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Latest Japan Working Holiday News
Updated March 2023
In March 2023, when the weather in Japan is getting warmer and it is preparing to enter the cherry blossom season, Japan's working holidays are once again accepting new applications. If you have been unable to set off as scheduled due to various reasons in the past few years, you must take advantage of this rare opportunity.
However, this year's working holiday application process is a little different from the past few years, making this year's application opportunities different.
That is not to say that there have been major changes in the application qualifications and application documents, but that this year the Japanese authorities have launched four application opportunities in one go, on January 31, 2023, April 17, 2023, and July 2023. On the 10th and October 9th, 2023, each issue will have about 11 days, which is 1.5 weeks, for you to apply. In the past, there were only 2 application opportunities in spring and autumn in the past, which doubled the number of applications.
Moreover, this year's application review did not specifically specify the number of people who can start each period, the quota, etc., unlike many years ago, each period only accepted 750 quota applications.
In other words, as long as you apply normally in accordance with the procedures and do not make serious mistakes in submitting documents, the chances of being successful will be very high.
To put it simply, it is to release all the application quotas that were not issued during the epidemic in the past at one go, so that applicants who planned to apply but were unable to leave in the past few years can increase their chances of successful application. Of course, whether having 4 opportunities to apply a year will become the norm every year in the future, or will it be changed back to 2 applications a year in the next year, I believe no one can give a very definite answer so far .
After all, the current weather, health environment, and international relations are changing a bit fast. It is a bit early to estimate what will happen next year. No one can accurately predict what will happen next year.
This year, when collecting visas, it will be the same as before the epidemic. It is enough to prepare passports, application receipts, and travel insurance. There is no need to prepare as in the past during the epidemicImmigration Health Confirmation System (ERFS) "Certificate of Payment" . because in the latestDocument requirements for working holiday applications in 2023Among them, it has been changed back to the same document requirements as before 2019.
Of course, it is now easier than before to successfully apply for a working holiday in Japan. Not only is there no quota limit, but there is also more information, such as followingPre-departure preparations for classification of working holidays in Japan, Learn how to fill in the reason letter, let the examiner know why you are allowed to come to Japan, and what travel plans you have in Japan are not available for tourist visas and student visas. As long as you take a little time to write, it is not very difficult to pass successfully, because as long as you check the pass rate in the past, you will find that it is often above 90%.
However, a real working holiday in Japan is not as simple as simply filling in documents and writing a reasoning letter, but whether you have a clear goal, language ability, work ability, or whether you can understand the culture and habits of Japanese society before departure. , The working environment has a high degree of adaptability, or whether there will be a kind of unconditional love, no matter what kind of difficulties arise, the attitude of never giving up.
These are all important elements that can make or break your working holiday trip in the end.
If you are here for the first time, it is recommended that you bookmark this page to my favorites first, and then start to learn about the past application process, success rate, application conditions, and application procedures. Of course, if you have any questions that cannot be answered here, you can also leave a message for inquiries.
Updated January 2023
After going around for almost 3 years, I finally came to the opportunity to reopen the new application. If you are still just under 30 years old, and you want to go to Japan to experience the local life, and hope to travel, work, and vacation at the same time, you must not miss the opportunity to apply for this Japanese working holiday!
The application process this time is similar to the previous ones. The number limit is the same as 1,500 people, and the nature of the work is the same as prohibiting working in custom places. andDocuments required for visa applicationOn the one hand, just like in the past, certificates of deposit, passports, academic qualifications, etc. are required. There is no detailed mention of epidemic prevention requirements, vaccine records, etc.
Application period for this term: November 01, 2022 (Tuesday) ~ November 30, 2022 (Wednesday)
Result Announcement Date: January 9, 2023 (Monday)
Visa (VISA) collection period: January 10, 2023 (Tuesday) ~ February 28, 2023 (Tuesday)
As always, if you are interested in signing up, you can check outHow to fill out the reason statement, and toClassification of pre-departure information for working holidays in Japan. To put it simply, it is not difficult to successfully apply for a Japanese working holiday. As long as you can show enough sincerity in a certain aspect, you will basically pass 95%.
