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21.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Obtaining a Social Security Number(335view/1res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/27 12:26
22.
Vivinavi Hawaii
They will take care of the luggage you bring from ...(938view/5res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/25 11:37
23.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
New legal developments, GC, and citizenship(1kview/12res)
Free talk 2025/12/22 18:18
24.
Vivinavi Hawaii
Green card renewal(986view/0res)
Question 2025/12/22 10:54
25.
Vivinavi Hawaii
Bank Accounts and Fees(717view/3res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/20 15:53
26.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Tell us about your experience with swimming lesson...(780view/4res)
Question 2025/12/19 01:29
27.
Vivinavi Las Vegas
A place to socialize in Handerson(47view/0res)
Free talk 2025/12/18 12:47
28.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Beauty Salon now ?.(303view/0res)
Local news 2025/12/17 17:19
29.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Convert Japanese Yen to Dollars(537view/3res)
Question 2025/12/17 13:26
30.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Immigration inspection after receiving a warning(747view/5res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/17 01:34
Topic

Vivinavi Los Angeles
Obtaining a Social Security Number

Problem / Need advice
#1
  • ムタ
  • mail
  • 2025/12/23 20:56

I arrived in Torrance on 12/19 as an expat.
I needed a social security number ASAP and was able to get an appointment at the Compton office on 12/26, but it was cancelled due to a sudden office closing. I called the SSA call center, but the earliest appointment was the end of January. I called the SSA call center, but they said the earliest reservation was the end of January.
I read in some blogs that there are SSA offices where you can apply without an appointment. Does anyone know ?
By the way, the person at the call center said that an appointment is required. Yesterday at the SSA office in Hawthorne I was turned away at the gate.

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#2
  • ペイロール
  • 2025/12/27 (Sat) 12:26
  • Report

You have already completed the Online Application ? First you apply online and then you get an Interview.

https://secure.ssa.gov/ossnap/public/adultOlder18


The company has proof of your eligibility to work, so you should have no problem getting hired without SS. it says to provide the employer with a receipt for the application for the SS number. Maybe the reason they need the number now is to pay the first paycheck, but if you have a knowledgeable payroll department, you should be fine as long as you have the number by the first quarter payroll report.

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://internationalcenter.ucla.edu/file/86cff6f1-00ef-4ed9-b596- fdd0f7a4748a

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Vivinavi Hawaii
They will take care of the luggage you bring from Japan ? and receive it ?.

Problem / Need advice
#1
  • S
  • mail
  • 2025/12/22 15:50

I will have a friend who is going to Hawaii between Christmas and New Year's carry my books and other heavy and bulky luggage.
However, since my own arrival will be at the beginning of the new year, I will need to have my luggage held for a few days to a week before I receive it.

If I plan to stay at a well-known hotel, is it possible for the front desk to hold my luggage for such a period ?
Also, if you know of any credit card lounge or other service that can hold my luggage for a short period ( about a week ) I would appreciate it. I would appreciate it if you could let me know how to get my luggage checked in for a short period of time.

Thank you very much.

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#2

When I stayed at the Sheraton in Waikiki last month, I asked if I could send my luggage and the hotel said send it to arrive 3 days before check-in or later. They asked me how big it was and what was in it and said if it was too big, they couldn't do it. I was told never to send it before 3 days before check-in.
This time of year,
the hotel is quite crowded for Christmas and New Year,
so it seems that it is difficult to keep your luggage. It would be difficult to keep your luggage, especially if you are not staying at the hotel yourself and you know someone who wants to leave his/her personal belongings after check-out, because it would be too personal and the hotel is not a warehouse.
I had to check in 3 days before check-in and there was a size limit ….

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
New legal developments, GC, and citizenship

Free talk
#1
  • GC
  • mail
  • 2025/12/19 16:16

Regarding the information on the information board about GC retention and maintenance, I thought this was a predictable development. I have been in the US for over 40 years, but I am still a GC holder (non-renewal every 10 years 🙂 ). I just looked at the information on the citizenship test on the immigration web site, and it seems that the 65+ test is an easy one that can be taken without any study, so I thought it might be a good idea to get citizenship now if I am prepared for the test to become more difficult in the future.

Regardless of the type of GC, many people in their 50s and 60s are planning to return to Japan permanently after retirement, but the laws may change once the Trump administration is over, and if you are already retired in the US, it may be better to get citizenship. If you are already a retiree in the U.S., it may be better for you to become a citizen. I would be glad if you could share your opinion on these considerations, for example, I would keep my GC for these reasons, I would keep my citizenship, and so on.
Please do so.

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#4
  • 更新なし
  • 2025/12/20 (Sat) 21:21
  • Report

No renewal just means they didn't want to pay ? How can someone who retains but refuses to pay be a citizen

I have a simple question.

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#6
  • ウリちゃん
  • 2025/12/21 (Sun) 09:44
  • Report

It has been 40+ years. I wonder if the immigration officer at the
airport will have any distrust if the photo on the
card is different from the person in front of him who submitted it, even though it is a great thing that does not need to be renewed.

