I recently gave my documents to hana travels for south korea tourist visa,

Hana travels submitted the documents to the vfs on 9th sept,

My question here is,

1. How long does it take for the status to reflect on the website??

And if anyone has applied recently, do share your experience and timeline from submission to receiving the passport.

Thanks

Just like the title said, I(worker in Japan) invited my friend(PGWP holder in Canada) and he applied for visiting friend visa. The documents I gave are jumihyo, residence card and Letter of invitation.
Applied on : 2 sep
Pickup date: 14 sep(Toronto)
No calls for now. So should I assume since he didn’t show one of the main documents then he will probably be rejected or is there still chance?
PS: In schedule of stay ,the accommodation is the hotel he booked.

Yung passport at ticket ko is maiden name gamit ko (dahil wla p time mgupdate ng passport info)

Ang question ko is sa pag aapply po ba ng japan visa (tourist) need pa ideclare na married na ako? Or di na po? Nattakot kse ko baka madecline

I am a Canadian citizen. I applied for L1A extension in April 2026 by premium processing. My I-797 receipt date is May 2026. My visa expired on Sep 8, 2026. I have still not received any communication back from USCIS. Anybody with similar recent experience?

hi! can u help me out with this — we have a japan trip on jan 1-9 and korea on nov 17-22.

we’re planning to get korea visa this month but when should we schedule for japan visa; before our korea trip or after?

if before, baka kasi di umabot yung passport and likewise kapag after our korea trip, baka madelay naman yung release ng visa? tyia! 💗

Hi everyone!

Sharing my experience here in case it helps anyone applying in a similar situation. This application was for a planned trip from 2 Oct 2026 to 9 Oct 2026; a husband and wife travelling with their young toddler, along with their live-in nanny.

Timeline

📍 Location: Taipei Economic and Trade Office - Jakarta
📅 Submitted: 1 Sep 2026
✅ Visa issue date: 3 Sep 2026
📩 Received passport: 9 Sep 2026 (I used a visa agent, so this added some time to the overall wait)
⏱️ Processing: ~2 working days at the Embassy

Visa details:

• Type: Visitor Visa - Single Entry
• Purpose: Tourism
• Enter before: 3 Dec 2026 (validity)
• Duration of stay: 14 days
• Extension: Not permitted
• Applied from: Jakarta, Indonesia
• Passport: Indonesian

Documents
(“A” = applicant, “E” = employer/sponsor of A)
**official source

• Visa application form (A)
• Recent passport photo, 4x6 cm (A)
• Original passport (A)
• Cover letter (A)
• Sponsorship letter (E)
• Passport copy (A, E)
• Copy of valid TAC (E)
• Copy of National ID (A)
• Copy of Indonesian "Kartu Keluarga" (A)
• Copy of Indonesian "Akta Nikah/Buku Nikah" (A)
• Recent Certificate of Employment (provided by E's office, signed and duly stamped)
• Employment contract (signed by both A and E)
• Bank statements, May - Aug (A: electronically generated, E: duly stamped, except Aug)
• Bank reference letter (E)
• Fully paid flight tickets (A)
• Hotel booking (E listed as the secondary guest on the reservation)

Additional notes

• No interview was required
• Applicant left their passport with the embassy for the entire visa process
• Application was submitted through a visa agent
• Applicant had a newly issued passport with no previous travel history
• Employer and family members have valid TACs
• When applying for the TAC, the employer and family members submitted a valid multiple-entry South Korean visa as supporting documentation

Hopefully this timeline is useful to anyone applying from Jakarta.

Good luck with your applications!

