How to get sponsored as a chef in Australia

Which visa can a chef be sponsored on?

482 Core Skills: available, up to 4 years. The Specialist Skills stream (A$146,576) is not available because it excludes ANZSCO major group 3, where chefs sit.

494: available where the employer is in a designated regional area; 5-year visa, 191 after 3 years.

186 Direct Entry: available; the caveat below applies. The Temporary Residence Transition stream is available after 2 years of full-time work with approved sponsors in the 3 years before nomination.

Occupation list status, ANZSCO code and assessing authority

• Occupation: Chef, ANZSCO 351311. Lists: MLTSSL and Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL: yes).
• Employer visas: 482 Core Skills, 494 employer sponsored stream, 186 Direct Entry. Also listed for 189, 190, 407, 485, 489 and 491.
• Assessing authority: TRA (Trades Recognition Australia).
• Related: Cook, ANZSCO 351411, lists STSOL and CSOL (CSOL: yes), visas 190, 407, 489, 494, 491, 482, 186, assessing authority TRA.

Caveat, quoted from the occupation data: "report caveats apply Chef Caveats apply 482 - Skills in Demand (subclass 482) - Core Skills stream Low skilled tasks Excludes any position involved in mass production in a factory setting Low skilled tasks Excludes any position in a limited service restaurant. A limited service restaurant includes, but is not limited to: a fast food or takeaway food service a fast casual restaurant a drinking establishment that offers only a limited food service a limited service cafe, including a coffee shop or mall cafe a limited service pizza restaurant. report caveats apply Chef Caveats apply 186 - Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) - Direct Entry Pathway Low skilled tasks Excludes any position involved in mass production in a factory setting Low skilled tasks Excludes any position in a limited service restaurant. A limited service restaurant includes, but is not limited to: a fast food or takeaway food service a fast casual restaurant a drinking establishment that offers only a limited food service a limited service cafe, including a coffee shop or mall cafe a limited service pizza restaurant."

Salary versus the threshold

The nominated salary must be at least A$79,423 and no less than an Australian chef in the same role at the same venue would be paid. Tips and accommodation do not count towards base salary. SponsorTalent does not publish average chef wages.

Skills assessment and licensing

The assessing authority for Chef and Cook is TRA. A skills assessment is required only where the Department's instrument lists the occupation for your passport country. No occupational licence applies to chefs; state food safety rules apply to the venue, so check with the state regulator if the employer asks you to hold a food safety certificate.

Work experience and English

• 482 Core Skills: at least 1 year of relevant experience in the last 5 years; IELTS 5.0 in each band or equivalent (tests from 13 September 2025); up to 4 years.
• 494: 3 years of experience, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent, under 45 unless exempt; 5-year visa, 191 after 3 years.
• 186: under 45 unless exempt, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent; TRT stream needs 2 years of full-time work with approved sponsors in the 3 years before nomination.

Step by step: chef applying from outside Australia

1. Confirm you are inside the rules before spending money: the venue is a full service restaurant, hotel, club or similar, not a limited service venue, and the role is not mass production in a factory setting.
2. Sit an English test unless your passport exempts you (IELTS 5.0 each band for a 482, 6.0 for a 186 or 494). Chefs are assessed by TRA where the instrument lists the occupation for your passport country.
3. Register at /register-candidate; employers searching /find/chef see your profile. Apply at /sponsored-jobs/chef and accept only a written offer of at least A$79,423.
4. The employer obtains Standard Business Sponsorship and lodges a nomination; you lodge the visa after that. Do not resign or travel until it is granted.

Step by step: chef already in Australia

On a 485, 417, 462 or 500 visa you cannot move to a sponsored visa on your own: an employer must hold Standard Business Sponsorship and lodge a nomination before you can apply. A job offer is not a nomination.

1. Keep meeting your current visa conditions while the nomination is prepared.
2. Check that the venue is not a limited service restaurant. Many students and working holiday makers work in cafes and takeaways; those positions cannot be nominated under the caveat.
3. If your employer will not sponsor you, register at /register-candidate and apply to sponsored chef vacancies; employers seeking onshore candidates use /find/chef.
4. Apply for the visa before your current visa expires so you receive a bridging visa.

Already on a 482? You may be without a sponsor for up to 180 consecutive days, and 365 days in total across the visa, while a new employer lodges a nomination.

For employers: how to sponsor a chef

1. Standard Business Sponsorship. A$420, once; half decided in 12 days, 90% within 4 months.
2. Nomination. A$330 for a 482; half decided in 5 days, 90% within 9 months. Show the position is genuine, pays at least A$79,423 and the market rate, and that the venue is not a limited service restaurant and the position does not involve mass production in a factory setting, in line with the caveat.
3. Visa. Lodged by the candidate. 482 Core Skills: 69 days for half of cases, 10 months for 90%; 186 Direct Entry 10 / 14 months; 494 7 / 11 months (Department figures, 4 August 2026).
4. SAF levy. A$1,200 per year of the 482 if turnover is under A$10 million, otherwise A$1,800; one-off A$3,000 or A$5,000 for a 186 or 494. Levy and fees cannot be passed to the worker.

Search sponsorship-ready chef candidates at /find/chef; profiles show visa status, location and experience before you unlock contact details.

Frequently asked questions

Can a chef be sponsored on a 482 visa in Australia?

Yes. Chef (ANZSCO 351311) is on the Core Skills Occupation List and eligible for the 482 Core Skills stream, the 494 and the 186 Direct Entry, provided the position is not in a limited service restaurant or a mass production factory setting.

Can a cafe or takeaway sponsor a chef?

No. The caveat excludes any position in a limited service restaurant, which includes fast food or takeaway, fast casual restaurants, limited service cafes including coffee shops and mall cafes, limited service pizza restaurants and drinking establishments with only a limited food service.

What salary does a sponsored chef need?

At least A$79,423 for 2026–27 (CSIT for the 482 and 186, TSMIT for the 494), and no less than an Australian would be paid for the same job at that venue.

Who assesses a chef's skills?

TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) is the assessing authority for Chef and Cook. A skills assessment is only required where the Department's instrument lists the occupation for your passport country.

Is a cook treated the same as a chef?

Cook (ANZSCO 351411) is a separate occupation but is also on the Core Skills list for the 482, 494 and 186, is assessed by TRA and carries the same caveat. The employer must nominate the occupation that matches the actual duties.