Seattle Immigration Lawyer Blog

The U.S. State Department, which issues visas abroad, issues U.S. passports and looks after the safety of U.S. citizens overseas, has a lot of useful information following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan as well as the nuclear radiation situation that is evolving. Here are some useful sites and contact information:

U.S. Citizens in Japan
Contact Information for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo:

For calls from within the U.S. 1-888-407-4747
For calls from outside the U.S. 1-202-501-4444
For concerns about a specific U.S. citizen in Japan, email: JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov
The State Department also has Twitter and Facebook accounts to follow.

Travelers to Japan should check the U.S. Embassy Tokyo website often for "Travel Warnings" and "Warden Messages" as well as any other news. Americans who sign up for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) can receive constant updates from the U.S. Embassy. This is especially important for newly arriving humanitarian relief workers and family members, assuming you are in an area to receive digital information. Task Force Alert is a complimentary program that operates during a crisis to keep families informed. Travelers or their family members can register, provide biographic information, upload a photo, provide emergency contact information and any other special needs of the person traveling.

The State Department has also posted "Options for Travel out of Japan". This should be checked frequently due to the fluid situation in Japan right now.

Non-Citizens needing U.S. Visa Services
At the moment, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (including consular posts) is focused on assisting U.S. citizens. There is limited visa service for non-U.S. citizens seeking to come to the U.S. Applicants/potential applicants should check the Embassy website regularly for updates as to visa types being issued and hours of operation. Priority is being given to work visa applicants and students. For example, the U.S. consulate in Osaka is asking visa applicants to reschedule their appointments.

For U.S. visa inquiries related to departure from Japan to the United States, email japanvisainquiries@state.gov or consult the U.S. Consulate web pages for Tokyo, Osaka, Narita and others. (Right now, except for Osaka, they all refer back to the Embassy in Tokyo for operations status.)

Radiation Concerns

The U.S. Embassy is again another place to keep posted on radiation issues. Just today, the U.S. Embassy published this announcement:

March 20 - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Health Precaution related to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and radiation release in Japan. On the same topic, CDC issued Health Information for Expatriates and Students Living in Japan and also Health Information for Humanitarian Aid Workers. Each of the announcements highlight the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommendation that all Americans within 50 miles of the Fukushima reactors should evacuate the area.

USCIS has posted a Q&A on its website covering several immigration scenarios that Japanese nationals in the U.S. and abroad may be facing as a result of the earthquake and tsunami devastation and nuclear radiation evacuations. There are materials on their website in both English and Japanese.

Tourists in the U.S.
There are two kinds of tourists in the U.S. The first group involves those who entered without a visa through the visa waiver program. By using this program, tourists typically give up rights to extensions, change of status, and defense in an immigration court. However, USCIS is allowing Japanese nationals on visa waivers to apply for a 30-day period of "satisfactory departure." This has to be done at an airport by visiting a CBP office or in person at a local USCIS office (for example, in Tukwila serving the Western Washington area). I would expect the situation for visa waiver tourists to be fluid over the next few weeks as the situation in Japan develops, given that there are radiation evacuations underway, and supplies and recovery efforts for those stranded by the disaster have been slow to reach the victims. Stay tuned for further announcements.

Japanese nationals in the U.S. on a tourist or other nonimmigrant visa may apply for an extension of stay by filing form I539 and the $290 filing fee with USCIS. Up to six additional months may be given. Even if applications are filed late, they will be accepted up to May 11, 2011. However, the applicant has to show he or she is affected by the March 11 earthquake or related events. Tourists may not work in the U.S. Extension requests made after May 11, 2011 will be reviewed case by case.

Parole/Advance Parole
Parolees whose parole status expired on or after March 11, 2011 and up to May 11, 2011 may apply to have parole extended (or "re-parole" given) and seek work authorization. One must make an INFOPASS appointment to appear in person at a local USCIS office and must show how he or she is affected by the March 11 events. Work authorization requests are made on form I765.

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