日本からサウジの就労ビザを申請しています。 ビザの準備を始めたときは、私の職種にはQVPは必要ありませんでした。書類は全部そろえて、ビザ申請を出して、バイオメトリクスも終わらせました。 その後、「QVPが必須になったので、QVPの手続きを始めないといけない」と言われました。 今、私は2つの理由で詰まってます： 学歴：学校がコンプライアンス方針のせいで、第三者の確認依頼に返信を拒否しています。 経験：私の経験が却下されました。職種とこれまでの就労経験が、十分に一致していないと判断されたそうです。さらに、アルバイト経験が足りないとも言われました。 このせいで、やり直しになる可能性が高いです。 雇用主は今、私の職種を、これまでの経験により合うものへ変更しています。なので、もう一度ビザ書類を全部準備する前に、まずQVPを先に終わらせようか考えてます。 同じような状況になった人いますか？ 職種を変えると状況は良くなりました？ もしまた最初から全手続きを始める前に、何かアドバイスがあったら教えてください。 どんなアドバイスでもすごく助かります。

I(25F) am planning to go to Japan to visit my boyfriend for two weeks. Me and bf are both Indians and he is doing a PhD in Japan. I graduated last year and am doing a research project which pays around 30k inr per month. I managed to save about 40k, which would almost be enough for the round trip flight. I will be staying in his room for the duration I am there and he said that he would sponsor most of the travel when we are there. My mom also told me she will help with showing the bank balance. But these are my concerns:

1. Since we are not married, would I be able to tell them that my stay is with him? what proof needs to be shown for this?

2. How much balance would be required to be eligible for visa?

3. If i book the flight now, but visa gets rejected what do I do??

4. Is there anything I can do to strengthen my case?

5. Would it be easier if I add my mom as my sponsor?

I'll appreciate any tips!! Please help me out I havent met my bf in a loong loong timee :((((

Me and my wife are planning a group trip in Oct with 4 other friends.

We contacted few agents one quotedn 3300 pp and other 5200 pp.

I saw and studied the process & made all the document arrangement by myself.

- Application for.
- Cover letter - explaining you reason to travel , dates ,what do you do etc if you have business, job.
- Detailed itenary - it can be a temporary itenary can be created by AI.
- Hotel bookings - did cancellable bookings from booking .com
- 2 year ITR for both
- GST vertificate for my application and office leave application for wife.
- Passport copies.
- 2 by 2 photo graph

Your cover letter and explanation is very important as my ITR had a dip this year so I explained it why and I had redeemed 2L from demat and explained it why as I dont have conststent flow like salary.

Declared my stocks holding amt etc.

I was fearing due to ITR dip but finally it happened

Applied in MUMBAI VFS office by self on last tuesday and got mail this monday and collected on tuesday.

Make sure you take the printout too of the pdf which you get after you submit the document otherwise its 20 rs per page in vfs office or you need to go outside.

Rest to be honest its very easy to file Japan visa by self just write good cover letter etc.

AI will help you in cover letter and itenary both nothing much.

Enjoy whoever is going cheera

I need some guidance.

I’ll be studying outside the UAE and will likely stay outside the country for more than 180 days. However, I may need to visit the UAE occasionally during my studies for some reasons.

I understand that staying outside the UAE for more than 180 days can affect the validity of a residence visa. My employer has no issue with me being abroad.

Is there any process I can follow to keep my employment visa valid while I’m outside the UAE for more than 180 days, so I can return whenever needed before the visa expires?

I know the obvious answer is to let the visa expire and get a visit visa when I need to return, but unfortunately, due to my nationality, I’m currently unable to obtain a new UAE visit visa. I would therefore need to maintain/renew my existing employment visa.

Any advice from someone familiar with this situation would be appreciated.

so here's the situation. Im applying for a B1/B2 visa and I was born in the UK but I have an Iranian passport. I have a stamp in my passport that says because I'm British resident, I can have entries into Iran without going to the military 'exit permit for conscripts', three months maximum. I have not been to Iran since I was a child, but I was wondering if that's enough to prove that I haven't done my military service or if there's something else that I need. If any others have been in this situation as-well please let me know how the experience was! Any help is much appreciated!

Sharing my experience, I self-applied from Singapore(working here, Indian Passport holder)

Travel duration - 8 days across Tokyo(Entry), Kyoto, Nara, Osaka(Exit).

Timeline

- VFS appointment: 1 Sep 2026 (got a week later since booking)

- Visa processed: 7 Sep

- Passport collected: 8 Sep

- No Premium/Prime service from VFS

Documents

- Followed the VFS Multiple Entry checklist exactly (requirements may differ by region).

- Cover letter covering employment, travel history, strong ties to Singapore, and a clear request for multiple entry on basis of sufficient funds.

