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Apply for a Working Holiday Visa in Japan (WHV Japan) is not a very complicated procedure. You just have to assemble the necessary documents and get them to the Embassy or Consulate of Japan nearest you.
Working Holiday Visa in Japan? The WHV Japan? What is it?
Working Holiday Visa means a Visa that allow you to travel and work. A Working Holiday Visa is simply a visa for youth and allowing them to go in a specific country in order to discover the culture and be able to travel and work.
Working Holiday Visa in Japan: how does it works?
The Working Holiday Visa in Japan aimed at youth under 30, residing in countries signatory to an exchange agreement with WHV. Clearly, both countries signed an agreement to allow young residents under 30 years of each country to visit the other country for one year, while having permission to work and travel.
Let’s take the example of FranceandJapan. These 2 countries have signed an agreement in 1999 allowing young Japanese to get a WHV for France and French youth to get a WHV forJapan.
Youth people who get a WHV for any of these countries will make a year, including travel, study and even work. Basically the WHV Japan / France (like all other WHV for that matter) has been signed to enable youth people to experience different cultures while having the opportunity to work in order to have more financial resources and meet their pecuniary needs during their stay.
The Working Holiday Visa in Japan: what conditions to obtain it?
For the WHV Japan there are very clear conditions that you must follow, as no exceptions will be granted. Here are the conditions:
- Be aged over 18 and under 30 at the time of filling the application (concrete until your 31st birthday you can apply)
- Comply with the rules of the bilateral agreement
- Not be accompanied by a child during the stay
- Does not have received such a visa before
- A medical certificate stating that you are in perfect medical condition for such a trip
- Have a valid passport and covering the entire period of stay (not to renew your passport after the application)
- A passport photograph
- Financial proof in your name, proving that you have 5500 USD from you’re your bank account or 4000 USD and a plane ticket round trip for a minimum period of 6 months with a modifiable return
- A résumé
- A cover letter
- A completed visa application form (this document is available on the website of Japanese Embassy in your country)
And important information: the Working Holiday Visa Japan is one of the only one for which the claimant’s physical presence is REQUIRED. It is useless to negotiate, no exceptions will be made (trust me I tried since I was inCanadaat that time).
2 sumo wrestlers fighting …. 2 sumo en plein combat
Working Holiday Visa in Japan: some tips
When you are new to visa application, it is always good to have advice from people who have gone before you trough these trials. I know what I mean, I wish I had good advice during my requests (I’ve already done three WHV: Australia, Canada and Japan). Here is a small series of tips which hope will help you:
- If you prepare your file at the end of calendar year and you intend to deposit it at the beginning of next calendar year, check the amount you absolutely must have in your bank account, because it may have changed. For my part I was preparing my application in November 2012, I applied in January 2011. In 2010, the Embassy demanded 4,000 euros, in 2011 it claimed 4,200 euros and now, in 2012, they request 4,500 euros. So be really careful.
- For the amount of money claimed, some people are making an illegal procedure that can cost them their visa. This is a very common practice, but I personally do not recommend it. People, who lack the financial resources requested, ask their relatives to make a transfer of the amount claimed to their bank account. Then the person applies for a certificate to his bank, on which the amount will be well displayed an then they return the money to his relatives. Legally it is wrong and if you are exposed you will lose your visa and you would be unable to return to that country for a while. If you have the intention to use this method, I would point out that this is at your own risk.
- Prepare your case as it should, include your cover letter and your travel plans. You will be asked to provide a plan with the cost of housing and job with its expected revenues. Do not rave by displaying figures from reality or your application will be refused. Keep it reasonable. If you do not have mastered the Japanese language do not say that you will be working in a setting where you are asked to be able to speak the language. If you want to teach languages but you have no formal degree, do not post prices per hour that are exorbitant. Stay clear and everything will be for the better.
- If you are a boy, in the document of the visa application, do not put the name of a girl as a contact person in Japan (if you ever know someone). Indeed, it is common to see visa applications refused because of it. This is explained by the fact that many boys want to travel to Japan and have in mind that Japanese girls are easy girls. When I was inVancouver(Canada) I made the acquaintance of a Japanese girl. We became very good friends and nothing more. She told me to put her name in my application form, what I did. When I submit my application, I had the right to a questioning and suspicious look and thinking like “you are not one of those hunters who wants our girls?” So, I advise you not to put the name of a girl to avoid any suspicion.
Kanji Logo – Logo Kanji
Working Holiday Visa in Japan: how to write your cover letter and your travel plans
Te cover letter for the WHV Japan and your travel program are two essential elements. You can justify your money and your identity very easily, but you must be careful to justify your motivation and seriousness and do it in the good way. It therefore requires a good cover letter and a coherent travel plans. The both must match and make feel that you are sincere and serious. If this does not appear, your application may be refused. To help you a bit, I’ll seal my cover letter and my travel plans to Japan. ATTENTION: I offer these as guidance only and in no way authorizes you to duplicate, use or anything else. You can get inspired but never make the same request as I did.
