Since the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy Tokyo has been accepting non-immigrant applications only through the mail or by travel agent. Due to recent mailroom closures within the entire State Department system, our mail service has experienced some lengthy delays. While we have no way of knowing how long these delays may continue, it is possible that they may occur for some time to come.

While we remain committed to processing non-immigrant visa cases by mail in the quickest possible timeframe, we cannot guarantee our usual ten-day turnaround for mailed-in cases. At present, we are processing applications that are submitted and picked up by travel agents in approximately 5-7 workdays. You may wish to consider these issues when deciding how to submit your visa application. Please be aware that most travel agents charge a non-refundable fee for their visa application assistance.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience that these temporary interruptions may cause and thank you for your cooperation.

For information on visa services: http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/../../e/tvisa-main.html