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How much will this cost me?
Do I need to pay a Registration Fee?
Will I really need $4,000
for the VISA application?
How will I get to the
Resort?
How will I be paid?
Will I be paying tax?
What if I cannot complete
my contract at the resort?
What happens if I have
an accident?
What kind of protective
gear will I need for skiing / boarding?
Will I need to buy my own
ski gear, or can I just rent at the resort?
How long
is a Japanese Working Holiday Visa valid for?
Can I get another Japanese
Working Holiday Visa in the future?
Can boobooSKI, or the
Resort sponsor me for a Visa?
Can I travel around before
or after my contract?
Will I need to work overtime?
Will I have internet access?
How much will this cost me?
To participate in Ski, Beach, or Golf jobs in Japan, you have to pay for
your own Airfare and Travel Insurance. The cost varies
- expect to pay between USD$1,500 - $2,000 for everything.
If you are a very low-level Japanese speaker, and are therefore required
to participate in one of our Japanese
language courses, you will also have to pay for
that too (Approx. USD$200).
Do I need to pay a Registration Fee?
No - as long as you complete your contract, you don’t pay any fees.
A Processing Fee of 50,000 yen is usually
charged when you register for
your Ski, Beach, or Golf job in Japan, but to help
minimize the financial burden on you, this Processing
Fee is typically collected at the end of your contract. However, in appreciation of doing
a good job, this fee is waived for all applicants who
complete their contracts. In
short, you don’t pay anything if you complete
your contract.
Will
I really need $4,000 for the VISA application?
The actual amount depends on your country, but at
the time of application for a Working Holiday Visa you
must show that you have a few thousand dollars available in your
bank account. The Visa office needs to know you have
sufficient funds to pay for your airfare, and
support yourself while living in Japan. You
will need to submit a bank statement as proof. As many of you are students, we know this kind of money can be hard to raise. Before their Visa application, many of our applicants receive gifts from their parents, of a few thousand dollars. This is fine, as long as you show the Visa office an accompanying letter from your parents, explaining that they have given you the money for your stay in Japan.
How
will I get to the Resort?
Once
you arrive in Japan, you’ll be met at the airport
by a boobooSKI
representative. It’s very important that you arrive
on time. You’ll be taken to participate in a Recruitment
Seminar held by a Local Japanese Resort Job Agency,
where you’ll receive your official job offer, sign your contract, and hear important information about your stay etc.
Then, you’ll be delivered to your Resort by bus, and your experience of a lifetime begins!
At
the end of your contract, bus transportation
will be provided back to the airport you were picked up from only. If you
wish to travel on to other destinations, it will be
at your own expense.
NOTE: In cases where bus transportation is not provided for you, you will be given directions back to the airport you
were picked up from, and will be paid enough cash to cover your journey there.
How
will I be paid?
Once you arrive, you'll be
shown how to open a Japanese Bank Account, into which
you’ll be paid your salary monthly. All banks
are located near the resorts, so withdrawing money won’t
be a problem.
Will
I be paying tax?
According
to Japanese law, all foreigners must pay 20% income
tax. However, we’ve already factored tax into
the equation, so figures advertised on this site are after income tax (note: monthly income varies depending
on your working hours).
You are able to file a Japanese tax return, to try to get some of your tax back, only if you stay in Japan for more than 12 months. Otherwise, you can't. In addition, filing a tax return is a complicated process - for help/information on how to do so, you can contact the Japan Association of Working Holiday Makers.
What if I cannot
complete my contract at the resort?
Any staff who break their contract with
the resort, must vacate their dormitory within two days
of their final day of work. Please be honest
about your availability when filling out the Online
Application Form. Any staff leaving early will inconvenience
the resort by leaving them short of staff, and may result
in future boobooSTAFF
not being able
to work there.
Furthermore, in case you quit early,
the 50,000yen Processing Fee will no
longer be waived, and you will be responsible for getting
back to the airport yourself, at your own expense. Of
course, we will be happy to assist with directions /
bus/train reservations etc. if you need.
What happens if I have an accident?
