Japan visa: 3 month bank statement required!
You know, these days, when it comes to the procedure of visa application, I think I am almost a pro at it.
And not just only for visas, but for skill assessments as well. But maybe this only applies for Australia, kwah?
After a discussion with Justin a couple of days back last week, I finally decided to just procure the flight tickets to Korea, for the sake of maximising and focusing my time there. However, somehow again after that, the thought came again (literally dropped into my mind when I was sleeping...). Perhaps God was trying to tell me something??
So this morning, I finally decided for the heck of it to just head over to the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney and put in an application for a visa to Japan. I decided that if I were to get the visa, I would have to do it soonest possible, as I didn't have much time to get it processed by next week with the festive season coming, and staff going away on leave.
Fortunately, I decied to head to the travel agency and the consultant as a gesture of service, decided to provide me an itinerary palsu ... It took me about a few hours to collate the documentation required, and provide the required photo id. After about less than ten minutes of waiting, the consultant called my name, and I headed to the counter.
Included among the documentation was a letter that I crafted for their sake, describing my family's prowess in the ownership and management of business endeavours. The itinerary to Korea and Japan was also attached. Dangling among the pile was an FD receipt which showed a hefty amount, to which the consultant had highlighted in flourescent yellow, saying "we know you are capable of bearing all costs whilst in Japan, but we still need a 3 month bank statement from you!".
HECK. WHAT IS THIS THEY ARE THINKING????!!!
By now, you would think that they would forgo that part by the impressive amount of documentation that was already prepared but NO SUCH LUCK. ... so off I headed to the Internet Cafe and tried to get the computer there to produce my online bank statement. But luck as would not have it, it decided to be stubborn and not budge. I decided to call it a day.
However, whilst heading home, I called Jo, and asked her what she was doing, and she told me that she was still in TAFE. Whoopee Doo!! How fantastic. When I got home, and turned on my computer, surprisingly the online banking decided to produce an online statement! (Must be the cranky computer browsers in the Internet Cafes!)
The online statement was then forwarded to her e-mail, and she promptly had it printed off and faxed to the General-Consulate's office. If I had to wait for it to be sent to my home, I really do not know how long that would have taken, and also saved about 6.60AUD (it costs 1.10 per page for the faxing services at the Internet Cafe!). God Is Good.
Truth be told, I am not sure what kind of visa they will provide me, or if it will be a multiple-entry visa (which would be good as that would take away all the hassle of providing further documentation!), or may simply refuse entry! My cousin had horror stories about a Malaysian workmate of his at uni (a lecturer) who had to attend a Conference in Japan, and the Japan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur refused her apparently based on the excuse that she was a FEMALE TRAVELLING ALONE. Well, how SEXIST is that??
Anyways, in regard to the documentation required, it could be observed that the Embassy in KL is more stricter in granting out visas, if you look at their websites. The Consulate-General's website in Sydney is more straight to the point, and shorter, maybe due to the fact that it is based in Australia?? I do know that a lot of Asians (and that should point to the Malaysians) may want to "jump plane" to try to earn big bucks in Japan... so they are a bit strict with our country, kwah??
Well, WHO KNOWS?!! Crazy Govt people...!!!!!
And not just only for visas, but for skill assessments as well. But maybe this only applies for Australia, kwah?
After a discussion with Justin a couple of days back last week, I finally decided to just procure the flight tickets to Korea, for the sake of maximising and focusing my time there. However, somehow again after that, the thought came again (literally dropped into my mind when I was sleeping...). Perhaps God was trying to tell me something??
So this morning, I finally decided for the heck of it to just head over to the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney and put in an application for a visa to Japan. I decided that if I were to get the visa, I would have to do it soonest possible, as I didn't have much time to get it processed by next week with the festive season coming, and staff going away on leave.
Fortunately, I decied to head to the travel agency and the consultant as a gesture of service, decided to provide me an itinerary palsu ... It took me about a few hours to collate the documentation required, and provide the required photo id. After about less than ten minutes of waiting, the consultant called my name, and I headed to the counter.
Included among the documentation was a letter that I crafted for their sake, describing my family's prowess in the ownership and management of business endeavours. The itinerary to Korea and Japan was also attached. Dangling among the pile was an FD receipt which showed a hefty amount, to which the consultant had highlighted in flourescent yellow, saying "we know you are capable of bearing all costs whilst in Japan, but we still need a 3 month bank statement from you!".
HECK. WHAT IS THIS THEY ARE THINKING????!!!
By now, you would think that they would forgo that part by the impressive amount of documentation that was already prepared but NO SUCH LUCK. ... so off I headed to the Internet Cafe and tried to get the computer there to produce my online bank statement. But luck as would not have it, it decided to be stubborn and not budge. I decided to call it a day.
However, whilst heading home, I called Jo, and asked her what she was doing, and she told me that she was still in TAFE. Whoopee Doo!! How fantastic. When I got home, and turned on my computer, surprisingly the online banking decided to produce an online statement! (Must be the cranky computer browsers in the Internet Cafes!)
The online statement was then forwarded to her e-mail, and she promptly had it printed off and faxed to the General-Consulate's office. If I had to wait for it to be sent to my home, I really do not know how long that would have taken, and also saved about 6.60AUD (it costs 1.10 per page for the faxing services at the Internet Cafe!). God Is Good.
Truth be told, I am not sure what kind of visa they will provide me, or if it will be a multiple-entry visa (which would be good as that would take away all the hassle of providing further documentation!), or may simply refuse entry! My cousin had horror stories about a Malaysian workmate of his at uni (a lecturer) who had to attend a Conference in Japan, and the Japan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur refused her apparently based on the excuse that she was a FEMALE TRAVELLING ALONE. Well, how SEXIST is that??
Anyways, in regard to the documentation required, it could be observed that the Embassy in KL is more stricter in granting out visas, if you look at their websites. The Consulate-General's website in Sydney is more straight to the point, and shorter, maybe due to the fact that it is based in Australia?? I do know that a lot of Asians (and that should point to the Malaysians) may want to "jump plane" to try to earn big bucks in Japan... so they are a bit strict with our country, kwah??
Well, WHO KNOWS?!! Crazy Govt people...!!!!!
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