Six of the countries where Japanese restaurants hire most have a working-holiday agreement with Japan: the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Canada, New Zealand and Germany. A Japanese chef aged 18 to 30 can arrive and work without an employer sponsor. The United States and Singapore are not on Japan’s list, so nothing in this guide applies there. Working-holiday chefs are the fastest way to put a Japan-trained cook on your line, and the easiest to lose at month six if you have no plan. This guide gives the rules country by country, the employer obligations, where the chefs look for work, and how owners who do it well run the twelve months.
AT A GLANCE
UK places for Japan, 2026
6,000
no ballot, up to 24 months
Canada places for Japan, 2026
6,433
12 months, twice in a lifetime
Australia, one-employer cap
Exempt for restaurants
since 1 January 2024, until further notice
US and Singapore
No scheme
not on Japan’s working-holiday list
The rules, country by country
The schemes look alike from a distance and differ in the details that matter to a kitchen: how long the chef can stay, whether a cap applies to one employer, and whether the chef can switch to a sponsored visa without leaving. All figures below are from the governments’ own pages, checked on 9 October 2026.
| Country |
Scheme |
Age |
Stay |
Places for Japan |
Cost and funds |
| United Kingdom |
Youth Mobility Scheme |
18 to 30 |
Up to 24 months, once; no extension for Japanese nationals |
6,000 places for Japan in 2026, no ballot |
GBP 340 fee, healthcare surcharge usually GBP 776 a year, GBP 2,530 in savings for 28 days |
| Australia |
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) |
18 to 30 |
12 months; a second visa needs 3 months of specified work, and hospitality counts only in northern or remote Australia |
No cap for Japan |
AUD 840 fee, about AUD 5,000 in funds |
| France |
Visa vacances-travail |
18 to 30 |
One year, once; no extension and no change of status during the stay |
No French-side figure published |
Visa free of charge; EUR 3,100 in funds and a one-year insurance policy |
| Canada |
International Experience Canada, Working Holiday (open work permit) |
18 to 30 inclusive |
12 months per participation; Japanese citizens can participate twice since 1 April 2025 |
6,433 places for Japan in 2026 (invitation to apply required) |
CAD 184.75 IEC fee plus CAD 100 open work permit holder fee and CAD 85 biometrics; CAD 2,500 in funds and health insurance |
| New Zealand |
Japan Working Holiday Visa |
18 to 30 |
Up to 12 months, once; the extension exists only for horticulture and viticulture work |
No cap for Japan |
No visa fee for Japanese citizens; NZD 100 tourism levy; NZD 4,200 in funds |
| Germany |
Working Holiday (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) |
18 to 30 (the Tokyo embassy sheet says 17 to 31) |
12 months; cannot be extended in Germany; Japanese citizens may also apply after arriving |
No cap for Japan |
Free for Japanese citizens; EUR 2,000 in funds (EUR 4,000 without a return ticket); health and liability insurance |
| Country |
Limit with one employer |
Route to a sponsored visa afterwards |
| United Kingdom |
No limit on time with one employer; most jobs allowed |
No sponsored route for a new chef hire at present: chef roles (code 5434) are not on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, so a switch to Skilled Worker is not available for chefs (re-confirmed October 2026) |
| Australia |
The usual 6-month limit with one employer does not apply to cafes and restaurants since 1 January 2024, until the government decides otherwise |
Skills in Demand visa (482), Core Skills stream: Chef and Cook are on the Core Skills Occupation List; the application can be made in Australia |
| France |
No official cap with one employer; work is permitted ‘as an incidental activity’ without a work permit |
A new sponsored permit after the stay; the employer applies for work authorisation through ANEF |
| Canada |
None: no limit on hours or on time with one employer |
Express Entry, Canadian Experience Class after one year of skilled work (chefs are TEER 2, cooks TEER 3); employer-specific permits face low-wage restrictions |
| New Zealand |
No limit with one employer on the current rules; the chef cannot take a permanent job on this visa |
Accredited Employer Work Visa through an accredited employer with an approved job check; jobs at skill level 4 or 5 get a maximum of three years |
| Germany |
Same employer for a maximum of one year in total; the embassy sheet allows part or full time, while some city pages say no full-time jobs |
Change of purpose is possible in Germany; Japanese nationals can be approved for any job after a priority check, and specialty cooks have a route of up to four years |
The fact most owners in Australia get wrong
Since 1 January 2024, working-holiday makers in Australia can work for the same cafe or restaurant for more than six months without asking permission. The exemption covers hospitality anywhere in Australia and stays in force until the government decides otherwise. The visa itself is still twelve months.