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#7

I'm afraid I've lost the purpose of the response and the post.
As for the GC with no renewal, it is legal. You can check it on the Immigration website. So I have never had a problem with custom to enter from overseas including to/from Japan.

Double Kim Man, 70+, I agree with the part about the benefits of citizenship. A long time ago, citizenship was not a benefit and I was not particularly interested in it because I am not rich enough to vote, jury duty, and taxes at the multi-million level, but I honestly feel that the Trump administration's mandates regarding GC retention are a hassle ↪Lo_V162↩(sweat).

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#8
  • ウリちゃん
  • 2025/12/21 (Sun) 12:10
  • Report

An "unexpired green card" is an older type of U.S. Permanent Resident Card issued before about 1989 ( I-551 ) that does not list an expiration date and is still valid in principle, but is highly recommended by the Citizenship and Immigration Services
USCIS ) to be updated with a
Form I-90 due to inconvenience in traveling and using certain services ( such as Global Entry Due to inconvenience when using Form I-90, it is strongly recommended by the USCIS ( USCIS ) that you update your card to the latest version with Form I-90.
If you do not update your card, you run the risk of longer identification times at the airport, card reading errors, and you may also need a Re-entry Permit ( Re-entry Permit ) for long-term stays abroad.

Are the passport photo and the 40+ year old Grin Card photo the same photo?

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#9
  • GC
  • 2025/12/21 (Sun) 18:06
  • Report

Uri,
Thank you again for your response. I would appreciate it if you could understand that my topic is not about GC without renewal, but about the future policy and its direction.

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Vivinavi Hawaii
Green card renewal

Question
#1
  • Ntomomi
  • mail
  • 2025/12/22 10:54

My Green Card will expire at the end of July next year, and I plan to renew it at the end of January, but my mother is currently hospitalized with pneumonia, and in case I have to return to Japan, my stay may be only about a month. In that case, I would like to know if she returned to Japan before the renewal or after the renewal and did not receive the letter. In both cases, should I get the I-551 Stamp? Thank you in advance.

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Vivinavi Hawaii
Bank Accounts and Fees

Problem / Need advice
#1
  • 質問ちゃん
  • 2025/12/15 09:22

Sorry if this is basic, but please tell me.
Am I correct in understanding that there is basically no fee for transferring money between bank accounts?

My main account is with CPB, but I have had items debited from another bank account and have had to re-insert them each time. I am thinking that I am doing this online and probably incurring a fee for doing so as well. I sometimes have to give it to a family member's account, and I suspect there is a fee for that as well, but I sometimes wonder if that would be the best way to give it to them without seeing them

Also, there is no ATM nearby, which makes it a little inconvenient for me to go through the process each time.
If you have any good ideas on how to reduce the fees or make the operation easier, I would appreciate it.

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#3
  • ふむ
  • 2025/12/19 (Fri) 17:52
  • Report

When you say give to a family member's account, do you mean refund the money that was advanced to the family member? If so, how about using Venmo, etc., and registering the Venmo debit account with your main CPB?
Also, can you change the settings so that the debit from your bank account is also deducted from your CPB account instead of another bank?

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#4
  • FT
  • 2025/12/20 (Sat) 15:53
  • Report

When I transfer money between my accounts, even between different banks, my bank does not charge any fees. The only time I incur a fee is when I transfer money to an account in another name ( I use Wire Transfer, which is also usually $30 per transfer, but my bank reimburses me if I maintain the account for several years.

I opened accounts with various banks in Hawaii, but found them inconvenient due to frequent small fees, so I now only use Territorial. Here, both checking and saving are small, but interest is paid. In addition to this, I have several accounts with online-only banks ( that do not have branches ) that pay higher interest, and I use them separately from Territorial.

If I need to move money between friends or family, I use Paypal, Paypal should not charge a fee if it is between family and friends.

It's easy to feel like a pain to check and find out if there are a lot of small fees, but a year's worth of dust is a lot of money, so I made a change like ↑ over 10 years ago.

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
Tell us about your experience with swimming lessons in Los Angeles.

Question
#1
  • Sango Sunny
  • mail
  • 2025/11/23 03:27

Nice to meet you. We will be living near Park La Brea next year.
I would like to enroll my 6 year old daughter in swimming.

If you know of any swimming schools near Park La Brea or within driving distance, I would like to get some information.
I would appreciate it if you could tell me as much as you know about the atmosphere of the school, class settings, fees, etc.

Thank you very much.

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#2
  • 高いのよ
  • 2025/11/23 (Sun) 08:51
  • Report

For some reason, swimming lessons are ridiculously expensive in the U.S.

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#3

The LA park recreation center does classes and they are inexpensive.
https://www.laparks.org/discover-activities?filters=category.Play_LA

PLAY LA twice a week for a month $ 10.
There is a test the last week to determine if you can move up to the next level.

