So, you're thinking you'd like to travel abroad, but you don't want to just go backpacking, because you don't have that much cash. You want to be able to travel, experience new things, have a great time, and also make a bit of cash while you're at it. Sounds like a Working Holiday is perfect for you!

The Working Holiday programs are relatively new agreements between countries, enabling youths between the age of 18-30 to travel to one of the participating countries for a designated period, and entitling them to work in that country for a specified period. In general, Working Holiday Visas are issued for a period of 6-12 months, with the option to extend the visa up to a total of 18 months for some countries (like Australia, for example). If you overstay your Visa, you might possibly end up being deported, or at least fined. This is a very clear condition of the Visa: Don't overstay.

In contrast, however, the "specified working period" I mentioned is actually rather ambiguous: for example, when traveling to Japan for a Working Holiday program, I inquired as to the duration of work that I was permitted to do. At the time of application, you must declare that you are traveling to Japan primarily as a vacation, but with the intention to work along the way to supplement your travel funds. Some officials told me the permitted length of work was approximately 20-28 hours per week. Others told me you can work up to 3-4 months of your total stay. But the most interesting thing is that the declaration of your plans you make at the time of Visa application, is in no way binding, and you are permitted to change your plans at any time.

So, let's say I plan to travel around Japan for 3 months - sight-seeing, snowboarding, and having fun. So, I apply for, and receive my Working Holiday Visa, declaring that I'm going over to travel, and then I head over to Japan. The next day, I meet someone at a bar, and it turns out they own an English school, and are desperately seeking new teachers. So, they offer me a full-time job... can I take it? Surely not, as I stated on my Visa application that I was coming only to travel for 3 months, not work, and in addition, the conditions of my Visa state that I can only work for that company for up to 3-4 months... right? No. Surprisingly, I called the consulate to check, and in fact, the answer is YES, YOU CAN TAKE THE JOB. Why? There are 2 reasons.

Firstly, according to the Japanese Consulate themselves, you are permitted to change your plans at ANY time during your stay - therefore, your original intention to travel around Japan is not binding at all, and you are free to work if you wish.*

*It should be mentioned here that there are in fact limits to what kind of jobs you can do. Ie. You can't work in the "entertainment" industry, etc... you can find out more from your local Japanese consulate.

Secondly, while the Consulate tells you at the time of your Visa application that you can "only work up to 28 hours per week", in fact once you arrive, they don't mind at all how much you work. And, to top it all off, as one Consulate official told me, "they don't check that sort of thing"... as you can imagine, I was a little confused. Out of all people, you would expect the Consulate to give you a straight answer, but when I asked if it's ok to go over with a Working Holiday Visa, and work full-time, she said, albeit in a roundabout way (if you know the Japanese, you'll know what I mean!) that it was fine. Which is the reason why there are so many thousands of foreigners in Japan, right now, working full-time in English schools, on Working Holiday Visas... just like I did! And every 6 months, when I went to the Immigration office to extend my Visa, and stated clearly that I was working full-time in an English school, and would like to continue, they would smile, extend the Visa, and wave me goodbye!

So if you're thinking of going to Japan to work, but are unsure about the conditions of your Working Holiday Visa, remember that you're not the first person to be confused. Just remember that you're permitted to change your plans at any time, and it will make things a whole lot easier.

Make the most of your Working Holiday in Japan - if you don't want to be a teacher, try working in a Ski, Beach, or Golf Resort. You'll make life-long friends, improve your Japanese, ski for free, and get paid for it!
http://www.boobooski.com/resortlife.htm