--- title: I Visa for Japanese citizens: Data and Posts | Lando url: https://trylando.com/i-visa-japan description: Japanese nationals received 1,251 I visas in FY2025, rank 2. Counts by post in Japan, validity of 60 months and embassy addresses. Learn more. --- # I Visa for Japanese citizens: Data and Posts Japanese nationals received 1,251 I visas in FY2025, rank 2. Counts by post in Japan, validity of 60 months and embassy addresses. Page reviewed October 30, 2026. What it is Japanese nationals received 1,251 I visas in fiscal year 2025, which ranks 2 among nationalities and is 10.1% of the 12,425 issued worldwide. Tokyo issued the most of any post in Japan. The I visa is for a bona fide representative of foreign media, and it is a consular application with no USCIS petition. The State Department schedule lists 60 months with multiple entries for Japanese nationals. These figures are our sums of State Department monthly tables, count visas issued abroad, and combine principals and dependents. I visas, Japanese nationals, FY20251,251Rank 2 of all nationalities, 10.1% of 12,425 worldwide. Top issuing post in the countryTokyo1,178 I visas issued there in FY2025. I visa validity60 monthsMultiple entries, from the State Department schedule we read. Reciprocity feeNoneThe standard visa application fee still applies. ## I visas issued to Japanese nationals, FY2023 to FY2025 Read these figures with their limits. They are our sums of the State Department's monthly tables of nonimmigrant visas issued by nationality, October to September. They count visas issued at consulates, so they leave out people who change status to I inside the U.S. The State Department uses one class code, so principals and dependents are counted together. | Fiscal year | I visas issued | Rank by nationality | Share of world I visas | Change from prior year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | FY2023 | 1,112 | 2 | 10.3% | Not computed | | FY2024 | 1,139 | 2 | 8.8% | up 2.4% | | FY2025 | 1,251 | 2 | 10.1% | up 9.8% | ## Where in Japan I visas are issued Tokyo issued 1,178 I visas in FY2025, far more than Osaka-Kobe at 59 or Naha at 10. Osaka-Kobe's count fell from 102 in FY2024 to 59. Post counts are visas issued at that post to applicants of any nationality, so they are not the same as the nationality totals above. | Post | I visas issued FY2023 | I visas issued FY2024 | I visas issued FY2025 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tokyo | 975 | 1,012 | 1,178 | | Osaka-Kobe | 94 | 102 | 59 | | Naha | 19 | 3 | 10 | ## U.S. embassy and consulate addresses in Japan Addresses are copied from the U.S. mission's own pages on October 30, 2026. Confirm the address and entrance on your appointment confirmation before travelling. - Embassy Tokyo, Nonimmigrant Visa Branch, 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato ku, Tokyo 107-8420 - Consulate General Osaka, Nonimmigrant Visa Branch, 2-11-5 Nishitenma, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8543 - Consulate General Naha, Visa Branch, 2-1-1 Toyama, Urasoe City, Okinawa 901-2104 ## Reciprocity and process notes for Japanese nationals The State Department schedule lists the I visa for Japanese nationals with no reciprocity fee, multiple entries and 60 months. We read the schedule on the State Department's mirror host on October 30, 2026, because the main site blocked automated reads that day, so confirm the row on the live page. The visa's validity is not the length of stay, which is set at each admission. - Japan has been second among nationalities in each of the three years, and its count rose from 1,112 to 1,251. - The mission's visa page sends applicants to the appointment service at ustraveldocs.com/jp. We did not read that site for I visas. - The I visa has no USCIS petition. You complete the DS-160, pay the application fee, attend an interview and bring a contract or employer letter, and a press credential if you work for an independent production company. - [I visa requirements](https://trylando.com/i-visa-requirements) - [I visa stay, extension and family](https://trylando.com/i-visa-stay-and-family) ## What we have not confirmed - Any I-visa-specific page on the Japan mission sites, and whether Sapporo, Fukuoka or Nagoya decide visa cases. - Appointment wait times, which change often and which we do not publish. - The number of journalists, as distinct from visas. The State Department counts visas, with dependents included. ## How this compares with other countries - United Kingdom: 2,222 I visas in FY2025, rank 1, 60 months of validity. - Mexico: 913 I visas in FY2025, rank 3, 12 months of validity. - Germany: 879 I visas in FY2025, rank 4, 60 months of validity. - France: 632 I visas in FY2025, rank 5, 60 months of validity. - Brazil: 448 I visas in FY2025, rank 6, 44 months of validity. - Spain: 379 I visas in FY2025, rank 8, 60 months of validity. - South Korea: 349 I visas in FY2025, rank 9, 60 months of validity. - [I visas issued by country and post](https://trylando.com/i-visa-statistics) - [I visa for British citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-united-kingdom) - [I visa for Mexican citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-mexico) - [I visa for German citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-germany) - [I visa for French citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-france) - [I visa for Brazilian citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-brazil) - [I visa for Spanish citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-spain) - [I visa for South Korean citizens](https://trylando.com/i-visa-south-korea) ## What the $8,000 fee covers Lando's flat fee for the I visa is $8,000. It covers preparing the application: a review of your work against the foreign-media tests, the employer letter or contract and the credentials that support it, the DS-160, interview preparation, and applications for a spouse and unmarried children. The I visa has no USCIS petition, so there is no petition filing, no Request for Evidence and no USCIS filing fee, and the fee-back terms that apply to Lando's petition-based visas do not apply here. The State Department's visa application fee is separate and is paid to the State Department. A consular officer decides every application, and Lando does not promise an outcome. How it works ## From first call to your interview - 1. Evaluation ### You get an honest answer. We review your work and your media employer or contracts on a 15-minute call and tell you honestly whether you fit the foreign-media tests. - 2. Documents ### You know what proves each test. We map the employer letter or freelance contract, the credentials and the other papers to each test, and what is still missing. - 3. Application ### Your application is prepared. We prepare the DS-160 and the document set, and prepare you for the interview, including applications for a spouse and children if they travel. - 4. Interview ### You attend the consular interview. The I visa has no USCIS petition. A consular officer decides the application, and Lando does not promise an outcome. ## Common questions How many I visas are issued to Japanese citizens?+ 1,112 in FY2023, 1,139 in FY2024 and 1,251 in FY2025, by our sums of State Department monthly tables. The counts combine principals and dependents and exclude change of status inside the U.S. Which U.S. post in Japan issues the most I visas?+ Tokyo, with 1,178 in FY2025. Post counts include applicants of every nationality. How long is the I visa valid for Japanese citizens?+ 60 months with multiple entries on the State Department schedule we read. The State Department can change the schedule, so confirm it on the live page. The standard visa application fee still applies. Do I need a USCIS petition for the I visa?+ No. The I visa is a consular application. You apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Is Lando a law firm?+ No. Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. For advice about your own situation, speak to a licensed immigration attorney. ## Sources - [U.S. Department of State: Visa Reciprocity, Japan](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Japan.html) - [U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan: contact](https://jp.usembassy.gov/contact/) - [U.S. Department of State: Visas for members of the foreign media](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/visas-members-foreign-media-press-radio.html) - [U.S. Department of State: 9 FAM 402.11, Information Media Representatives (I Visas)](https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040211.html) - [U.S. Department of State: monthly nonimmigrant visa issuances](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics/monthly-nonimmigrant-visa-issuances.html) Checked October 2026. Lando is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. --- Lando is not a law firm. Petitions are prepared in coordination with licensed U.S. immigration attorneys. Source: https://trylando.com/i-visa-japan