In fact, the application has never been difficult, because the difficult part is how to live in Japan for 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days without giving up. After all, Japan has always been a place suitable for tourists, and every thoughtful travel experience is created by locals. Taking advantage of working holidays in Japan to go to Japan is a process of changing from "upper position" to "lower position". If you have less love and patience for Japan, your imagination of Japan will be quickly ground into dust.
In addition, the success rate of past applications, application conditions, frequently asked questions, etc. are attached below this article. It is recommended to read it once before jumping to other pages.
The latest Japanese working holiday announcement results
Updated March 2023
Just like the previous results announcement process, the Japanese Consulate General announced the latest application results for the first phase of the working holiday program in 2023 on its website. A total of 35 people applied for the working holiday program this time, and 34 people successfully passed the review, with a pass rate of 97%.
Results of applications for the working holiday scheme for the first phase of 2023: https://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100443494.pdf
The official announcement of the working holiday scheme for the first period of 2023: https://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100443503.pdf
Applicants who have passed the working holiday program in the first phase of 2023 will need to receive their visas from March 2, 2023 (Thursday) to March 10, 2023 (Friday), and arrive in Japan within 3 months. Your working holiday visa is officially valid.
Updated January 2023
The Japanese Consulate General recently announcedResults of successful examination in 2022, 291 of them applied for this working holiday program, and as a result, all 291 of them passed, with a pass rate of 100%.
2022 Working Holiday Results Announcement: https://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100443493.pdf
Applicants who apply in November 2022 and pass the review must receive a visa between January 10, 2023 (Tuesday) and February 28, 2022 (Tuesday), and arrive in Japan within 3 months , your working holiday visa will be officially effective.
Updated October 2022
The Consulate General of Japan has recently announced the results of the second phase of the 2020 successful examination, which can now be viewed on October 14Latest Results & Updates!
Result announcement of the second working holiday period: https://www.hk.emb-japan.go.jp/files/100405321.pdf
Applicants who have passed the second phase of the review must receive a visa between October 17, 2022 (Monday) and December 21, 2022 (Wednesday), and arrive in Japan within 3 months. The working holiday visa is officially valid.
Updated September 2022
The latest issue, that is, those who successfully passed the review in 2020, can now check the latest results & updates announced by the Japanese Consulate General on July 25!
And the next issue, that is, the news of new applications after 2022 has not been further announced. If you are still interested in using working holidays to go to Japan, you should pay more attention to the latest arrangements of the Japanese authorities!
In addition, all those who have successfully passed the 2020 application review must receive their visas before September 26, otherwise they will be deemed to have given up their applications and will not be allowed to reapply.
Information for June 2020
Affected by the new coronavirus, applicants for the second phase of 2019 and the first phase of 2020 are temporarily unable to leave for Japan.
For detailed procedures, please refer to the Japanese Consulate General: Extension of Special Measures for Working Holiday Visas to Japan (Second Phase of 2019)
Why apply for Japan Working Holiday?
People who have been to Japan once said: Going to Japan for Working Holiday will never regret it!
There are many different ways to grasp the tail of youth, one of which is to travel abroad and experience different cultural life in a new country.
You love Japanese culture, but every time you travel to Japan, you find that vacations are not enough?
Then every time itinerary, because of lack of time, you need to give up some festivals and scenic spots?
Or maybe there are only more than ten days of vacation a year, but Japan has its own characteristics in spring, summer, autumn and winter. After chasing the Spring Cherry Blossom Festival but not seeing the Snow White Winter Festival, or have you never been to Japan in a certain season?
Love to experience life in Japan
Japan Working Holiday may be your best choice!
During working holidays in Japan, in addition to being able to visit different scenic spots and cultural festivals for a long time, you also have the opportunity to spy on the most authentic side of Japanese people through part-time jobs and the lives of local residents.
If you like the natural environment, working holidays in Japan can allow you to experience a whole white winter, or dive in Okinawa all summer!