Cover Letter for my Working Holiday Visa in Japan
Paris, January 2011
Hello,
My name is —,I am a French National, and I am — years old.
The aim of my project is two fold:
- discover the world and its different cultures
- to share my discoveries to as many people as I can through my blog
To me Japan is “Yesterday, Today and tomorrow”. This is Yesterday with its rich History dating back over 2000 years, also today because of its importance place in the world, its ability to introduce new trends ad reinvent themselves to always develop and progress. And finally, it’s tomorrow with this fabulous ability to invent and innovate while aiming to make our world a more efficient and enjoyable.
My desire to travel in Japangoes back to my adolescence when I started to get interested in your country and its cultural treasures. Through many manga I’ve got passion about your culture. But a period intrigues me in particular: the 2nd World War. During my entire school career I was passionate about the learning of facts and events related to this period in our History.
Japanwas a major part of this and was marked by a turning point in our world today. What’s interest me most is to see the impact left by this period in this country but also to learn more about this wonderful faculty that Japan had to recover from this tragic time.
This desire was greater during my University courses, during which I learned the Marketing and Management.Japanis a model country in terms of management and corporate strategy. Through my studies, I was fascinated by the ability to create ‘improved copies” of the strategies of other countries by the Japanese. This power of “benchmarking” inJapanis something that I always interested in and which is important for me as a point of learning for my job of Manager.
The urge to travel inJapanis divided according three axes:
- Yesterday: the desire to get to know the rich History of Japan, including the period of the Samurai and the 2nd World War.
- Today: the desire to learn howJapanas managed to recover from the trauma ofHiroshimaandNagasakiand the legacy left to the country. I want to learn more and learn about the cultures and technological, mange, very popular inJapanbut also worldwide.
- Tomorrow: the desire to understand a little better this faculty that the Japanese take on new challenges, invent, reinvent and revitalize itself, to constantly get better and remain a leading country in the world today and tomorrow.
So I would like to go toJapanto learn your culture and your History but also to learn from your mindset and mentality. I admire your ability to launch new challenges, reinvent yourself and always seek to continually get better.
For over 8 months now, I started a though process that led me to apply to come to live and discoverJapanfor a year.
This is why a Working Holiday Visa would be ideal for me. It would allow me to visit your country and discover while soaking up the culture through daily work and social relationships that I could build with the Japanese. Moreover, I could also document and learn more about your History and your past. Finally my goal is that, by the end of my stay, I am able to converse in basic Japanese and read and write the Hiragana and Katakana.
Sincerely,
——-
Travel program for the Working Holiday Visa in Japan:
Period:May 6, 2011 toMay 5, 2012
In which city or prefecture will you stay?Tokyo Area – Accommodation: Free (Wwoofing)
Please indicate the activities you wish to practice in Japan (travel, work, school, etc …)
- Volunteering: WWOOF (www.wwoofjapan.com)
- Membership N°: — Area: — Activities: — Missions: — Number of hours work per week: 30 hours Compensation: Free Accommodation and Free meals Period: May 2011
- Membership N°: — Area: — Activities: — Missions: — Number of hours work per week: 14 hours Compensation: Free Accommodation and Free meals Period: June to November 2011
- Membership N°: — Area: — Activities: — Missions: — Number of hours work per week: 30 hours Compensation: Free Accommodation and Free meals Period: December 2011 to April 2012
- Cultural: Learning Japanese and the country’s culture through relationships with people I would meet there.
- Travel: depending on my financial capability
OR
Period:May 6, 2011 toMay 5, 2012
In which city or prefecture will you stay? Accommodation in Guesthouse for 32 000 Yen per month (Guesthouse address)
Please indicate the activities you wish to practice in Japan (travel, work, school, etc …)
- Work: Foreign languages conversational lessons, 22 hours per week for 118 000 Yen monthly, break down as follows:
- French: 15 hours a week for 90 000 Yen monthly (1500 Yen per hour)
- English: 7 hours hours per week for 28 000 Yen monthly (1000 Yen per hour)
- Cultural: Learning Japanese and the country’s culture through relationships with people I would meet there.
- Travel: depending on my financial capability
These two examples are exactly what I have provided in order to obtain my visa. The figures shown were those asked to me from the Japanese Embassy inParis. Rates shown do not necessarily reflect the market reality. This is mainly to show you what the person who will issue your visa expect from you. Remember that it is preferable to propose two solutions, especially if you do no speak Japanese; it shows you are serious and you have though about a backup solution.
On this I hope you will get your Working Holiday forJapanand who knows, maybe we will meet here in the near future.
