How to immigrate to Japan as a pilot?

If you are a pilot and want to move to Japan, there is a way for you to do it. You can learn about the two ways you can immigrate to Japan as a pilot. The Visa Library brings you the details and answers your questions.

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How to immigrate to Japan as a pilot?

The requirements and the way you have to follow to immigrate to Japan as a pilot are different. It’s up to the way you pick to immigrate to Japan as a pilot. There is not much information about it. The Japanese do not release much data about the process and steps you have to follow. But this is the most of the data we could gather.

Study aviation in a Japanese school or university.

The first way to immigrate to Japan as a pilot is to study aviation in a Japanese school or university. These are the steps you have to follow to end up studying in a Japanese flight school;

Find a center that offers a flight certificate.

The course must lead to a flying certificate that allows you to fly in Japan.

You have to look for an aviation school and find one that accepts applicants from foreign countries.

There are about 15 flight schools in Japan that offer flight certificates. But determining if you qualify and meet the eligibility principles or not.

These are two of the flight schools in Japan that you can reach for more information;

SFA is “Seattle Flight Academy, Japan”
“Japan Airmanship Bring-up Organization” (JAMBO).

There are eligibility principles for each school, and you have to fulfill all of them.

You also have to pay tuition, and you must be able to afford it. It ranges from the certificate you want to get, but the aviation school’s website has information about the tuition and costs.

Your tuition and cost are up to the certificate you want to get.

Aviation-related college degree program.

You have another option besides the flight schools, and it’s the college or universities that offer a degree accompanied by flight training. Such programs allow you to get an educational degree and the training to become a pilot at the same time.

The degree and flight certificate could provide further job opportunities for you. This is one option, and you need to determine whether it’s appropriate for you or not. Also, figure out whether you can afford it or not.

There are some Japanese universities that offer aviation courses. You have to visit their website and determine if the degree allows you to become a pilot and if they have flight training or not;

University of Tokyo
Tohoku University
Kobe University
Nagoya University
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Kyushu University

Airline cadet pilot program.

The other option you have is the airline companies that sponsor students. You can reach them or look for vaccines.

Companies sponsor your studies to become a pilot, and after you complete your education, you have to work for them for a few years.

An Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) is often the certificate you need to work as a pilot in an airline.

Determine the certificate you need.

The one factor you need to consider is the type of certificate you need. You have to determine the type of pilot you want and then determine the certificate you need to become a pilot. This is a list of the flight certificates you can get. They serve different purposes;

Private Pilot (PPL)
Instrument Rating (IR)
Commercial Single-Engine License (CSEL)
Commercial Multi-Engine License (CMEL)
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
Multi-Crew Pilot (MCP)

Apply for the flight school and receive admission.

After you find the appropriate flight school, you have to apply to them and get admission. They must accept you as an international flight student.

You have to determine the exact requirements for the flight school and fulfill all of them. This could be some of the requirements;

Language fluency certificate
Medical certificate
Latest educational degree
Proof of having enough funds.
Tuition payment.
Meet the age requirement. (17-65).
Etc.

After you receive admission, you have to apply for the appropriate Japanese visa. It’s likely that you need a Japan student visa. The flight school guides you on the visa type you need.

You can go through the menu of the Visa Library and find out the Japan student visa article to find out more about it. Also, you can watch the related video we have prepared on our channel.

Finish your studies and get a job offer.

You have to complete your education and finish your courses to get your certificate. Then, you have to find a job offer in Japan. It must be from one of the airline’s companies or a company that needs pilots.

You have to look for a job offer through the websites that advertise job positions in Japan. You can find a list of them in the below section.

Apply for a work permit.

After you get the job offer, the Japanese employer/company applies for a Certificate of Eligibility. It’s a must, and you need it to work in Japan as a foreign national.

If you are already in Japan, you can change your status to a work permit and continue living there. But if you are outside of Japan at the time of application, you need a Japan work visa. You have to apply to the Japanese embassy/consulate in your home country to receive a work visa. You need to submit the certificate of Eligibility and other documents to get your visa.

Find more information about Japan’s work visa from the menu of the Visa Library or watch the related video on our YouTube channel.

Immigrate to Japan as a pilot requirement

You need these items to immigrate to Japan as a pilot:

A flight degree from an approved school.
Have enough funds to pay tuition and cost of living.
Being able to get a student visa
Being able to get a work visa
Find a job offer with a Japanese employer or aviation company

You might need further requirements to immigrate to Japan as a pilot. It depends on your conditions and the nationality.

How long does it take to complete flight school in Japan?

The time you need to complete the flight school in Japan is up to the license or certificate you have picked. For instance, CPL could take up to 2 years, but in some countries, it might take up to 3 years. This is while a PPL takes about 3 years.

One factor is you and how hard you work to complete the school and receive your license. When you look for a flight school, try to find out how long it takes. Also, ask the school whether you can complete it sooner or not.

Job positions for immigrant pilots in Japan.

If you are not a pilot and want to immigrate to Japan as a pilot, the first picture of a pilot that comes to your mind is an Airway flight. You enter an airport with your nice clean captain clothes, introduce yourself to the passengers, welcome them aboard, and wish them a happy trip and also a flight.

This is the typical vision of your future job. But there are many more job positions you can have as a pilot in Japan.

This list makes you familiar with such positions;

Equipment testing.
Test pilots.
Contract work.
Airshow stunt.
Tour guide.
Banner towing.
Air taxi pilot
Crop duster operation.

Pilots’ salaries in Japan.