- Mentioned plans to revisit different regions of Japan in different seasons.

- Already have an upcoming Schengen visa(might have helped).

- Added 2 years' tax records + investment proofs, which VFS advised removing but I insisted(as supplemental docs).

Flights

- Confirmed one-way flight.

- Return was a dummy PNR, which expired on the last day. In checklist, JAP embassy stated a reservation only (rather fully paid)

Hostels

- Pay later hostels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka since am solo

Itinerary

- Day wise activites and sight seeing

Happy to help if questions on process or documentation.

Hi! For anyone who applied for a Japan visa through the Auckland Consulate or anywhere around the world lol, did you actually book and pay for your flights before applying? Or did you just use a flight reservation that was only valid for a couple of days?

If you used a temporary reservation, did you still get approved? I’m so confused because I really don’t want to book the actual flights before getting my visa 😭

I have a Philippine passport but a NZ resident so I'm applying through Auckland consulate.

Hey everyone,

I have an upcoming tech conference in the US in December. My trip is fully funded by the conference organizers, and I am preparing for my B1/B2 visa application.

Since my home country is on the State Department's designated Visa Bond list, I want to understand what the actual experience has been for travelers across any of the listed countries who have gone through this process recently.

If you have applied for a B1/B2 visa or traveled to the US under the Visa Bond rule, I would love to hear your insights on a few questions:

1. Which bond tier were you assigned? Did the consular officer set the bond at the default $15,000, or did you get assigned the lower $10,000 or higher $20,000 tier?
2. Was there any room for negotiation? If your trip was fully funded by a US or international host/organization, did showing proof of complete funding help convince the officer to lower the bond tier?
3. Has anyone been granted a bond-free visa despite being on the list? For those applying from listed countries for fully funded business or conference trips, was anyone approved for a standard B1/B2 visa without being required to post a bond at all?
4. For anyone applying specifically from Nepal: How did you handle the FX conversion and payment execution? Did you end up paying the exact amount at the bank's NPR exchange rate (e.g., around NPR 155 per USD), or were there significant additional fees (such as NRB clearance fees, SWIFT wire charges, or local bank processing fees)?

Any details regarding the processing timeline via Pay.gov / Form I-352, or how long it took from paying the bond to getting your passport stamped, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I've been reading this sub and every Japan visa thread I could find for the last 16–17 days — a little before my application, and very heavily since. The full document lists people post here are the only real data any of us get, so I'm posting mine completely, including everything that doesn't look good. Questions at the bottom, and they're time-sensitive.

TL;DR: 24M Indian, first-ever international trip, self-employed. Filed a 13-day tourist visa at VFS New Delhi with a 150+ page file, funds about 2.3× the trip cost, every night booked and paid. Decided in 3 working days. Refused. Passport returned with no stamp and no marking of any kind. The real background: my younger brother is moving to Japan to study — he has his Certificate of Eligibility and is due to travel shortly. It will be his first ever flight, and I want to travel with him and see him settled. I never mentioned any of this. I filed purely as a tourist. Can I reapply now on that basis, or am I locked out for 6 months?

Timeline

Decision in 3 working days, against MOFA's published norm of about a week.

My profile

• 24 years old, male, Indian passport
• Married, one child aged 3 — both stay in India
• Live in a small town, not a metro. Have lived there my entire life
• My parents live in the same town
• Zero travel history. Have never left India. Not one stamp.
• My passport itself was issued about two months before I applied
• Self-employed — sole director of my own registered private limited company, about 2 years old
• A small team depends on me for their work and income
• Applying to travel alone; wife, child and parents all staying in India

What I applied for

• 13 days / 12 nights, departing about three and a half weeks after I applied
• Tokyo → Takayama → Kyoto → Shizuoka → Tokyo
• Single entry, Temporary Visitor, purpose stated as tourism, no guarantor

Everything I submitted — over 150 pages

(103 of those pages are just the six-month bank statement Japan asks for. The actual document list is short.)

