Terms of Service

Welcome to Japa.to ("we", "us", "the platform"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of japa.to, its sub-domains, mobile apps and related services (the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to the Community Rules, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, which are part of this agreement.

1. Who can use the Service

You must be at least 16 years old and able to form a binding contract. If you use the Service on behalf of an organisation, you confirm you are authorised to bind it. You may not use the Service if a previous account was terminated for fraud, scams or serious abuse.

2. Your account

Provide accurate registration information and keep it current.
You are responsible for everything that happens under your account — keep your password and two-factor codes private. We will never ask for them.
Tell us immediately via the contact form if you suspect unauthorised access.
Usernames may not impersonate people or organisations, or infringe others' rights.

3. Your content

You own what you post. Japa.to does not claim ownership of your posts, comments, wiki edits, stories or uploads.
You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, display, reproduce and distribute your content as needed to operate and improve the Service — for example showing your post to members, or including an anonymised excerpt in a community digest.
You are responsible for your content: it must be accurate to the best of your knowledge, lawful, and yours to share.
Wiki contributions are collaborative — you agree they may be edited by other members under the wiki's review process.
We may remove content that violates these Terms or the Community Rules, or that the law requires us to remove.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

Post scams, fraudulent offers, fake documents, "guaranteed visa" schemes or any content designed to deceive — this is the single fastest way to lose your account.
Harass, threaten, doxx or discriminate against anyone.
Facilitate illegal immigration, visa fraud, or the sale of unlawful goods or services.
Spam, mass-message, scrape at scale, or manipulate votes, rankings or metrics.
Upload malware, probe for vulnerabilities without permission, or interfere with the Service's operation.
Misrepresent your identity, credentials, affiliations or immigration outcomes.
Collect other members' personal data, or publish anyone's documents, addresses or private details.

The full conduct standard lives in the Community Rules, which are enforceable under these Terms.

5. Informational tools & content — not advice

Checklists, calculators, wiki pages, courses, community answers and AI assistant responses are general information, not legal, immigration, financial or professional advice. Immigration rules change constantly and vary by individual circumstance. Always verify requirements with the official government, embassy or a licensed adviser before acting or paying anyone.

6. Credits, payments & marketplace

Some features use platform credits, purchased through our payment processors. Prices are shown before you pay.
Credits are a limited, revocable, non-transferable licence to use optional features — they are not money, cannot be withdrawn as cash, and expire only where the law permits.
Except where required by law, purchases are final; if a paid feature fails to deliver, contact us and we will make it right.
Listings in the service directory and marketplace are provided by third parties — we do not guarantee them. Verify providers yourself before paying.

7. Intellectual property

The Service — including its design, code, logo and original content — belongs to Japa.to and its licensors. You may not copy, frame or reuse substantial parts of it without permission. Member content remains owned by its authors (Section 3).

8. Third-party services & links

The Service links to embassies, universities, employers, payment processors and other third parties. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, accuracy or practices — their own terms and policies apply.

9. Termination

You may delete your account at any time in Settings.
We may suspend or terminate accounts that break these Terms or the Community Rules, especially for fraud, scams or safety risks.
On termination, your right to use the Service ends; sections on content licence wind-down, disclaimers and liability survive.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available". To the maximum extent the law allows, we disclaim all warranties — including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement — and we do not promise the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free or that community-provided information is accurate.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Japa.to is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages — including lost profits, lost data, or losses from decisions made based on community content or tools. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim or USD 100. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot legally be limited.

12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify Japa.to against claims and losses arising from your content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of anyone else's rights.

13. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Japa.to is established, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing any claim you agree to try to resolve the dispute informally — contact us first; most issues resolve quickly that way. Mandatory consumer-protection rights in your country remain unaffected.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms as the Service evolves. We will update the date above and, for material changes, notify you in the product or by email. Continued use after changes take effect means you accept them.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: use the contact form and choose the "General enquiry" topic.