U.S. Visa

Reception at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence

This is Matsui of IMS.

Recently, on November 7, I had the courtesy of attending a reception held at the residence of Joseph Young, Ambassador to the United States. In the past, I have had many opportunities to visit the U.S. Embassy for visa applications and work, but I did not realize that the ambassador's residence was right next door. Since I knew it was located near the Embassy, I headed there on foot, but as I neared closer three police officers asked me where I was going. I told them, and they checked with security and let me go through the gate of the official residence. The official residence is a wonderful building, surrounded by greenery that's almost unimaginable in the middle of a city.

There were about 200 of attendees, and I was able to chat with so many kinds of people. There were famous Americans, lawyers, university professors, representatives of foreign-affiliated companies, interpreters, and translators.

Ambassador Young expressed his disappointment that the number of international students from Japan to the U.S. had dropped sharply in recent years, but this trend can partially be attributed to the extraordinary rise in tuition at U.S. universities. With so many universities raising their tuition, studying abroad in the U.S. is becoming more and more difficult for Japanese students. Globally, there have been reports of international study abroad in decline for the third consecutive year due to high tuition and visa issues.

Although the reception was short, I was able to speak with Ambassador Young himself and enjoy a delicious dinner. I received a booklet when leaving entitled "History of the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Japan" and read it on my way home. It was an interesting read, and I found myself thinking more about the relationship between Japan and the U.S.

Visa application support is only one of the many things IMS can do to support you. If you would like to travel to or work in the United States, we are there to help.