All staff must have valid Travel Insurance
for the entire period of their contracts, so in case
of an accident, you are completely covered by your insurance
policy for the costs. You will also be covered by "rousai"
Work Insurance while on the job. In case of an accident,
you will be taken to a local hospital for treatment. Please rest assured - English-speaking staff from the Japanese Resort Job Agency will be contactable to assist you anytime.
In the event of an accident which prevents
you from performing your job, unfortunately, you'll
be unable to continue working and your resort will be
forced to dismiss you. For this reason, we can’t
stress enough how careful you should be – please
be responsible!
What kind of protective gear will I
need for skiing/boarding?
Unfortunately, each year about 5% of
staff are injured as a result of a snowboarding or skiing
accident, and are forced to give up their Ski jobs in Japan. The most common injuries are to the head and
wrists. Fortunately, these injuries can easily be prevented
by two simple items of safety gear – a Helmet
and Wrist Guards. Don’t be cheap about safety
– it will cost you!
Will I need to buy my own ski gear,
or can I just rent at the resort?
We highly recommend you rent ski gear, as it's very convenient, and if you're lucky, you'll
get a good staff discount from your resort! Buying and bringing your own board/skis over on the
plane can be expensive if you exceed baggage allowances,
and can be troublesome to carry around. In addition, there is no way to send objects larger than 150cms from Japan back home, so if you do decide to bring your own gear, make sure you don't go over the airline baggage allowance limit, as you'll have to bring them back with you on the plane.
In either case, it's probably cheaper to Rent or buy your gear in Japan. We recommend you first check out the Rental deals at your Resort after you arrive. Then, if you're not satisfied, you can make a trip into the nearest city and pick up some very cheap deals on gear (board/binding/boots or ski/boots/poles sets from as low as 30,000 yen)!
How
long is a Japanese Working Holiday Visa valid for?
A Japanese
Working Holiday Visa is valid initially for 6 months,
but can be extended up to a total of 12 months (18 months
for Australians!). To extend your visa, you’ll
have to visit your nearest immigration office, fill
out the relevant paperwork, and pay a ¥4,000 (USD$35)
processing fee. You can find your nearest immigration
office at http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/soshiki/index.html
Can
I get another Japanese Working Holiday Visa in the future?
No,
you can only be issued with a Working Holiday Visa once.
However, if you want to come back to work/live in Japan
in the future, you can. As many foreigners do, you can
enter Japan on a 3-month Tourist Visa, and get sponsored
by a company, at which point you’ll receive a
1 or 3 year Working Visa.
Can
boobooSKI
or the Resort sponsor me for a Visa?
No, unfortunately, we cannot offer Visa
sponsorship. A company must be able to guarantee you
employment for 12 months continuously, in order to provide
sponsorship. As Ski, Beach, and Golf Resort jobs in Japan are only seasonal, this is
not possible.
Can
I travel around before or after my contract?
Of course!
As long as you can be at the airport when everyone else
arrives, you're welcome to travel wherever you like.
After your contract, you can travel on by yourself too!
Will I need to
work overtime?
Yes. During the busy holiday periods
(Xmas/New Year break, Jul-Aug Summer Vacation), your
resort will undoubtedly ask you to work overtime, as
they tend to be understaffed around this time. During
this period, please accept that you may not have much
free time (in some cases, staff are required to work
up to 50-60hrs a week!). After the busy period though,
things quieten down a lot, and you’ll have about
6-7 days-off a month, and will work the standard 44-48hr
week.
Will I have internet access?
Ski, Beach, and Golf jobs in Japan give you a taste of
rural life – you won’t be living in the
big city. The air will be fresh, the nature vast, and
the scenery spectacular. On the other hand, you may
have to walk 20 mins to the nearest convenience store,
and use a public phone because there’s no internet
access nearby. You’ll never have to go too
far (more than say, 30 mins), but at some resorts, you
may have to travel, or pay a little, for internet access.
There are also a number of free wireless
networks to access near many of the resorts, so if you’re
an email junkie, it may be a good idea to bring your
laptop with you. However, if you can give up your daily
emails for a few months, and immerse yourself in the
Japanese lifestyle, it will be a more rewarding experience,
and the best way to improve your Japanese!
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