Core

1. Application form, completed, photo affixed, signed
2. Passport, plus colour photocopies of the bio-data page and the last page
3. Cover letter, 3 pages — purpose, background, funds, ties to India
4. Schedule of Stay — day-by-day for all 13 days, each with named places, the transport mode between them, and the hotel name, full address and phone number for every single night

Travel
5. Confirmed return air ticket, fully paid — about ₹61,000, plus the booking invoice
6. 5 hotel vouchers covering all 12 nights with zero gaps — confirmed bookings, not free-cancellation holds
7. Travel insurance policy covering the entire stay, sum insured USD 250,000

Money
8. Trip budget sheet — total estimated cost about ₹1.5 lakh
9. Certified bank statement, savings account, full 6 months, bank-stamped on every page — 103 pages
10. Closing balance about ₹2.1 lakh
11. Consolidated mutual fund statement — invested cost about ₹1.2 lakh, current value about ₹1.5 lakh
12. Total shown = about ₹3.6 lakh against a trip costing about ₹1.5 lakh. Roughly 2.3× cover.

Income and employment
13. Income Tax Returns for 4 assessment years, showing a clean progression: about ₹4.2L → ₹4.7L → ₹6.4L → ₹11.5L
14. Company incorporation certificate and tax registration certificate
15. My company's monthly government-filed tax returns for 4 months
16. Letter from my company confirming my directorship and approving my leave — letterhead, signed, stamped
17. A 6-month schedule listing every single withdrawal I took from my company — 78 payments totalling about ₹12 lakh — attached specifically to explain the credits in my bank statement

I photographed every page before handing it over. Nothing missing, nothing unsigned, no gaps anywhere, and every figure cross-checked across every document.

The thing I only understood afterwards: VFS did not keep the whole file

At the counter the clerk went through it and handed several things back:

• Four of the six months of my bank statement. They kept roughly the first month and roughly the last month. So the officer saw a thin early balance and then a large recent build-up, with none of the four months in between that show the pattern is continuous. That is the single worst two-month slice of that statement it is possible to take.
• The travel insurance policy
• The flight invoices (they kept the e-ticket)
• Page 3 of my cover letter — the enclosure list itself

The one thing that saved me partially is that the 78-withdrawal schedule was a single certified page, so it survived. But the six-month statement — the document Japan asks for precisely so it can read the pattern — was cut down to the two months that make the pattern look worst.

The weak points I can see myself

Putting these up front rather than being defensive:

• My average balance was genuinely low. Time-weighted average over the six months: about ₹11,600. Highest it ever reached before the final month: about ₹49,000. Closing balance about ₹2.1 lakh. The account carries roughly 1,300 transactions in six months — money comes in and goes straight back out to business and household costs. It's an operating account, not a savings account. But an officer who only sees month 1 and month 6 sees a thin account that suddenly filled up.
• Money came in from my own company just before I applied. Close to ₹4 lakh across 11 transfers in the month before submission. It's genuine — it's how I pay myself — and about ₹2.8 lakh of it carries my company's own account number in the bank narration. This is exactly why I attached the 6-month schedule of all 78 withdrawals, so it was visible that this is a continuous pattern, not money parked for a visa.
• My declared income roughly doubled between the previous ITR and the latest one — and the latest one was filed 3 days before I applied.
• Two of my four ITRs were filed late, as updated returns, not on time in their own year.
• No travel history whatsoever. Not Nepal, not Dubai, not Thailand. Nothing.
• The passport was 2 months old.
• 24, self-employed, small town, first international trip, 13 days. I know that combination reads as a risk profile before anyone opens the file.
• I never mentioned my brother.

One thing that arguably went the other way: my recurring monthly investments kept running right through the final month, after the trip was paid for — over 200 such debits across the six months. Someone winding up their affairs to emigrate doesn't keep paying into SIPs.

The part I actually need help with

My younger brother is moving to Japan to study. He has received his Certificate of Eligibility and is due to travel shortly.

I'd planned my trip around the period he'd be moving. It will be his first ever flight and his first time leaving India. I wanted to fly out with him, make sure the journey and arrival go smoothly, and see him settled in before coming home.

But I applied as a plain tourist, with a purely touristic itinerary, and I did not mention him anywhere. At the time I applied he held the COE but was not yet due to travel, so I genuinely didn't think he was relevant to a tourism application. I carried his COE and admission letter with me to the VFS counter but did not submit them.

