Traffic Violation and Japanese Visa

Hello,

Today i rolled my car.... totaled it... and the cop gave me a ticket for 275$ for "driving without due care and attention" I am planning on going to Japan in April and am wondering if something such as this will prevent me from securing a visa. Any help would be tremendously appreciated, i'm a stress wreck right now especially concerning this.

What kind of visa are you after? In any case a traffic violation is very unlikely to affect your chances. As a university student I got a speeding ticket and a ticket for "failing to stop" (I rear-ended a taxi, so careless driving) and I got a Working Holiday Visa for Japan only a few months later. I never considered that my traffic fines could affect my visa, and indeed they didn't.

I think you can stop worrying. Drug charges or a violent crime conviction would probably stop you from getting a visa, I really doubt that a traffic violation will.

I don't know about other countries, but I think usually visas are restricted to those who have been "arrested". I don't think that getting a ticket applies for that as long as you pay the fare properly and promptly.

Unless you have done a serious crime ie. gone to jail, been to court, your traffic violation will not be factor in getting a Visa.