Hello, this is Matsui from IMS Legal Professional Corporation. Every morning, when I see the weather forecast saying, “Today will be dangerously hot again,” I can’t help but feel weary. Still, I will do my best not to let the heat get the better of me.
Today, I will talk about the level of English required for attending a U.S. visa interview at the American Embassy in Japan.
Stricter Rules for Mail-in Applications
In many countries’ visa application processes, biometric identification such as fingerprinting and photo capture is used to strengthen identity verification and prevent forgery or impersonation—and the United States is no exception.
In the case of the U.S., however, it goes even further: with the exception of a very limited number of special visas such as diplomatic or official visas, an in-person interview with a consular officer is generally required for almost all nonimmigrant visa applications.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the conditions for “mail-in applications” (interview waivers) were significantly relaxed, but those measures are gradually being rolled back. Currently, if you are applying for a renewal in the same visa category and meet certain conditions, you may still be eligible for mail-in (interview-waived) applications for a wide range of visas.
However, the U.S. Embassy recently announced that, starting September 2, 2025, the conditions for mail-in applications will change substantially. For Japanese applicants, except for diplomatic or official visas, eligibility will be limited to cases that meet all of the following conditions:
- Renewal of a B visa (B-1, B-2, or B1/B2)
- Applicant was at least 18 years old at the time of the previous application
- Renewal is within 12 months of the previous visa’s expiration date
- Previous visa was valid for 10 years
- No history of visa denial
- Application is filed in Japan or in the applicant’s country of residence
In addition, children under 14 years old and applicants over 80 years old—who had previously been exempt from interviews—will now also be required to appear in person.
Because of this change, even infants must be taken to the embassy (or consulate), which will pose a significant burden on the families of expatriates.
English Ability Required for the Interview
The biggest advantage of a mail-in application is, of course, being able to avoid the interview. However, as mentioned above, those conditions will soon become stricter, and almost all nonimmigrant visa applicants will be required to attend an interview. When it comes to meeting with a consular officer, the greatest concern for many applicants is likely “English.” At our office as well, we often receive inquiries such as, “I’m not good at English—will I be okay at the interview?”
Depending on the type of visa, English proficiency may indeed be required. However, for most nonimmigrant visa applications, a high level of English is not necessary—so you can rest assured. So, for which visas is a certain degree of English ability required?
J Visa
To apply for a J visa, applicants must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (Form DS-2019) from a U.S. sponsor organization. The requirements for issuing this certificate vary by sponsor, but in many cases, applicants are expected to demonstrate English proficiency—roughly equivalent to a TOEIC score of 600–700. Since the J visa is known as an “exchange visitor visa,” communication skills in English are essential.
F Visa
The F visa covers a wide range of study purposes—from attending language schools to pursuing degrees at universities and graduate schools. To apply, applicants must obtain Form I-20, issued by the school they plan to attend. The I-20 includes a section called English Proficiency, where the school indicates the applicant’s level of English ability.
Therefore, for applicants of J visas and F visas (except in cases where the I-20 specifically states “English Proficiency is not required”), consular officers will assume that the applicant has a certain degree of English ability. As such, it is important to be prepared to answer questions in English during the interview.
Other Visas
For other types of visas—such as B visas (short-term business/tourism), E visas (trade/investment), L visas (intra-company transferees), or O visas (artists)—English proficiency is not a requirement. What matters more is being able to clearly respond to the consular officer’s questions, even if that is in Japanese.
Can the Interview Be Conducted in Japanese?
Consular officers are diplomats, and before being assigned to Japan, they always undergo Japanese language training. On the U.S. Department of State’s website, you can find information on the number of study hours required for English native speakers to learn different foreign languages. Based on linguistic distance from English, languages are divided into four categories.
For Category 1 languages, which are the closest to English (such as Dutch, Italian, French, and Spanish), the estimated study time is listed as 24–30 weeks (552–690 class hours). By contrast, Japanese is classified as a Category 4 “Super-hard language,” requiring about 88 weeks (2,200 class hours). No wonder many Japanese find it challenging to learn English, too. Besides Japanese, the other “super-hard” languages include Arabic, Korean, and Chinese—likely because of their complex writing systems.
Because of this training, consular officers arrive in Japan with a considerable background in Japanese. Particularly those who have been stationed in Japan for a long time may speak very fluent Japanese. Some applicants even say that, despite being extremely nervous before their interview, it ended quickly with just a few simple questions in Japanese—leaving them almost surprised at how easy it was.
On the other hand, there are also cases where the entire interview was conducted in English, and applicants told us that it was over before they could really understand what had happened. Unfortunately, applicants cannot request to be interviewed specifically by a consular officer who speaks Japanese.
At IMS, we ensure that applicants are thoroughly prepared to get through the interview—no matter which consular officer they meet. From document preparation to interview coaching, IMS supports every step of the U.S. visa application process. If you are concerned or uncertain about your interview, please feel free to reach out to us.
Please note: The information in this blog is current as of today. For the latest updates, applicants should confirm details directly on official government websites.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