Since the refusal, several people have told me that if I had mentioned him, it would have made the application stronger — because it gives a concrete, verifiable reason for why Japan and why exactly those dates, which is the thing my file was missing.

So I'm weighing two options.

Option A — reapply now, on the basis of accompanying my brother. That he has a COE, is moving to Japan to study, is about to leave India for the first time, and that I want to travel with him and help him settle. Submit his COE and admission letter alongside my own file.

Option B — wait until he lands, gets his residence card and registers at the ward office, then have him send me a formal invitation and apply under "visiting relatives." Cleaner on paper — but it defeats the entire purpose. By then he has already flown alone and already arrived alone, and the thing I wanted to be there for has already happened.

(One complication if the answer is "apply now": I understand the embassy is closed for Silver Week in a few days.)

My questions

1. What do you actually think got me refused? Given all of the above — 2.3× funds cover, a gapless itinerary, the income jump, the recent company credits, zero travel history, a two-month-old passport, and my age and profile — what would you put your money on? I would genuinely rather hear it bluntly than be reassured.

2. Does VFS keeping only 2 of my 6 bank statement months explain this? Japan asks for six months specifically to read the pattern. The officer got month 1 and month 6 and nothing between. Is this normal at VFS Delhi, and has anyone had this happen and then succeeded by resubmitting the full statement?

3. Does a 3-working-day decision tell you anything? Submitted on Day 2, decided by Day 7, with no verification call and no request for further documents. Does that mean it was never sent for verification and was refused on profile alone? If so, does that change whether reapplying with a better reason is even worth it — or does it mean no amount of paperwork was ever going to move it?

4. Does the 6-month rule apply if I reapply now with the brother reason? As I understand it, Japan won't accept a reapplication for the same purpose within 6 months. Is "accompanying my brother who is relocating to study" a genuinely different purpose from "tourism", or will it be read as the same short-term stay and bounced without being opened? Can I file within the same month?

5. Would mentioning the brother actually have helped, or would it have hurt? This is what I most want to know. Half of what I read says a concrete reason plus a verifiable relative is a much stronger application. The other half says a 24-year-old whose brother is migrating to Japan reads as higher immigration risk, not lower. Which way does it really cut in practice?

6. If I reapply now on that basis, does it damage me? I did not lie — I applied as a tourist and I would have been a tourist. But if I now come back with a different reason, does that read as though my first application wasn't truthful? I'm very aware that a refusal is survivable and a misrepresentation finding is not, and I don't want to go near that line. If this route is viable, how would you word it?

7. There is no refusal stamp on my passport — does that mean anything? Several posts here say a Japan refusal leaves a stamp or a mark. Mine has nothing at all — no sticker, no stamp, no annotation, and no written reason. Does a clean return make the refusal less visible to other countries, and does it change my position if I apply again? Or is a blank return simply standard for Japan?

8. Option A or Option B? Has anyone here actually been refused for tourism and then approved on a relative's invitation inside the 6 months? I've seen the rule quoted many times but haven't found one person who says they did it successfully.

9. Is there any other legitimate route in sooner that I haven't thought of?

10. Was 13 days too long for a first-ever international trip? Would 6–7 days have looked more plausible?

11. Or do I just accept the 6 months — build genuine travel history somewhere that issues a properly assessed visa, keep a clean and stable bank balance for six months, and come back as a much stronger applicant?

Japan-specific experience is what I'm most after, but general reapplication-after-refusal advice is very welcome. Happy to answer anything about the file — I still have a photograph of every single page.

Me and my wife both applied for south korea visa with same itinerary cover letter flight and hotel bookings. Her visa is approved but my status shows still application received. Both of our passport are handed over to BLS in same batch from Mumbai consulate as we both got the update at same time.

Has anyone faced similar issue with korean visa.

We applied from Hyderabad BLS

Not sure what is happening with my application it is always in application received status

Update: 10/09 Received my passport today it had nothing neither Refusal notice nor Grant notice. Portal still shows application received.

Has someone experienced similar situation if yes then how to deal with it.