What the employer must do
A working-holiday chef is an ordinary employee under local law. The visa removes the sponsor paperwork, not the employer’s duties. These are the ones owners most often miss.
| Country |
Before the first shift |
Pay floor |
Tax and ID numbers |
Pension |
Health and leave |
| United Kingdom |
Right-to-work check before the first shift (online share code or original documents); a civil penalty applies if you skip it |
National Minimum Wage from April 2026: GBP 12.71 at 21 and over, GBP 10.85 at 18 to 20 |
National Insurance number, applied for by the chef with proof of the right to work |
Auto-enrolment applies from age 22 and GBP 10,000 a year; employer pays at least 3 percent of qualifying earnings |
The chef paid the healthcare surcharge with the visa; no employer health duty |
| Australia |
Check the visa with VEVO; register with the ATO as an employer of working holiday makers |
National Minimum Wage AUD 26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026; restaurant cooks and chefs are covered by the Restaurant Award; cash in hand is illegal |
Tax file number; registered employers withhold 15 percent from the first dollar up to AUD 45,000, unregistered employers 30 percent |
Superannuation at 12 percent, with a choice of fund; the chef can claim it back on departure |
No government page found on Medicare for Japanese working-holiday holders; the chef should hold private cover |
| France |
No work authorisation needed; the pre-hire declaration (DPAE) to URSSAF within the 8 days before the start |
SMIC EUR 12.31 gross an hour from 1 June 2026; the hotels and restaurants agreement sets the grid above it |
A temporary technical number (NTT) from URSSAF; it does not open state health, pension or unemployment rights |
No official source found on pension rights for working-holiday employees |
Working-holiday holders are not covered by the state scheme even when employed; they need private insurance. Employers must still offer the collective mutuelle |
| Canada |
Open work permit: no LMIA, no offer-of-employment form, no compliance fee |
Provincial minimum wages in 2026: Ontario CAD 17.95 from 1 October, British Columbia CAD 18.25, Quebec CAD 16.60 |
Social Insurance Number within 3 days of the start; temporary workers’ numbers begin with 9 |
Standard payroll deductions through a CRA payroll account |
Provincial: Ontario requires full-time work for an Ontario employer for at least 6 months; British Columbia deems permits of 6 months or more resident after a waiting period; Quebec excludes most open-permit holders |
| New Zealand |
Check the visa with VisaView; every employee must have a written employment agreement |
Adult minimum wage NZD 23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026 |
IRD number and tax code, or tax is withheld at the no-notification rate |
Cannot join KiwiSaver on a temporary visa; ACC earners’ levy applies |
Temporary visa holders generally cannot get publicly funded health care; 4 weeks’ paid leave, or 8 percent pay-as-you-go only on a fixed term under 12 months |
| Germany |
Check the residence permit and keep a copy for the duration of employment |
Statutory minimum wage EUR 13.90 an hour from 1 January 2026; a minijob is capped at EUR 603 a month |
Tax identification number for electronic payroll; social-insurance registration no later than the start of employment (hospitality rule) |
Statutory contributions on regular employment; flat 15 percent pension contribution on a minijob |
Statutory health insurance is compulsory for regular employment; working-time records must be kept for at least two years in hospitality |
Where working-holiday chefs look for work
Working-holiday chefs look for work on the Japanese-community boards in each country, not on the national job sites. Every board below carried kitchen ads dated in the week this guide was checked.
UNITED KINGDOM
Over 9,000 job posts; a Mayfair Japanese restaurant’s ad of 8 October 2026 states ‘YMS (working holiday) welcome’ and that many YMS holders are already on staff.
AUSTRALIA
Daily chef ads with a visa field (working holiday / student / permanent). A Queensland employer’s ad offers ‘visa sponsorship possible afterwards’ to working-holiday applicants.
FRANCE
Paris and regional ads accept working-holiday and student visas; a Versailles restaurant offered a permanent contract at SMIC for 26 hours a week in October 2026.
CANADA
Dozens of posts a week; Vancouver restaurants ask for ‘a visa with at least 6 to 8 months remaining’, which tells you how they plan around the permit.
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland Japanese restaurants tag ads ‘working holiday welcome’ and ‘work visa support possible’, and ask for at least 5 to 6 months left on the visa.
GERMANY
Over 4,000 job posts; a Bad Homburg sushi restaurant’s ad of 8 October 2026 says working-holiday staff work close to full time at EUR 14 an hour.