Your salary as a pilot in Japan depends on several different factors. But one of the most important factors is the type of pilot you are. Look at the above section and see how versatile the positions are. You might end up in any of them, and your salary is different in each one.

However, there are some estimates of the average salary in Japan.

According to Salary Explorer, the average salary of a pilot in Japan is about 929,000 JPY ($6.807) per month. The salary range begins from 502,000 JPY ($3678) and goes up to 1,400,000 JPY ($10.258).

Different sources have mentioned different numbers for the average salary of a pilot in Japan;

According to Salary Expert, your average salary as a pilot is about ¥11,005,957 ($80.600) per year. This source indicates that a pilot with 1-3 years of work experience can earn about ¥7,635,923 ($55.944), but a pilot with more than eight years of work experience can get about ¥13,673,111 ($100.186).

The average cost of pilot licenses in Japan for immigrants.

The cost to immigrate to Japan as a pilot is up to several factors;

The type of license you want to get.
The flight school tuition.
Cost of living in the city you live in.
Your lifestyle.

You would better visit the flight school website and find out the exact tuition for the whole program. You can expect ¥15-20 million for the flight school tuition.

Also, find out the average cost of lying in the city you will live in.

The National Average cost of living in Japan is about ¥93,000. But it’s different in cities. For instance, the cost is about ¥109,000 in Tokyo and about ¥75,000 in Kyushu.

How hard is it to immigrate to Japan as a pilot?

The answer is up to the license you want to get. Whether you can get admission to the Japanese flight school or not is an obstacle to pass. Determine if they accept international students, then try to fulfill the requirements.

Getting to the school and receiving a student visa is the big part, and the rest is with your skills, abilities, and hard work.

Japan visa options for immigrant pilots

You might need these visa options in the process.

Japan work visa

Every foreign person who wants to work in Japan needs a work visa. The first step is to find an employer who needs your skills. He/she applies for a work permit and then you can apply for a visa to enter Japan.

You can learn more about Japan work visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Japan student visa

If you want to study for a degree in Japan, you need a student visa. Every foreign person who wants to study in Japan needs a student visa. You must get admission to a Japanese university and then apply for a student visa.

You can learn more about Japan student visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Japan tourist visa

In the recognition process, you might have to visit Japan. If you are not among the visa-waived countries, you need a tourist visa to enter the country and complete the step.

You can learn more about Japan tourist visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Converting your flight license to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.

There is another way to immigrate to Japan as a pilot. In this case, you are a pilot in your home country or have a flying license. In this scenario, you have to convert your license to a Japanese flying license. You have to apply to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to complete the stages.

The stages you have to follow to convert your flight license is with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. You are likely to pass a medical and flying test, complete some form and send them your supporting documents. There is not much data about the process, and you have to reach the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau to learn about the procedure in your home country.

According to the Japan News website’s article on November 3, 2022, the Japanese “transport ministry (had) plans to ease the requirements for obtaining a Japanese flight license.” it was due to the shortage of pilots in the country and answered the high demand. The article said that pilots with at least 2.000 hours of flight could convert their license to a Japanese flight license by just passing the simulator test.

Job offer

If you want to apply through this path, you must have a flight license and meet the eligibility principles. Also, having a job offer from one of the Japanese airlines is necessary.

You can reach them or send your resume to receive a job offer. The Airline can help you with the application process to convert your license to a Japanese one.

After you get the job offer, the employer has to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility. It is the authority’s permission that you can work as a foreign person in Japan. After it is issued, you can apply for a Japan work visa to the Japanese embassy/consulate in your home country.

You can learn more about the Japan work visa from the Visa Library article or watch the video my team has prepared on our YouTube channel.

Websites that advertise job positions for immigrants in Japan.

This section brings you some of the websites that offer job positions in Japan. You can look for a pilot position through them and try your chance. You need a well-designed resume and hunt the positions.

YOLO Japan.
GaijinPot Jobs.
Daijob.com.
LinkedIn
WeXpats Jobs
Career Engine

Recruitment agencies to find a job as an immigrant in Japan.

There is another way to find a job as a pilot in Japan. It’s to get help from employment or recruitment agencies. They work with employers and find an employee for them and in this case,

a pilot.

This list is of some of the most famous recruitment agencies in Japan. You can reach them and find more information. Determine their conditions and figure out if they can help you or not.

Find Chef-Agent
Alberto Recruitment
Recruit Now
FAIR Inc
Project2
Daijob
ROBERT WALTERS.

Tips for finding a flight school as an immigrant pilot.

There are a few points you need to consider while you look for a flight school. You would better pick a school that meets your needs and is appropriate for your future career.

So the first tip is to determine the type of pilot you want. Then, find the school that meets your conditions. You might not have many choices, and your options are limited. But even if you have two options, you would better make the best decision. These tips help you make the best decision on your flight school in Japan;

Determine the type of flight career you want:
Figure out if you can afford the costs or not.
How much freedom does the school provide you?
Can you work part-time to pay your expenses?
Overview of the list of flight schools.
How long does the program take?
Does it provide loans on your tuition?
Do you have to commute, or is transportation easy?
Is the city expensive or friendly cost?

Let’s sum up…

You found out how to immigrate to Japan as a pilot through this article. It brought you the two ways you can use to immigrate to Japan as a pilot. The entire application process and the available information were explained. Although there is not much information available about becoming a pilot in Japan, we brought you whatever information we could gather.

If you have questions, write them down in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them.

In case you want us to add a section to this article to explain a topic, just tell us. We’ll get what you want.