Is a degree needed for visa sponsorship?

I'm currently on a working holiday visa. I have 6 months left. I want to stay longer and would need to change my status to a work visa. But I don't have a uni degree and want to know if anyone has advice on how to get sponsorship for a work visa without a degree.
Thank you.

Details depend on the type of work visa you are applying for. In most cases, a certain number of years (usually 3-10 years) of professional experience in the relevant work field is sufficient to qualify for a visa. More details are here:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/appendix1.html

I know some people who were traveling on their working holliday visa who got sponsored by the company they already worked for ..
some of them havet got a degree yt, they are undergrad students ..
still there's just a slight chance of getting a visa that way .. best way is to have a degree , education on the same level as a degree (think of special courses etc.)
or like the previous post 10 years work experience ..

It's a bummer i know ..
I have been strugling with this info as well, and the worst part is , i can't even get a working holliday visa (my country doesn't have a program)

so enjoy it while you can , and just ask around at the company you work for now what your options are

The company I work for won't sponsor me a work visa. Also I don't have 3-10 years worth of previous experience. Is it possible to get a sponsor without a degree or relevant years of experience? Am I limited to teaching jobs? For example, I'm Chinese Canadian and if I get a job in a Chinese restaurant, would they be able to sponsor a work visa? Or would the circumstances be the same?

Brandon,

I'm Chinese Canadian and if I get a job in a Chinese restaurant, would they be able to sponsor a work visa?

The requirements are all explained at the official link Uji gave you earlier...
A person with at least 10 years' experience in foreign cooking or special food preparation originating abroad (including the period of time spent studying at educational institutions in a foreign country while majoring in the skills concerned) who is to engage in a job requiring such skills.

I guess I need to be more specific. I don't have any relevant experience whatsoever. I came here on a whim with a working holiday visa and found a teaching job that required little experience. I'm not looking to specialize in cooking. It was only an example. I simply want to stay longer and it seems the only way is to get a work visa but as stated I have no degree or relevant experience. What other options do I have?

Dave is suggesting that you read the official site more closely.

A work visa is not really an option in your case since you lack a degree or work experience. Your options to extend your stay would be some other visa such as tourist, student, spouse, cultural, etc. See this page for more info:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2221.html

I'm afraid Brandon, without a degree or experience, you do not qualify for a working visa- there are no loopholes here. Not even teaching jobs are possible if you don't meet the degree/experience criteria.

Your options are something like this: marry a Japanese national and get a spouse visa, start studying a Japanese traditional art or craft seriously and get a Cultural Activities visa, or become a fulltime student and get a student visa.

Brandon,

Working Holiday Visa is a special status granted under agreement between limited number of countries, fortunately for you including between your country and Japan, and its aim is to provide opportunities for young people to extensively travel through a different country (in your case, the opportunity to experience Japan) while providing ways to earn some income along the way to help with the travel expenses. A very special arrangement, which gives you a very easy way to earn a bit of money. That is why you could simply come on a whim, while others trying to move to another country have to do a bit more of planning such as education, language study, career planning, etc.

When that time on Working Holiday Visa is used up, however, if you want to work and live in Japan. you need to fulfill the same requirements that apply to anyone else wishing to work and live in Japan, one of which is either a bachelor's degree or several years of work experiences in a way that are useful to potential employers in Japan. Lacking those, your options are nil to continue to work in Japan as you have been. You will need to either earn a degree and find a career path that gets you to Japan, or come back as a full-time student (in a Japanese language school, for example).

Brandon, even if you found an employer who was willing to sponsor you without a degree, they'd be hitting a brick wall when it comes to getting that visa approved.

Your only options would be to work under the table (which obviously isn't recommended), marry a Japanese national or return to Canada and get a degree. Of course I'm assuming that you don't have the 12 yrs of equivalent teaching experience.

I know it would be very difficult for me to stay. I just wanted to see if anyone has tried or done so. I just love it here and not looking forward to going back in 6 months. Thanks for all the feedback. Guess I'll just make the most of it until then.