CAN I WORK IN JAPAN?

BUT HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

 
Traditionally a lot of trainees have gone to work in Japan.

So how can you work in Japan?

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Japan was cautious about opening borders after Covid but now things are getting back to normal.

In a country that is popular with international tourists, it’s been great for international travel to get started again.

In fact, in 2019 Japan welcomed nearly 32 million international travellers – but in 2021 that number dropped to just 250,000.

So Japanese ski schools are planning a busy winter, which is really good news if you’re considering at getting a Visa for a winter season teaching over there…

HOW DO I APPLY?

The best bet still seems to be the Working Holiday Visa.

Now, this is not just a basic work visa and it is issued on the understanding that you will work and travel.

But that’s hardly a bad thing – Japan is an amazing country and an even more amazing culture. So the idea that you instruct during the ski season and travel around seems pretty ideal.

Importantly this is a really good option for British instructors as the possibility of getting Visas hasn’t been changed by Brexit.

The permit length varies depending on your nationality, but it’s usually between 6 months and one year.

The Visas are for people aged 18 to 30 (at the time of application) and allocations have, historically, been pretty high for British, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and Irish applicants.

You can check your eligibility here: mofa.go.jp

DO I NEED A JOB BEFORE I APPLY?

You do need to have a job agreed before you apply for the Visa.

In fact we have a lot of contacts in Japan and we have always been able to put trainees in touch with these partners, who then agree a provisional job and most will help you with the Visa application.

Some will make a job offer before you pass your BASI Level 2.

We also run CV and job application sessions on all courses to help trainees work after their course – our Saas Fee course is particularly popular with trainees looking to qualify and teach afterwards.

The Japanese ski schools are usually keen to recruit English-speaking instructors to teach international visitors – especially from NZ, Hong King and Australia – as well as to cater for the big ex-pat communities in Japan.

So, if you have – or you are about to take – your BASI 2 qualification, then you’re already in a good place to start planning a Japanese season.