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161.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Obtaining a Social Security Number(1kview/1res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/27 12:26
162.
Vivinavi Hawaii
They will take care of the luggage you bring from ...(2kview/5res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/25 11:37
163.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
New legal developments, GC, and citizenship(3kview/12res)
Free talk 2025/12/22 18:18
164.
Vivinavi Hawaii
Green card renewal(5kview/0res)
Question 2025/12/22 10:54
165.
Vivinavi Hawaii
Bank Accounts and Fees(1kview/3res)
Problem / Need advice 2025/12/20 15:53
166.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Tell us about your experience with swimming lesson...(2kview/4res)
Question 2025/12/19 01:29
167.
Vivinavi Las Vegas
A place to socialize in Handerson(1kview/0res)
Free talk 2025/12/18 12:47
168.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Convert Japanese Yen to Dollars(1kview/3res)
Question 2025/12/17 13:26
169.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Looking for a pineapple ・ parisienne lash lift in ...(872view/0res)
Beauty / Health 2025/12/15 16:29
170.
Vivinavi Los Angeles
Wi-Fi in Japan Travel(5kview/25res)
Other 2025/12/14 15:05
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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Topic

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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Topic

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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Topic

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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Topic

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
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
Looking for a pineapple ・ parisienne lash lift in the OC area.

Beauty / Health
#1
  • aaa
  • mail
  • 2025/12/15 16:28

I am looking for a lash spa or Parisienne Lash Lift in the Orange County area.
I would appreciate it if you could tell me where the results are good every time and cost effective.
Thank you very much.

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Vivinavi Los Angeles
Wi-Fi in Japan Travel

Other
#1
  • good health
  • mail
  • 2025/11/03 11:58

I am planning to go to Japan for the first time in a long time. Before Corona, I used to rent a Japanese cell phone or portable Wi-Fi when going to Japan. When I went to Canada, I used Verizon's Travel Pass. I used Wi-Fi in hotels in Canada to access the Internet. I would like to know what you do when you go to Japan ? I would like to get your advice because I am not good with tech. I would like to confirm that
I can make phone calls and text when I use Verizon's travel plan, but I can only use the Internet in hotels and shopping centers that have Wi-Fi. It is enough, though.
If I use eSIM, does it mean that I can only use internet in Japan or do I need Verizon travel plan at the same time ? ?
If I use Verizon travel plan, do I turn on roaming in Japan? ?
Sorry for all the stupid questions 🙇‍ ♀ ️Please advise me 🙇.

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#21
  • ポケ
  • 2025/11/18 (Tue) 21:29
  • Report

Unlimited is good if you don't mind slowdowns !

I don't know anything difficult, so I can always use it normally. I can expect to panic if it suddenly slows down or stops while I'm driving, so I'm excited to get unlimited.

I think people who understand how much they use, GB and capacity, can save more.

Last year I don't remember my battery running that low if I charged it in the morning and went and used it occasionally on the road, but this year I was often frustrated because I just used it a little and it ran out of charge quickly.

Last year I didn't carry a mobile charger with me, but this year if I didn't have a mobile charger, the battery was completely dead before the evening.

It is quite heavy to carry mobile charger, smartphone, and pocket Wi-Fi. But I think it is a sacrifice to make my stay in unfamiliar Japan as convenient as possible.

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#22

> I turned it on only when I wanted to make a call, since there was no incoming call.

This is too old a story to be of any help, but it was around 2012 when I stayed overnight in Dogo Onsen Town in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture on a walking pilgrimage to Shikoku on a trip to Japan, and the next morning I was walking through the city to the next temple, No. 52, Taiyama-ji. The next morning, I was walking through the city to the next temple, 52nd Taisanji Temple, when my cell phone rang through my pocket WiFi.

When I picked up the phone, it was a friend of my wife's (XX) and she said, "I tried to call you but you didn't answer, so I called your husband. \If you are there, can you please take over the phone?

That's not good. I picked up the phone and said, "I'm walking around Matsuyama city in Shikoku, Japan, and of course my wife is not around, so I'll hang up the phone. But the other party didn't seem to understand what I said, so they called me again right away.

I have such memories of Pocket WiFi, and I can still clearly recall the situation.

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#23
  • Anna
  • 2025/12/11 (Thu) 21:51
  • Report

Thank you all for all the advice. I apologize for not responding to some of them. 🙇‍ ♀️We got back from Japan yesterday, we are here for a week. My husband texts frequently with friends in the US, so we got the Verizon travel pass. It's $12 a day per person. We went to Fukuoka City and stayed at a hotel with Wi-Fi, a shopping mall with Wi-Fi, used LINE with relatives in Japan, and were able to roam and Google where there was no Wi-Fi. Everything went well. Thank you all for your advice ♪ ❤️❤️👍👍🙇

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#25
  • ポケ
  • 2025/12/14 (Sun) 08:48
  • Report

Good for you !.

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#26
  • .倍金萬
  • 2025/12/14 (Sun) 15:05
  • Report

#23 Anna,

I see...that's a way to go. I will use it as a reference for my trip to Japan next spring.

Well, I'm too old to surf the net while traveling in Japan unless I have to. Younger people may have many chances to contact their parents, siblings, or best friends by phone, but I am over 80 years old and my mother, who is over 100 years old, is living in a very good facility, but I have lost my head. I go to visit her at the facility, but I can't get a conversation going, even though my son has come to visit her. I guess that's what she means.

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