Visas for Life Foundation is the sole authorized representative of the Chiune Sugihara family in the United States. The Foundation is a non-profit educational organization under federal Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).

In 1940, Chiune Sugihara was the Consul General for Japan in Lithuania. Thousands of Jews fleeing Poland came to his door seeking visas to help them escape.

Defying orders of the Japanese military government, and risking his life and career, Sugihara wrote over 2,000 visas for life, saving more than 6,000 lives during the Holocaust.

Visas for Life Foundation (VfLF) was established to perpetuate the legacy of Chiune Sugihara, a legacy of caring for humanity and the dignity of life.

The Foundation produces programs and publications on humanitarian themes and issues. It also works to identify and document the 100,000+ descendants of those rescued by Sugihara. The stories of the survivors and descendants are vivid proof of the Jewish proverb If you save the life of one, you save the world entire.

In educating people about the work of Sugihara and other courageous individuals, the Foundation underscores the relevance of his legacy in the 21st century. More than ever, the need exists today to promote diplomacy and humanitarianism to preserve human dignity and integrity.