<p>Most Japanese nationals obtain their visas in the American Embassy in  Tokyo   or the American Consulate in Osaka-Kobe. Original visa  applications are made   there for B-1, B-2, E-1, E-2, and I visas. For  the E visa category, supporting   documents showing the establishment of  the U.S. company (Japanese subsidiary   company) must be given. For E-1  visas, documents such as the Corporate Articles   of Incorporation,  By-laws, and stock certificate must be presented along with   trading  documents (letters of credit, invoices, shipping documents, etc), bank    statements, company lease, financial statements, etc.</p>
<p>For the E-1 or E-2 alien, a letter from the sponsoring company  verifying his   background and proposed position and duties and salary  in the US must be   presented.</p>
<p>The procedure for an L or H visa is slightly different. The original  petition   (Form I-129) is filed with the Citizenship &amp; Immigration  Services Office in   the U.S. After approved, the Citizenship &amp;  Immigration Services Office sends   the Notice of Approval (Form I-171C)  to the American Embassy/Consulate in Japan.   Thereafter the alien  provides a verifying letter from the sponsoring company to   the  American Embassy/Consulate that it will employ the alien. Then the visa  is   issued.</p>
<p>It is the current practice of the American Embassy in Tokyo to  require   Japanese companies with U.S. subsidiaries to file additional  forms. These forms   are the Company Profile, Employee Profile, and List  of U.S. Employees. These   forms provide the Embassy with information  about the number of visas issued to a   particular company and in what  positions they are employed. In that way the   Embassy regulates the  number of visas issued to a particular company.</p>