Or some daily things: applying for a bank account, mobile phone, etc. are things that cannot be experienced in ordinary travel.
This article mainly introduces the following points
- Application details, documents, procedures
- Result announcement time
- common problem
More Japan Working Holiday Information
In addition to the overview of Japanese Working Holiday applications, this site also has more chapters about job hunting, accommodation, and daily life.
Welcome to leave a message to ask questions and communicate more!
more information: Collection of Working Holidays in Japan
Japan Working Holiday application method, application process, document preparation
Past Quota Limits
1500 per year, usually divided into two phases, each with 750 places.
Based on past records:
2018
| Phase 1 (announced in June) | The number of applicants is 317 and the number of passers is 306 |
| Phase 2 (to be announced in December) | The number of applicants is 372 and the number of passers is 368 |
2019
| Phase 1 (announced in June) | The number of applicants is 351 and the number of passers is 341 |
| Phase 2 (to be announced in December) | The number of applicants is 544 and the number of passers is 533 |
2020
| Phase 1 (announced in June) | The number of applicants is 142, and the number of passers is 142 |
| Phase 2 (to be announced in October 2022) | The number of applicants is 285, and the number of passers is 254 |
Summarizing several years of experience, the number of people who fail to apply is very small, and the failure of the application may be due to incomplete information.
In other words, as long as you are well prepared, you have a relatively high chance of passing
Application time, result announcement time
The application time and result announcement time are roughly the same every year, starting in April and October each year and ending at the end of the month
1. The first issue of 2019
Application period: April 1, 2019 (Monday) ~ April 30, 2019 (Tuesday)
Result Announcement Date: June 4, 2019 (Tuesday)
Visa (VISA) collection period: June 5, 2019 (Wednesday) ~ August 30, 2018 (Friday)
2. The second issue of 2019
Application period: October 2, 2019 (Wednesday) ~ October 31, 2019 (Thursday)
Result announcement date: December 03, 2019 (Tuesday)
Visa (VISA) collection period: December 4, 2019 (Wednesday) ~ February 28, 2020 (Friday)
3. The first issue of 2020
Application period: April 1, 2020 (Wednesday) ~ April 29, 2020 (Thursday)
Result Announcement Date: June 2, 2020 (Tuesday)
Visa (VISA) collection period: June 3, 2020 (Wednesday) ~ August 31, 2020 (Monday)
4. The second issue of 2020
Application period: October 5, 2020 (Monday) ~ October 30, 2020 (Friday)
Result Announcement Date: December 01, 2020 (Tuesday)
Visa (VISA) period: December 2, 2020 (Wednesday) ~ February 26, 2021 (Friday)
July 26, 2022 (Tuesday) - September 26, 2022 (Monday)
October 17, 2022 (Monday) ~ December 21, 2022 (Wednesday) (the latest visa collection time for the second phase of 2020)
After the application is successful, you need to go to the Japan Visa Application Center to collect the visa within 3 months, and go to Japan to apply for a "landing permit" within 3 months after receiving the visa. You can stay in Japan for 1 year as a working holiday.
Application conditions
According to the information of the Japanese Consulate, the application requirements are as follows
- When applying for a working holiday visa, "Ordinarily Resident" who lives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
- Stay in Japan for the main purpose of vacation within a period not exceeding one year after entering Japan.
- The age at the time of applying for a working holiday visa must be between 18 and under 30 years old.
- There are no dependents accompanying. (Excludes if the dependent holds a working holiday visa or other valid visa.)
- Must hold a valid HKSAR passport or British National (Overseas) (BNO–British National Overseas) passport.
- Must have a return ticket to Hong Kong or sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket.
- Must have sufficient living expenses for the initial period of stay in Japan.
- At the end of the working holiday period, it is necessary to leave Japan.
- Have never obtained a Japanese working holiday visa in the past.
- Good health, good record and no criminal record.
- Adequate insurance must have been purchased.
