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Immigrant Visas

Frequently Asked Questions on Immigrant Visas

  


Who requires an Immigrant Visa?

Anyone wishing to live and/or work in the U. S. permanently requires an immigrant visa before travelling to the United States. See Immigrant Visa Categories page for information on who may qualify for immigration and application procedures.

I am married to a U.S. citizen. Can I travel to the US on the Visa Waiver Program and apply for a Green Card after arrival?

If you enter the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program, you will not be allowed to change your status. Moreover, if the inspector at the port of entry is aware of your intention to stay in the U.S. permanently, you may be refused entry in to the United States.

Intending immigrants should always enter the U.S. on an immigrant visa. While it is true that some people who enter the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas do change their status to legal permanent resident, it is an expensive, time consuming, and difficult process. It is advisable to obtain your immigrant visa overseas.


What if my I-130 petition is approved right away but we're not ready to move yet?

Please note that these are all estimates. Processing time varies a great deal depending on the circumstances.

Once your I-130 petition has been approved, you are advised to proceed with the final interview for the immigrant visa within the 6 months before you intend to immigrate to the U.S. If you do not intend to immigrate to the U.S. within the next 6 months or so, you should NOT proceed with the final interview for the immigrant visa. This is because legal permanent residents (LPRs, or green card holders) lose their resident status if they are outside of the United States for a year or more. In short, legal permanent resident status is for people who are resident in the United States.

In the meanwhile, please note if you have not applied for the immigrant visa more than 1 year since your I-130 petition has been approved, your I-130 petition may be terminated. However, you can keep your I-130 active indefinitely by contacting us at least once a year. By sending us a letter updating your contact information and stating that you still intend to immigrate at some point in the future, we will reset the 1-year clock.

Will I owe customs duty on my household effects when I move to the U.S.?

Household effects owned by immigrants for one year or more, as well as personal effects intended for their own use and not containing any prohibited items, such as firearms and drugs, are admitted free of duty. Only very limited quantities of tobacco, spirits and wines can be taken into the United States duty free. See Customs and Border Protection Website for more information.

Can I work?

On entering the United States on an immigrant visa you will require no further authorization from the Department of Homeland Security to take up employment. If you are seeking to immigrate on the basis of an offer of employment, you will require a U.S. based employer who will file an immigrant visa petition on your behalf with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

There is no United States Government office in the Japan which furnishes information concerning jobs available in the United States. While there are federally supported employment offices throughout the United States which assist job-seekers, those offices are not authorized to answer inquiries from overseas. If you belong to a professional or trade organizations in Japan, they may have counterpart organizations in the U.S. to whom you could inquire about job opportunities in your field of expertise. Some employment agencies in Japan provide assistance in finding jobs in the United States. However, we have no detailed information on their services and cannot advise you on their merit. They have absolutely no connection with the United States Government.

How do I become an American citizen?

An immigrant can become an American citizen through naturalization by living in the United States for a specified period, usually five years (three years if married to a citizen) and passing a naturalization examination. However, there is no requirement that an immigrant become a citizen and he/she is free to live in the United States as long as he/she wishes regardless of his/her citizenship, so long as he/she abides by the laws of the land, which are applicable to citizens and aliens alike.

How do I get a Social Security number?

By law, each immigrant or refugee admitted to the United States must obtain a Social Security number. Social Security numbers are required to work in the U.S., to open a bank account, to pay taxes and for many other purposes. An application for a Social Security number should be made to the local Social Security Office in the area where the immigrant will reside after his/her arrival in the United States. See their website for further information.


What about my pet?

A health certificate is required to bring a dog or cat from Japan into the U.S. Such a certificate is usually required by the airlines and the airlines should be contacted concerning any time limitations or other details. Japan is a rabies-free area, so the pet will not be quarantined and will not need a rabies vaccination unless required by the state or local authorities at your final destination. Please see Customs and Border Protection website for more information.

How much money can I bring?

There is no limit on the amount of money which may be taken in or out of the United States. However, any amount in excess of $10,000 in currency, travelers checks or negotiable instruments, must be declared to the United States Customs at the time of arrival in or departure from the United States. Please see Customs and Border Protection website for more information.

The amount of money which may be taken out of the Japan is a matter under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Government. Further information is available from any bank in Japan.


I am an American citizen and I am looking to adopt in Japan. What do I do?

For information on adoption in Japan, please click on our adoption webpage.


Can the translations be written by hand? Does the translation format need to be the same as the original?

Hand-written translations are acceptable. The translation does not need to match the original format. However, the translation format must be easy to compare with the original. All foreign language documents must be translated and signed by the translator as complete and correct. However, they do not have to be notarized.