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However, for Japanese travelers if your trip is for fewer than 90 days you may not need a visa. Please refer to the topic entitled the Visa Waiver Program to see whether you can travel without a visa.

To obtain a transit visa, you must show that you:

• intend to pass in immediate and continuous transit through the United States;
• are in possession of a common carrier ticket or other evidence of transportation arrangements to your destination;
• have sufficient funds to carry out the purpose of the transit journey; and
• have permission to enter another country upon departure from the United States of America.

Crewmen who plan to travel to the United States by air or ship for the purpose of joining a ship or aircraft in the United States must also obtain a transit visa. Along with their DS-156 application form, crewmen should submit their seamens' book and a letter from their employer explaining where and what ship they intend to join. Crewmen joining a ship in the United States will normally be granted both a transit visa and a crew visa at the same time. See D visa.

Application Procedures: For information on the documents required to apply for a transit visa, pleas see our application checklist.

Please note that because of new security regulations, some applications may require an additional clearance and longer processing. Since the application process cannot be accelerated, please apply well in advance of your travel date, and do not purchase plane tickets until you have received your visa. Applicants should refrain from calling the Embassy merely to inquire about the status of their application. Visa applicants should never assume their application would be automatically approved.