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Life is too short, don’t let Brexit stop you from having your epic Ski season adventures
If you’re thinking of taking a gap year, looking to meet new people, travel to a new and different country, have an adventure in the mountains giving you lifelong memories, all is not lost. Brexit has caused a lot of uncertainty, it has certainly made travelling trickier than it used to be. So what are your options now? Can you still work abroad? Is Europe an option after Brexit for a ski season with a British passport?
EU/ Brexit rules:
The rules changed on 1 Jan 2021 for British citizens travelling or working in European countries.
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 day period without a visa . This applies if you travel as a tourist or for short-term studies or training.
If you are travelling in the Schengen area you need to make sure the total duration of your trip is no longer than 90 days. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel also count towards your 90 days.
To stay longer to work or study, for business or other reasons you need to meet the specific country governments entry requirements.
This basically means that if you're looking to get certified as a ski instructor and have your first winter season in Europe, there is a lot of ‘red tape’ to cross. The specific details vary from country to country but to apply for a working visa as a non-EU citizen you typically need to be a highly skilled professional with experience in a profession that is high in demand.
Working holiday visas
A working holiday visa is a type of visa which normally allows younger persons (18-30) to stay and work in a country for between 12 and 24 months. They are often open work permits which allow the person to support their trip by picking up some short-term employment.
A number of countries already have a working holiday programme with the UK.
Japan, Canada, and New Zealand are the key programmes that come to mind for ski seasons.
It would be awesome for the UK to set up working holiday arrangements with countries such as Austria, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy so that young individuals can have the opportunity to take a longer gap year in the mountains in Europe. But for now, let’s see what we can do with what we’ve got. Just because it's trickier to work a ski season in Europe shouldn’t mean you have quash the idea altogether.
SO what are your options this winter?
90 days in Europe
You have the option to spend an awesome 90 days this year in Europe having an epic adventure for 3 months. With some planning, some savings and a little bravery, there is so much you can do in 3 months in the European mountains.
Within 90 days it's absolutely possible to enroll in a course and become a qualified instructor. If like me, you’re already qualified, perhaps using some of your 90 days to upskill, train hard and even gain your next level cert! There are a few companies to choose from but having worked alongside some of their instructors here in New Zealand I love the idea of the www.snowminds.com courses. They even have courses up in Saas Fee glacier in France from October-December.
Winter season outside of Europe
CANADA
Due to COVID, the Canadian government updated its working-holiday visa process before opening for visa applications this year. This update means that you need a job offer from a local company to get drawn from the pool of applicants and get invited to apply for the visa. This has reduced the amount of people who are eligible to apply for the visa, but there are also limited jobs available in ski schools, and therefore it can be challenging to arrange. By enrolling in a course with Snowminds or similar, some include a work placement- an in to get some experience and employment. If you’re keen to get to Canada this winter you need to be quick as places are limited.
The Canadian government also recently announced that they are relaxing border countries for fully vaccinated travelers from September. This means being able to enter Canada, without necessarily having a working holiday visa, for a 90 day tourist stay meaning you can enroll to get your level 1 this winter and save your working holiday visa for once you're qualified! Who knows… situations may have changed by then too!
JAPAN
Ski seasons in Japan are totally epic. Deep snow, a totally new and awesome culture. Check out the following articles below for a little insight into ski season life in Japan:
Unfortunately travel and working holiday visas to Japan this year are heavily restricted due to COVID. It does not look like a ski season in Japan is going to be an option for us this coming winter. However, since COVID restrictions ease and more of the world is vaccinated, it looks like Japan is set to make it slightly easier for us to enjoy a ski season out there.
Working holiday visa in Japan- In comparison to the Canadian working holiday visa, which currently requires a job offer prior to departure, the Japanese working holiday visa has a much heavier focus on the holiday and cultural reasons for travel. To be eligible to apply, your primary intention must be to experience the culture and immerse yourself in Japanese life. Work should only be an additional way of supplementing travel. It is therefore likely that Japan will not open working holiday visa applications until they also open for general tourism too.
The New Japan visa for qualified ski instructors.
Previously, the other way to work a ski season in Japan was to have evidence of 36 months of experience as a snowsports instructor to be able to get a sponsored skilled labor sports instructor visa. Accumulating 36 months of experience in the snowsports industry takes a long time, even if you are doing back to back winters between northern and southern hemispheres. Personally I was thinking I’d never make it back to Japan! Now, my next JA-POW season is just around the corner!
The new visa is a Designated Activity Visa specifically for ski instructors. It does away with the requirement for the 36 months experience as long as you hold the SIA Alpine level One certification or a recognised equivalent. This equivalency is likely to make it much easier for less experienced instructors to be able to work in Japan.
The full list of recognised equivalent qualifications can be found here. Qualifications from NZSIA, BASI, CSIA and APSI are all included.
The SIA qualification seems to be mainly for Japanese schools to qualify staff to work for them, so might not be the best route for trainee instructors who want to come to Japan. For more information about how to become a ski instructor, which courses and exams to take, click here. For more info about other ski season jobs click here.
It is believed that this change to the instructor visa in Japan has been a long time coming and is unrelated to the Coronavirus situation. The skilled labor visa and working holiday visa are still options. It is also thought that the designated activities visa for ski instructors is likely to be short term so possibly 3 or 6 month visas will be the norm.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is another Epic country to work a ski season and although its borders are currently shut due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, it is actually pretty easy to get a working holiday visa and enroll in a course or get a different job p the mountain to get your snowy turns in while also exploring this gorgeous vast country. Click here to learn more about working seasons in New Zealand.
AUSTRALIA- The season is similar in timing and length to NZ. As a British passport holder, the working holiday visa for Australia is similar to that of NZ. It is a simple online process.
ARGENTINA & CHILE - Ability to speak and understand Spanish fluently is important when considering working here. More info about working in these countries is coming soon!
I am always on the hunt for the latest information related to ski season travel and work. If you have info you’d like to share with me and my subscribers, please shoot me an email! (click the contact me button at the end of the page). I’m currently trying to learn about the less ‘mainstream’ countries to go to work during the ski season.
I hope this article has been interesting and useful for you. If you’d like to read more about your ski season options click the sign up button on the side or below and feel free to comment for any specific content requests!
The information in this blog is based on my personal experiences, information gathered from government websites at the time of writing. Information changes regularly so please check the UK government website for exact details and up to date information: www.gov.uk and also check the government website of the country you plan to visit.
Happy travels
The Ski Nomad
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