In other words, if you are: generally working/studying Hong Kong people + aged 18 – 30 when you apply + have a BNO/Hong Kong passport + have about HKD$22000 + have never obtained a working holiday visa + do not use work to make money back to Hong Kong as the main purpose + complete after working holidayWill definitely return to Hong Kong, basically the application has a chance of success.
Application place and procedure
bring required documentsVisit the Japan Visa Application Center in personhandle
Japan Visa Application Center: Room 3, 16th Floor, 148 Electric Road, North Point, Hong Kong (Exit A of Fortress Hill Station)
Application submission time: Monday to Friday: 08:30 – 15:00 (Appointment is recommended)
Visa collection time: Monday to Friday: 08:30 – 16:45, closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
Customer Service Hotline: +852 3167 7033
If you don’t know much about it, if you go to the Visa Application Center, you can follow the Google map below.
Documents required for application
- Application Form for Working Holiday Visa to Japan(Original) and affixed with a color ID photo (taken within 6 months (4.5cm x 4.5cm, front, no cap, no background)
** It is not necessary to fill in the column of the guarantor in Japan and the column of the inviter in Japan.
**The applicant's signature column must be signed by the applicant himself (same signature as the passport). - Passport (copy)
**Personal identity record page, signature page (last page), all pages with entry and exit stamps of previous visits to Japan. - Statement of Reason (Original)
**Please write in Japanese or English the reasons why you want to take advantage of the working holiday plan, and the content of the activities you want or plan to do after entering the country.
**Written on A4 size paper (single side), unlimited number of pages.
**Write your name, Hong Kong Identity Card number in the last part, and sign with your own hand. The statement of reason can be made by computer, but the signature must be signed by the person himself. - Personal Resume - Specified Form(Original) and complete in Japanese or English.
- Photocopy of the front of the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card
- Certificate of Enrollment or Certificate of Final Education (Copy)
- Proof of assets, HK$22,000 (return air ticket HK$6,000, initial living expenses HK$16,000) or above. However, if you already have a return air ticket, you can submit proof of HK$16,000 or more as the initial living expenses.
- Other self-recommended materials (copies), supplementary materials about Japanese culture. For example, JLPT Japanese Language Proficiency Test results, certificates of Japanese language school completion, certificates related to Japanese culture (such as: tea ceremony, flower arrangement, judo, kendo, etc.), etc. This recommended material is not a required material, and you can apply without submitting it, but the chance of success is relatively higher if you submit it.
2020 result announcement date
Phase 1: June 2, 2020 (Tuesday)
Phase 2 (Cancelled): December 01, 2020 (Tuesday)
receive a visa
Pick up at the Japan Visa Center, together with
- Passport (original)
- Application receipt (Receipt) (original)
- buy in japanPledge of National Health Insurance (designated format) or Proof of purchasing overseas travel insurance (original and photocopy)
- Immigration Health Confirmation System (ERFS) "Certificate of Payment"(Payment card: https://entry.hco.mhlw.go.jp/)
common problem
- Go to Japan to go through entry procedures within 3 months after receiving the visa. If you fail to enter Japan within 3 months, the visa will become invalid.
- Obtain "Residence Card" ("Residence Card"): The "Residence Card" will be issued on the spot by the immigration offices of Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, New Chitose, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. The "Residence Card" will be issued by mail in the future.
- It is not necessary to find a job in advance before applying, and it is not necessary to work within one year of staying in Japan. Because the Japanese working holiday plan is mainly for vacation (and consumption).
- Work and residence need to be arranged by themselves, and there are no special restrictions on the place of residence.
- If the application fails, you can apply again. However, each person can only collect evidence once in a lifetime.
- You can study short-term courses, but you need to apply for a student visa to study long-term courses or enter universities, etc.
- Must apply in person in Hong Kong.
- During the one-year stay in Japan, you can leave early, and you can also use the "deemed re-entry permit" system to return to Japan (however, the visa period will not be extended).
- Japanese ability is not a necessary application requirement, but it is believed to be one of the advantages when applying.
Relevant information: Homepage of Japan-Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme
More Japanese working holiday information: Topics on working holidays in Japan