What owners write in those ads tells you how they use the visa:
“ワーホリの方にはフルに近い形で働いていただいています。時給は14ユーロです。”
Sushi KAI-OH, Bad Homburg, Germany, in its own job ad: ‘Working-holiday staff work close to full time at EUR 14 an hour’,
MixB Germany, 8 October 2026
“ワーキングホリデービザ保有のかたも応募可能です。その後ビザ・スポンサーの可能性もございます。”
A Japanese restaurant in Rockhampton, Queensland, in its own ad: ‘Working-holiday holders may apply; sponsorship may follow’,
Nichigo Press, June 2025
“長期働ける方。（６ヶ月以上）”
cocoro, Auckland, in its own ad: ‘Long-term workers only, 6 months or more’, with the tags ‘working holiday welcome’ and ‘work visa support possible’,
NZ Works, updated 8 October 2026
How to use the twelve months well
Owners who get value from working-holiday chefs treat the visa as a twelve-month project with a decision point, not as cheap labour that happens to be Japanese. Six practices come up again and again in the ads and in our placements.
1
Hire for the second line, not the head
A working-holiday chef is usually 20 to 30, trained in Japan, and new to your market. Put them under an experienced head chef on the second counter or the hot line. Ads that ask for ‘head sushi chef, working holiday welcome’ rarely fill.
2
Check the clock before the trial shift
Ask how many months remain on the visa and whether this is a first or second participation. Vancouver and Auckland restaurants now write ‘at least 6 months remaining’ into their ads for this reason.
3
Decide at month three
By the end of month three you know whether you want this chef for three years. If yes, start the sponsored route that month: 482 nomination in Australia, Skilled Worker check in the UK, accredited-employer job check in New Zealand, Express Entry planning in Canada, change of purpose in Germany. France requires the chef to leave and re-enter on a new permit, so plan the gap.
4
Pay the floor and the paperwork
Register as an employer of working holiday makers in Australia, file the DPAE in France, request the SIN within three days in Canada, keep the permit copy in Germany. The chef’s visa is clean; the employer’s record is what inspectors check.
5
Write the training ladder down
Twelve months is long enough to take a cook from prep to the counter if the steps are written. It is also the single thing that makes a chef choose your sponsorship over a competitor’s at month nine.
6
Plan housing for month one
In London, Sydney, Paris and Vancouver the first lease is the barrier. A room for the first month, or a guarantor, is cheaper than a chef who leaves in week three.
Common mistakes
Assuming the 6-month cap
Problem. Owners in Australia still turn down working-holiday chefs at month six because ‘the rule says so’. Cafes and restaurants have been exempt since 1 January 2024.
What works. Read the Home Affairs exemption page, keep a copy, and plan on the full twelve months.
Treating it as a sponsorship test
Problem. A working-holiday chef cannot change status in France during the stay, and a UK Youth Mobility holder cannot extend; owners discover this at month ten.
What works. Know the exit route for your country before the hire, and tell the chef the plan at month three.
Paying cash or below the floor
Problem. Enforcement cases against Japanese restaurants underpaying working-holiday staff exist in Australia, and the national minimum applies to every country here.
What works. Pay through payroll at or above the floor and the collective agreement, from day one.
No housing plan
Problem. A chef with no lease, no guarantor and no local credit history spends the first month looking for a room instead of learning your kitchen.
What works. Arrange the first month’s room before arrival and state it in the offer.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries let a Japanese chef work without a sponsor?
The United Kingdom (Youth Mobility Scheme, up to 24 months), Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France and Germany (12 months each) all have working-holiday agreements with Japan for people aged 18 to 30. The United States and Singapore do not.
Is there a limit on how long a working-holiday chef can work for me?
Not in the UK, Canada, New Zealand or Germany (up to the visa’s length). Australia’s usual six-month limit with one employer does not apply to cafes and restaurants since January 2024. France permits work as an incidental activity with no stated cap.
Can the chef stay on after the working holiday?
In Australia the employer can nominate for a Skills in Demand visa while the chef is in the country. New Zealand needs an accredited employer and a job check. Canada’s Express Entry counts a year of skilled work. Germany allows a change of purpose. The UK does not currently allow a switch to a sponsored chef visa because chef roles are off the shortage lists, and France does not allow a change of status during the stay.
Do I need to register anywhere as the employer?
Australia requires registration with the tax office as an employer of working holiday makers, or you must withhold at 30 percent. France requires the pre-hire declaration to URSSAF. Canada requires the Social Insurance Number within three days. Germany requires social-insurance registration no later than the first day. The UK and New Zealand require a right-to-work check and, in New Zealand, a written agreement.
How many Japanese nationals get these visas each year?
The UK allocates 6,000 places to Japan for 2026 and Canada 6,433. Australia, New Zealand and Germany set no cap for Japan. France publishes no figure on its side.
Where do I find working-holiday chefs?
On the Japanese-community job boards: MixB in the UK and Germany, JAMS.TV and Nichigo Press in Australia, OVNI and MixB in France, JPCanada in Canada, NZ Works in New Zealand. Washoku Agent also introduces chefs who plan a working holiday and want a kitchen lined up before they fly.
Salary ranges, sponsored visa routes and retention advice for each country are in our hiring guides:
Government and primary sources (checked 2026-10-09)
