CAN I WORK IN JAPAN?

HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?

 
Traditionally a lot of trainees have gone to work in Japan – especially after joining our Saas Fee courses in the autumn.

So, how can you work in Japan?

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Japan is a legendary destination for powder-lovers and they see a lot of clients from Australia and New Zealand.

But Japan is also a global destination and welcomes guests from all over the world.

In fact, Japan welcomes nearly 32 million international travellers every year.

So Japanese ski schools are planning another 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.

This is not just a basic work visa – it’s issued assuming 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 teach all season then travel 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.

What’s even better is that in 2024 Japan increased the number of Visas for Brits to 6,000 – it was just 1,000 before.

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?

We have been told you don’t now need to have a job agreed before you apply for the Visa.

So you can apply for the Visa before your course and then apply for jobs during the course.

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 also help you with the Visa application (if you haven’ got yours yet).

You can get guaranteed interviews and guaranteed jobs if you are on a Peak Leaders Saas Fee course.

We also run CV and job application sessions on all of our courses to help trainees work after their exams – 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 Kong 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.