Pump the Brakes
US Freezes New Student Visa Interviews in Tokyo
For Japanese students aiming to study in the US, the road has been blocked. The US Embassy in Tokyo has stopped offering new in-person student visa interviews, a key step in the approval process. Without that interview, the visa can’t move forward. No one’s said when the engine will start again.
There was no public announcement. No press release. The first word didn’t come from the Americans. It came from Japan.
At a May 30 press conference, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the embassy had informed Japan it had suspended new interview appointments for student visa applicants. Applications are still being accepted, and previously scheduled interviews are going ahead. But if you’re trying to book a slot now, there isn’t one.
Iwaya spoke coolly, but the message was clear.
“People with plans to travel have been expressing their concerns to us, and we’re responding with great interest,” he said. “We’ve asked the United States to provide detailed information, and we intend to stay in close contact as we work to get clarity on the situation.”
The US Embassy in Tokyo referred inquiries to the State Department in Washington.
