I’m highly interested in working at Hakuba for a season, especially at a rental shop. However, I’m unsure if it’s realistic for me to get everything together in one month before I’m technically supposed to leave Japan on a student visa. If not this season, I’d be very open to coming back next season. (Perhaps I can obtain snowboarding instructor certifications before a future season.) I’m most concerned about visas, sponsorship, certifications, employment opportunities, and language requirements. I’m an American citizen by the way.
I’ll also be coming down to snowboard at Hakuba later on. Any information and resources would be helpful!
2 comments
What specifically are you concerned about?
If you are on a student visa and have special permission to work then you have no issues. However you’d need to finish by the date your studies finish (since you visa expires when you end your classes and the University notifies immigration, NOT only when you card says it does)
If you would want to next year and don’t have a visa (I.E not on a student visa or spouse visa) then you won’t probably wont be able to get one specifically for the season. Immigration doesn’t consider that stable enough income to give a work visa (nor is the contract period long enough) nor is it considered specialized work. I.E anyone can do it.
The only way you could do it is if you come back on a working holiday visa (not sure if that exists for Americans and Japan though)
It’s a bit late hey but one season I scored a job just by being there and being available.
Email all the shops, ask them if they still need someone.
If you don’t get work, are you able to go anyway and support yourself, with your own accomm arrangements? OR would you have to have a job arranged? If you can afford to just go, jobs open up when people get fired, get injured and leave, etc.
Or are you talking about next season? I’m unsure if you need sponsorship or not, a lot of people just come on working holidays visas, which as an American you cannot get. If you are a tourist, you can find some work for accommodation roles, where you clean in exchange for a free bed as you are not allowed to earn money. To be sponsored, you would need to be a specialist, like a certified instructor, or a boot fitter, or repair technition.