Chef & Hospitality Jobs in Australia with Visa Sponsorship 2025
Australia's food and hospitality industry is one of the country's largest employers — and one of its biggest recruiters of international workers. Skilled chefs and hospitality managers are among the most consistently sponsored roles under Australia's 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa. If you have formal culinary training and professional cooking experience, Australia is actively looking for you.
Browse sponsored hospitality roles: Search our job board for visa-sponsored chef and hospitality jobs in Australia.
1. Which Chef and Hospitality Roles Qualify for the 482 Visa?
Not all hospitality roles qualify. The 482 visa requires the position to match an eligible occupation on Australia's Skilled Occupation List. Here's how the main hospitality roles break down:
Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) — 2-year visa
- Cook (ANZSCO 351411) — Works under a chef; 2-year maximum stay; no direct PR pathway
- Chef (ANZSCO 351311) — Professional chef with formal qualifications; 2-year visa (see note below about regional)
- Pastry Cook (ANZSCO 351112) — Specialist pastry; 2-year visa
Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) — 4-year visa, PR pathway
- Cafe or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) — Management role; 4-year visa
- Hotel or Motel Manager (ANZSCO 141311) — Hospitality management; 4-year visa with PR pathway
- Licensed Club Manager (ANZSCO 141511) — Manages a licensed venue
Regional Chef pathway: If you work in a designated regional area, Chefs on the STSOL may be eligible for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (SESR) visa, subclass 494, which leads directly to permanent residency after 3 years. Many regional resorts, tourist destinations, and country hotels sponsor chefs under this pathway.
2. Requirements for Chef Visa Sponsorship
Qualifications
To qualify for a 482 Chef or Cook visa, you must demonstrate:
- Relevant trade qualification: Typically a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery or equivalent overseas qualification assessed by a relevant assessing body (usually Trades Recognition Australia — TRA)
- Experience: At least 2–3 years of relevant post-qualification experience in a professional kitchen environment
- English language: Functional English required (IELTS 4.5 average or equivalent in most cases for cook/chef occupations)
Skills assessment (TRA)
If you do not hold an Australian qualification, you will likely need a skills assessment through Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). The process involves:
- Submit employment records, reference letters, and qualification documents to TRA
- TRA assesses whether your overseas experience and qualifications match the Australian standard for the relevant occupation
- Cost: AUD $350–$600 depending on the assessment type
- Processing time: 8–16 weeks
3. Salary Requirements and What to Expect
The minimum salary for any 482 visa holder is the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) — currently AUD $70,000/year.
Important: The TSMIT of AUD $70,000 is above the market median for many cook/chef roles in Australia. This means some employers who genuinely want to sponsor international chefs may offer salaries specifically structured to meet the TSMIT. Always verify that the offered salary meets this threshold — employers cannot legally sponsor you for less.
Typical salary ranges for sponsored roles:
- Cook (sponsored): AUD $70,000–$80,000/year (employer must meet TSMIT)
- Chef de Partie: AUD $70,000–$85,000/year
- Sous Chef: AUD $75,000–$95,000/year
- Head Chef / Executive Chef: AUD $90,000–$130,000/year
- Restaurant / Cafe Manager: AUD $75,000–$100,000/year
- Hotel Manager: AUD $80,000–$130,000/year
4. Where to Find Chef Jobs with Visa Sponsorship in Australia
- SEEK Hospitality — Search "chef visa sponsorship" or "head chef 482 visa"
- Hospo.io — Hospitality-specific Australian job board
- Chef Staffing Australia — Specialist chef recruitment agency, handles visa applications
- LinkedIn: Connect with hospitality recruiters in Australia and search "chef 482 visa sponsorship"
- VisaJobs.xyz — Curated sponsored hospitality and chef roles
Types of employers that regularly sponsor chefs
- Luxury and resort hotels: The Langham, Crown Resorts, Accor Hotels, IHG — all regularly sponsor internationally
- Large restaurant groups: Multi-venue operators are more likely to have SBS approval and immigration experience than standalone restaurants
- Mining and remote site camps: Mine camps in WA and QLD have high demand for cooks/chefs and sponsor regularly. Salaries are significantly above market
- Cruise lines operating in Australian waters
- Regional and tourist destination restaurants: Areas like the Whitsundays, Uluru, the Gold Coast, and the Barossa Valley regularly sponsor due to limited local labour
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Can a cook (not a chef) get a sponsored visa?
Yes. "Cook" (ANZSCO 351411) is on the STSOL. However, it requires a formal qualification (or equivalent assessed experience) and meeting the TSMIT of AUD $70,000. In practice, many restaurants differentiate a "cook" from a "chef" by title — for visa purposes, the ANZSCO code matters, not the job title.
Will Australia recognise my overseas culinary qualification?
TRA will assess whether your overseas qualification and experience is comparable to an Australian Certificate III in Commercial Cookery. Qualifications from recognised culinary schools in the UK, Europe, Asia, and the Americas are commonly assessed positively.
Can I bring my family to Australia?
Yes. Your spouse and dependent children can be secondary applicants on your 482 visa. Your spouse will have full work rights in Australia, allowing them to work for any employer.