In the US, outdoor pools offer swimming classes only during the summer months, while indoor pools offer swimming classes all year round.

Near Park La Brea is the Pan Pacific park pool, which is outdoor and does not offer classes in the fall and winter.
Then Eleanor G Roberts Aquatic Center is about 10 minutes by car and has an indoor pool with classes all year round.

My son used to take a few times $ about 150, but he rather enjoyed PLAY LA.

But the American swimming classes are short, about 25 minutes per class, so it's just a little too short.

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#4
  • Sango Sunny
  • 2025/12/18 (Thu) 22:21
  • Report

Thank you for the detailed information.
It was very helpful to learn about the prices and class descriptions at PLAY LA.
I will look into the other facilities you mentioned.

Thank you so much for sharing the information based on your real experience.

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#5
  • うらやましい!
  • 2025/12/19 (Fri) 01:29
  • Report

Sorry for the sidebar !

Do you know of any in OC ? I heard there are about 150 a month in Irvine $ but I'm looking more around Fountain Valley and Garden Grove than Irvine. I'm not sure if I'm looking in the wrong place or not, but I can only find private ones.

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Vivinavi Las Vegas
A place to socialize in Handerson

Free talk
#1
  • 呉宮原
  • mail
  • 2025/12/18 12:47

I am a woman in my 70s living in Handerson.
I moved here from California a year ago and have not had much opportunity to speak Japanese.
If there are any Japanese social places or events in the vicinity of Handerson, could you please let me know ?
I would appreciate it.

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
Beauty Salon now ?.

Local news
#1
  • しゅうたろう
  • mail
  • 2025/12/17 17:19

I used to live in Torrance a long time ago and there used to be a beauty parlor called Fathalia in Hawthone bld. I wonder if they are still in business today. ? The owner of the salon and I were good friends, but when I sent a message to his old email address, I couldn't reach him because the provider itself is no longer in business. I tried to call FASARIA, but the automated voice mail was not working at all. Please let me know if you know whether FASARIA is working or not. Please let me know !

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
Convert Japanese Yen to Dollars

Question
#1
  • Anna
  • mail
  • 2025/12/04 21:51

Ladies and gentlemen, when converting Japanese money to dollars, which conversion rate is better, in Japan or in the U.S. ? If in Japan, how about converting to dollars at the foreign exchange at Narita Airport ? Please advise me 🙇.

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#2
  • .倍金萬
  • 2025/12/05 (Fri) 20:55
  • Report

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%83%89%E3%83%AB%E5%86%86%E7%9B%B8%E5%A0%B4&rlz=1C1VIQF_enUS1146US1146&oq=%E3%83%89%E3 %83%AB%E5%86%86%E7%9B%B8%E5%A0%B4&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCjE0MTU2ajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I checked the above site for now.

I think it is more disadvantageous to convert "Yen" to "Dollar" in this country than in Japan. Maybe........

I have converted dollars → into yen at Narita Airport when I went to Japan for a trip a long time ago,
but I did it because I needed it for my trip to Japan, so I did not care about the market price at all.

Sorry for the useless response.

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#3
  • 円欲しい
  • 2025/12/06 (Sat) 06:30
  • Report

I would like to say 😭 I will exchange my money because every time I have to pay a Japanese bank to convert my money to dollars → yen for a fee.

The conversion rate is important, but I try not to carry cash in the US, so I think it's better to come all the way here in Japan. I think it's better to come all the way from Japan. After exchanging money, there are a lot of cases where people think you have money and follow you and rob you. I don't know from the airport yet, but it seems to be common in banks. I think it is better to exchange money in Japan and carry it safely.

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
Immigration inspection after receiving a warning

Problem / Need advice
#1
  • いぶにんぐ娘。
  • 2025/12/06 10:22

I was doing private tours with Vima and Loco Tavi, and I got a letter from California Public Utilities saying that I had received a warning notice.
I think the customer who picked me up took a picture of my car's license plate number, and they reported it to California Public Utility.
It's a letter telling me not to do unauthorized cab driving, but it doesn't say anything about fines or anything like that.
I have to go back to Japan in a hurry now, and I will be back soon, but I wonder if I will have to go through immigration again when I come back to the US ?.

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#2

I guess it depends on whether or not the visa is workable and whether or not the income is reported on the tax return.

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#3
  • 名無しの権兵衛
  • 2025/12/08 (Mon) 07:58
  • Report


Even if it did, it would be a problem because it's unauthorized.

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#4
  • 9対1
  • 2025/12/08 (Mon) 08:49
  • Report

I think he went to the Dodgers or something ?
I don't think he tipped off the customer, he tipped off the Uber driver or something
If the car is tied to you, he'll be caught in immigration
He'll check your cell phone history or something and you're out.

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#6

I was a private guide with both Vima Travel and Rocotavi until a few years ago. I knew for sure there would be a certain number of clients who would report to the authorities. We even got ice cream, so it was very difficult. We don't do it anymore. If you underestimate the importance of private guiding, I think you will have a bad experience.

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