Visa Application Steps

A "visa" grants permission to enter a foreign country. Ordinarily this is signified by a stamp in the traveler's passport.

The JCMU office will assist you with the visa process. Once you have submitted your post acceptance materials, JCMU will apply for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) at the Immigrations office in Japan.

Once we attain your CoE, we will contact you and request that you send your passport and a Release of Liability to the JCMU office. We recommend that you send your passport with a mail carrier with tracking and delivery confirmation.

After receiving your passport, JCMU will send this along with your CoE and Visa application to the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit. They will insert the visa into your passport and ship the passport back to your permanent home address.

Below you will find a more detailed description of this process.

Step One: Request/Renew Passport

First of all, it is extremely important to a have a valid passport. American citizens must submit 2 passport photos, a certified copy of their birth certificate, a completed application, and the application fee to the nearest full-service post office, passport agency (in Chicago for Midwesterners), or in some cases, county courthouse. Once you obtain a passport, be sure to sign it and send a photocopy to the JCMU office at MSU.

Web Site to Visit:

http://travel.state.gov/passport_easy.html

Visa Application Form can be found here. This is a .pdf file. You'll need Acrobat Reader to view this file. Click here to get Acrobat Reader.

 

Step Two: Determine Duration of Stay

American and Canadian citizens (among others) do not need a visa to enter Japan for less than 90 days. (If you will be at JCMU more than 90 days, go to "Step Three.") This includes students participating in short courses or the Summer Intensive Japanese Program, who will study at JCMU for 90 days or less. Simply present your passport to the immigration authorities upon arrival in Japan, and receive an entry pass good for 90 days. Students entering Japan with an entry pass may not "switch" to another type of visa without leaving Japan, may not stay in Japan for more than 90 days, and may not work for compensation under any circumstance. [Students entering Japan by this method are eligible, however, to buy Japan Rail passes, which offer substantial discounts on train travel. These passes must be purchased before entering Japan.]

Citizens of Other Countries: Contact the nearest Japanese Consulate for details. Depending on citizenship, you may need to apply for a visa even for periods of less than 90 days. Please note: Permanent Residency (in the U.S. for example) is not the same as citizenship.

Web Sites to Visit:

Step Three: Determine When You Will Enter Japan

The type of visa used for JCMU students depends on the time of year they enter Japan. For all students entering in the fall semester, "Student Visas" are used. Students entering at other times of the year generally use "Cultural Activities Visas."

Student Visas

Student Visas are granted through JCMU's partner institution, the University of Shiga Prefecture (USP). These visas carry the bonus privilege of student status at USP, and permit (under limited circumstances, and with the permission of USP) students to work concurrently with their studies at JCMU. AIEJ and Shiga Government scholarship recipients need student visas in order to receive funds. The student visa process requires a physical, proof of financial support, and other documents. The list includes:

  1. Signed USP Oath Statement (sign and date)
  2. Medical Certificate (to be completed by a medical professional. Ignore the x-ray section unless there is something to report.)

The forms highlighted above are available at the MSU office.

Cultural Activities Visas (either fall or spring semester)

Cultural Activities Visas are available for JCMU students entering for spring semester and other times of the year. Students must provide a bank statement detailing at least $2000 available in assets. If the student uses his or her parents' bank statement or 401(K) statement, the sponsor must sign the Statement of Financial Support. All documents MUST be ORIGINALS. The other documents listed under "student visas" are unnecessary.

  1. Statement of Financial Support with supporting documents. Normally this form is signed by a parent or guardian. Please attach any combination of original financial aid notices, bank/stock broker statements, guarantee letters, etc. indicating assets of at least $2000 per semester of attendance. This information will only be used for visa purposes.
  2. [For students leaving full-time employment]: An original statement from your employer on letterhead indicating your name, position, dates of employment (especially starting date) and reason for leaving.

The forms highlighted above are available at the MSU office.

Step Four: Make Sure your Application File is Complete

Much of the information requested by the JCMU application is used for the visa process. Did you submit the six requested passport photos? Did you have an original transcript sent? Please check with JCMU's office at MSU to make sure you are not missing anything.

Visa Document Deadlines

May/Summer Programs:

March 15

Summer/Fall Programs:

April 1

Fall/Academic Year:

May 15

Spring/Winter Semester:

October 15

Note: JCMU is the intermediary between the students and the Japanese government. Although we make a great deal of effort to help the process, we cannot be held responsible for any particular visa. If all requested documents and photos are in the MSU office by the above deadlines, your chances of receiving a visa before departure are extremely high.

Steps Five- Seven : Wait; Receive "Certificate of Eligibility;" Submit Visa Application

All documents submitted to MSU are forwarded to the JCMU office in Japan, the Kyoto Immigration Bureau, and (if applicable) the University of Shiga Prefecture. Processing takes several weeks. The end product is called a "Certificate of Eligibility." Combined with a signed, valid passport and a completed visa application form, the certificate enables the nearest Japanese consulate to issue a visa. By design, certificates are issued just weeks before the planned activities in Japan are to take place. Normally, the MSU office submits these documents on the students behalf to the Japan Consulate of Detroit, and visas are issued within three days.

The JCMU office at MSU will need your valid, signed passport approximately six weeks before your intended departure to Japan, unless you apply for your visa without our aid. Send it by certified mail to the JCMU office at MSU. We also will help complete your visa application form. If you will not be in the U.S. or Canada in the month before departure to Japan, you will need to apply for your own visa at the nearest Japanese consulate. Make sure we have your address and phone number where you will reside prior to leaving for JCMU. It is unwise to plan extensive international travel in the six weeks before you leave for Japan -- you may not be able to get a visa before the program begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are my options if I do not receive a visa in time?

A: American, Canadian, and other citizens may enter Japan on the 90 entrance pass, leave Japan at their own expense (usually by going to South Korea), and re-enter Japan for another 90 days, unless a longer visa is granted abroad. This may be a practical solution to 1 semester students, but an expensive option for full-year students.

Q: What is the cost of a trip to Seoul for a weekend?

 

A: The travel and lodging (2 nights) costs are at least 60,000 yen per person.

Q: My passport has been stolen, consumed, and/or rendered unusable by the wash machine. What do I do?

A: American citizens may pay express fees at the post office or apply in person at the Chicago (or nearest) Passport Agency for an expedited passport. This may also be necessary if you do not have a passport by the deadline mentioned above.

Q: Should I be worried about obtaining a visa?

A: No, unless you did not submit information as requested. In the past, applications have been delayed by the failure to send proper photos, documents, or passports. The vast majority of previous JCMU participants have received their visas without incident.

Q: My Certificate of Eligibility states it expires in 90 days. What does that mean and how is it different from "period of stay"?

A: Please refer to the Consulate General of Japan - Detroit website for an explanation of the terms "Visa Expiry" and "Period of Stay". http://www.detroit.us.emb-japan.go.jp/download/visa_explanation.pdf