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| Tokyo, Japan |  Review on December 4, 2007: |
dogpontoon
Rating:  | Review Topic: Direct Consular Filing
Just filed the I-130 at Tokyo. Showed up at 1:15pm for the appointment at 2pm, and was about 8th in line. As 2pm rolled around, the line got really long; maybe 30 or so couples.
At 2pm, the people started to file in. You gotta go through some airport-style security. They give you a little basket to leave your cell and mp3 player in and you retrieve it on the way out.
You walk through security, then outside and up to the building itself. You go in and a nice guy will ask you your name and to select your type of visa on his little computer. You'll get a number and a checklist. You sit down and wait to be called. We got called in about 40 minutes.
A word to the wise: there is a photo booth there. You do not need to get pictures taken elsewhere, just do it while you wait for your number to be called. Its 1000 yen per person.
So, you go up to the counter and a nice Japanese woman checks to make sure all your things are in order. She gives you back what they don't need. We went a little overboard preparing so we got quite a bit back.
Anyway, she says "thank you" and you sit and wait to be called again. After about 20 more minutes you are called up to the counter and interviewed. We had a guy who was really nice and obviously liked his job. He asked us some simple questions and, well, that was that. I swore to the truth of all the documents and they told me that we 'passed' and that a couple weeks would be needed before we would receive notice of approval and we could start on phase II.
By the way, this is December and he asked me when we were wanting to move. I said my contract was up in April, so around then. He didn't flinch. I take it that 5 months is a reasonable amount of time for this process.
Overall, I was stunned by the congeniality of the people there. Don't worry, if you got your things together then you won't have any trouble. I could see some people weren't ready and they were struggling.
By the way, its not necessary to dress well for your appointment. Also, your appointment may be at 2pm, but so is everyone else's appointment. "Appointment" probably isn't the best word to use in this situation. Its really the time you'll be allowed into the building. There is no "appointment" per se.
Good luck!
 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2229