Working Holiday Visa at the second half of the year? How fast do they run out?

4 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Working Holiday Visa at the second half of the year? How fast do they run out?**

   Hello

   I’m thinking of moving to Japan for a year with the Working Holiday Visa. I have some questions related to acquiring said visa.

   For most countries the visa quota is limited to anywhere from 30 to 400 visas per year. I know that it really depends on the country, but when do they start accepting applications? I would presume at the start of each year. If so, how fast do they usually run out?

   Also most countries, except maybe Australia, require you to leave for Japan within 3 months from getting the visa. Does this mean that if they run out quickly, then the only option would be to move to Japan between January and March or so? I was thinking of leaving around August next year, but I’m not sure if that’s possible as the visa quotas may have been filled by June.

   If I meet the criteria for applying and have more than enough funds, is it still likely to get denied for the visa? From your experience, how strict are they with choosing the people?

   Thank you!

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2. Different countries handle it differently, but I’d expect they’d split the quota in half, with the first half becoming available in April (the start of the year) and the second half becoming available in October. But you should reach out to your local consulate/embassy and ask them directly.

3. As the other commenter already said, it varies a lot based on where you’re from. I’m from Germany and applied for the visa together with my friend in August. We both got it. I don’t think they’re too strict with selecting applicants – Which doesn’t mean you can just write anything in your letter of motivation, but you likely won’t have to worry about getting accepted. I actually haven’t heard of anyone who ever got rejected

4. I’m applying from the UK and the embassy website says applications open as per the Japanese financial year (April – March) and close as soon as they’re full. It’s also a year to enter once you’re granted permission, rather than within 3 months. If you’re applying from elsewhere and the info isn’t clear on your embassy website I’d give them a call before applying to find out 🙂