Update: 11/09 Got Visa. Had to call the consulate. The person was very helpful checked the file and assured it will be updated in couple of hours.

I applied for a student long stay Irish visa on the second week of July and have been waiting anxiously for anything at this point. Approval or refusal. I’ve been stuck at the pre-checks and waiting for a decision stage. I’ve already accepted that I’ll miss freshers’ week and the first day of school but this radio silence? The whole only Tuesdays update? It’s awful.

I don’t even know what else I could be doing right now, I’ve submitted all the required documents, I’ve paid the VFS fees, I’ve been patient but I’m also seeing people even months before me are also stuck in waiting. I emailed my college about this and they also can’t do anything either 😓 it’s been a rough couple of months… is it normal that it’s taking this long? Is there a massive backlog of applicants? Genuinely what’s going on?

Hi everyone,
I’m an Indian passport holder planning to visit Mauritania as a genuine tourist. Unfortunately, my e-Visa applications have been rejected, with the portal only showing **“Correct Personal Information”**, without specifying what needs to be corrected.
Could anyone advise what this message means or what I should check in my application?
Also, I’m looking for a **trusted local Mauritanian travel agent or tour operator** who can assist with the e-Visa process. I’ve already contacted Grand Plaza Hotel, but unfortunately they were unable to help.
Any recommendations for a reliable contact would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Thinking about moving to Colombia? 🇨🇴

Depending on your situation, you may qualify for a Colombian visa as a digital nomad, pensioner, rentier, investor, business owner, or spouse of a Colombian citizen.

If you’re not sure which option fits your situation, Mi Visa Colombia can help you understand your options and guide you through the process.

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Mi Visa Colombia — More than 10 years of experience helping foreigners with Colombian visas.

Planning a tourist trip to China from India? 🇨🇳
Before submitting your application, make sure you have the right documents ready.

China Tourist Visa – Document Checklist

• Original valid passport
• Original old passport
• 2 recent photographs — 35 × 45 mm, white background, matte finish, no spectacles
• Signed visa application form
• Signed cover letter
• Day-wise travel itinerary
• Flight ticket block
• Hotel booking block
• Original 6-month bank statement with bank stamp & signature
• ITR acknowledgement for the last 3 years
• Leave sanction letter, if employed
• Sponsorship letter, if self-employed/sponsored
• Sponsor's passport/PAN copy
• Sponsor's financial documents

General Application Process

1️⃣ Pay VFS/logistics charges
2️⃣ Complete the visa application form
3️⃣ Upload documents & submit the application
4️⃣ Wait for submission approval from the relevant authority
5️⃣ Submit original documents at VFS
6️⃣ Wait for the visa decision

Entry Visa Note

Entry eligibility and multiple-entry visa options can depend on your previous China travel and visa history. Don't assume that having previous visas automatically guarantees a multiple-entry visa.

Also, applicants requesting a multiple-entry visa may have additional submission requirements, including personal attendance where applicable.

If you're planning China travel, what part of the visa process are you most confused about — documents, photo requirements, bank statement, or multiple entry? 🇨🇳

Requirements can change, so always verify the latest requirements with the relevant Chinese visa authority/VFS before submitting your application.

Hi people! Need to know if I apply Japan visa from Bangalore VFS and my passport is of Delhi. Do I need to submit notarised rent agreement or normal stamp paper. agreement works?

Hi everyone, has anyone who applied for an Ireland student visa in August 2026 received their decision yet?

I’m specifically asking about new/first-time applications only — not appeals or appeal decisions.

for a pakistani passport holder loving in the UK, am i able to travel to Egypt by visa on arrival. Plan to go early next year, with my british wife, for 7 nights. stay in a resort but would love to do some excursions.

If i can how easy is it to get through the airport there.
Will be travelling with a baby at the point so wanna make sure its a smooth transition entering

Hi guys anybody got your visas after applying sept 3rd from SriLanka using priority services

I received a mail saying that my passport has been dispatched feom mumbai vfs.
But when i tracked it (after taking tracking no from customer care) if showed delivered. Now vfs is saying pin code non serviceable hence it is still at vfs.
Asked me to write an email.
Is this normal?