Ski season post Brexit

[Ronnie2022]

Hi - my 18 year old son really wants to do a ski season during his gap year.

not sure where to start with helping him research it - any advice for this post Brexit ? Thanks ;)

A friend of ds' is in Canada at the moment for a ski season, been there since December - think he organised it through Bunac bunac.org/blog/work-and-travel/how-to-work-a-ski-season-in-canada

Which passport does he hold?

If he has an EU passport, he can obviously just take a train, boat or plane to any EU country and seek work, or apply for a job with a British Tour Operator (e.g. Inghams, Crystal etc). There is a huge shortage of hospitality workers in the ski resorts and anyone with a EU passport and a positive attitude towards hard work will be snapped up.

If he holds a British passport then the EU is pretty much off the options menu as far as working is concerned. Unless he has years of experience and qualifications in a specific role that is in short supply in Austria/Italy/France (e.g. ski instructor, chef, resort manager) then his chances of getting a work visa are almost zero.

Which leaves the option of Canada - as above - if he wants to work for a season. But be aware that the ballot for the few Working Holiday Visas available requires pre-registration and opens early in the year. This year it opened in January, so may already be over-subscribed. See the BUNAC link in the post above for more info.

If he doesn't want to work and can afford to be a ski-bum, then the options are much wider. He can spend 90 days in Europe - but cannot work - or go as a tourist to Canada, USA or elsewhere, subject to their entry restrictions and time limits and requirements (proof of income/money, proof of accommodation, no convictions etc). The biggest issue (other than finding the money) is finding affordable accommodation.

There are (or there used to be) companies that offer instructor training courses, which can be great for improving ski technique and for learning skills such as managing people, organising classes, time management and for personal development, as well as getting first aid training and outdoor incident management training. These courses are expensive, but come with accommodation and an immediate social group, but as British passport holders now have little chance of ever being able to use an instructor license in the EU, the number of courses offered has declined and participation by British trainees has all but ceased.

There are options in France for a UK passport but heavily reduced as the company will need to pay for and do all the paperwork for the visa.

He should apply early, start enquiring at the end of this season, to big chalet companies who are more likely to go through the process.

We live in a french resort for half the season every year and there are plenty of young British people out here still on UK passports. I would be joining seasonairre Facebook groups for big, British heavy, resorts (Tignes/VT etc) and asking for info on there on the best companies to apply for. That’s where you’re going to get the best information on the ground of where to apply.

Having had a quick look over on Snowheads, it does appear that France is being a bit more flexible about seasonal working visas than some other countries, so as @Rainydayparade suggests, perhaps applying for a job with a UK Tour Operator gives the OP's son a small chance of securing work for a season.

I live in the mountains and although there are indeed a number of young workers here who seem to be British, in reality many are "Brits" with EU passports. One of the UK Tour Operators has 6 staff here. The manager is British but has Residency here, so can work without a Visa. Two reps have Irish passports and come from Scotland. Two have grown up in the UK but have Danish passports and the other rep comes from North London and has a Greek passport.

Thanks all!!

the annoying thing is I have French nationality but haven’t applied for it for my children !

Not quite the same but we were in Greece last summer. Sunsail were no longer employing people unless they had EU passports. Neilson we’re - but it was clearly a major hassle with people having to fly back to uk etc. it prompted me to get applications (for Irish passports) sent off for exactly this reason. Kids are contemplating Years Off and their options are limited. A friend has just done a season in South Korea, but I rather suspect it cost his parents quite a bit.

id get those French passports if you can!

Surely it isn't too late? I would definitely be getting EU passports for my dc if I could. We have put our young people at such a disadvantage as a result of Brexit.

There is a problem and it’s that they would have to do national service these days!

But they aren't eligible for national service until age 18 surely? I mean this is something they decide for themselves when they get to an age where they have to decide. I'd apply for French passports for them

France stopped national service 20 years ago.

Macron's plan is to reintroduce. It's voluntary right now and rather unpopular so I suspect it won't make it.

Everyone I know who is French has made sure their kids have the benefit too. Worth looking into OP. Will be so much easier for him if you can make it work.

Gah this thread makes me so bloody angry! Thankfully my DCs have Irish passports but I'm so sad for all the other young people who've had opportunities taken away from them for no good reason at all.

The national service thing is just a day watching videos if you live abroad
. It's been many years since I did it but there were loads of children there that didn't even speak French. Definitely worth just sorting out their documents as then he can actually do his gap year in France/Europe pretty easily.

I live near the Spanish ski resorts they just aren't taking UK staff unless they already have residency brexit has totally screwed over our kids