Important things should be said three times. The consulate will not have change for you. If you do not have the exact amount, sorry—you will have to go out, get the right amount of cash, and come back.
In the image below, the first table shows the fee required for the second application, and the second table shows the fee required for the first application. I applied for a transit Visa, and I was charged $6.
My thoughts
Although the Japanese consulate was smaller than I had imagined, it was indeed very neat inside, and it actually gave me a warm feeling. The visa officer was also very nice—not very talkative, but friendly in tone. I do not know whether there is only one officer in the Visa section at the Chicago consulate, but both times I went it was the same person. I also asked a few friends who had applied for visas there before, and they all said they had only seen him too, haha.
Everything above is a summary based on my actual visa application experience, the official website, and online experience-sharing posts. If there is anything inappropriate or incorrect, feel free to leave a comment below~