Obtaining a Student VISA for entry into Japan

Today, I traveled to the Embassy of Japan in Washington, DC in order to submit the application for my student VISA. As it turns out, I did not have all the adequate information in order to complete my form and had to return home without much accomplished. However, I have decided to detail the form in order to help prevent future exchange students from repeating my problem.

First - the Certificate of Eligibility. Before evening applying for a VISA, one must first apply for their COE. This is sent by Waseda University at the beginning of July. I received mine last Friday. The first thing you should do is store all of the other information in the packet in a safe place - some of it is needed after your arrival in Japan. The second thing you should do is create a printed photocopy of your COE. Both are needed before your VISA application will be accepted and they do not have a photocopier available for public use at the Embassy.

Second - your passport. If you do NOT have a passport, you should stop right now and apply for one. I have kindly provided the link to obtaining your passport below. I recommend expediting it, because it's summertime and you don't want it to take 4-5 weeks for your passport. If you do not hold a US passport, but you reside in the US, then this tutorial is not for you. Please note that it must be VALID for the duration of your stay!! I thought it was common knowledge, but I just finished responding to an idiot who let his passport expire while he's in Japan.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Third - the application. You are able to print it out at the Embassy of Japan's website. I have posted the link to it below. After printing it out, fill it out. When you reach the question "ID No. issued to you by your government," make sure you put you SSN down. If you do not have an SSN, then you're probably not a US citizen and this tutorial is not for you. When you reach the prompt, "Names and addresses of hotels or persons with whom applicant intends to stay," please put down your apartment address/dormitory address/guest house address. If you do not know yet, you cannot apply for your VISA and I recommend contacting your university in Japan. You must fill out the dates/duration of a previous trip to Japan. If you do not remember and you have the passport you traveled to Japan with, it will be on one of the pages. Your entry date will be a sticker with your landing date and the day your tourist VISA expired. Next to it should be a stamp that has the day you departed. They need to know so that they can know if you're already in their fingerprinting database and such. As this is a student VISA application tutorial, put your "current profession or occupation and position" as a student. The name and address of your employer will be your school/university.


http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/travel_and_visa/travel_and_visa_index.htm
On the next page will be some funky terms. Your "guarantor or reference in Japan" is going to be the university or school you are applying to. I put "Waseda University's Center for International Education" down for mine. I then put the address and such, which can also be found in the link below. Put the "Inviter in Japan" as "same as above". Answer the questions regarding crime truthfully, as I am very sure that they run a background check on applicants.

http://www.cie-waseda.jp/en/about/office/


This concludes the tutorial. Please leave a comment if you have any questions.

PS - if that bird does not stop attacking my windows, I fear for my sanity.