From WIDENWIDEN Migration ExpertsSponsorTalentWiden CPDKeshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536
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How to get sponsored as a cafe or restaurant manager in Australia

Written 10 November 2026. List status from the Home Affairs skilled occupation lists as held in SponsorTalent's occupation data; counts are live.

Cafe or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) is on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List only, not the Core Skills Occupation List, so the standard 482 and 186 are not available. In SponsorTalent's list data the employer-sponsored visa open to it is the regional 494. Outside regional Australia, the routes are the Restaurant (Premium Dining) Industry Labour Agreement and DAMAs.

Is it on the skilled occupation lists?

In SponsorTalent's copy of the Home Affairs lists (read 6 November 2026), Cafe or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO 141111) is on the STSOL and not on the CSOL. Of the employer-sponsored visas, our list data shows it as eligible for the 494 only.

Hotel or Motel Manager (141311) is a separate occupation that is on the CSOL, with a caveat; see how to get sponsored as a hotel or motel manager.

1. The regional 494

The 494 is the employer-sponsored regional visa, for positions in designated regional areas: everywhere except Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A cafe or restaurant in a regional area can nominate this occupation for a 494. See regional sponsorship jobs for how regional areas are defined.

2. The Restaurant (Premium Dining) Industry Labour Agreement

Home Affairs publishes an industry labour agreement template for premium dining restaurants. It covers chefs, cooks, cafe or restaurant managers and trade waiters, and only restaurants that meet its premium dining criteria can enter it, so most cafes and casual restaurants cannot use it. Details: restaurant (premium dining) labour agreement.

Source: Home Affairs: Restaurant (Premium Dining) labour agreement template

3. A DAMA region

Some DAMAs include hospitality occupations, each with its own list and concessions, and the employer must be in the region. See DAMA sponsorship jobs.

Who else is looking, and where

18 cafe and restaurant managers have profiles on SponsorTalent seeking sponsorship, 3 of them in Australia now. A complete profile (qualification, experience, English result, and the regions you will accept) is what an employer with a labour agreement or DAMA endorsement searches for.

If none of these fits

In a capital city outside the premium dining agreement, there is usually no employer-sponsored route for this occupation. Chef is on the CSOL, so some managers with a kitchen background are sponsored as chefs where that is the job they actually do; see how to get sponsored as a chef.

Which option, if any, fits your own case depends on your nationality, qualifications, experience and where you will work. For advice on your situation, book a registered migration agent at WIDEN; SponsorTalent itself does not give migration advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can a restaurant manager get a 482 visa?

Not through the standard Core Skills stream: Cafe or Restaurant Manager (141111) is on the STSOL, not the CSOL. A premium dining restaurant with the industry labour agreement, or an employer in a DAMA region, can sponsor one.

Can a regional restaurant sponsor a manager?

Yes, through the 494 regional visa, which in SponsorTalent's list data is open to this occupation for positions in designated regional areas.

Which restaurants can use the premium dining agreement?

Only restaurants that meet the agreement's premium dining criteria. Most cafes and casual or franchised restaurants do not.

Is hotel manager the same occupation?

No. Hotel or Motel Manager (141311) is a separate occupation on the CSOL, with a caveat.

Next step

Create a free profile so employers with the right agreement can find you.

Create a free profile Sponsored cafe or restaurant manager jobs

Employers: read can I sponsor a cafe or restaurant manager?

Related: hospitality jobs with visa sponsorship · hospitality occupations you can sponsor · cook · hotel or motel manager

General information only, not migration advice. Occupation list status from the Department of Home Affairs lists as held in SponsorTalent's occupation data (WIDEN's copy, read 6 November 2026); other facts from the sources linked under each section, read 10 November 2026. Labour agreements and DAMAs set their own occupations and conditions, which change. SponsorTalent is a marketplace; migration advice is provided by WIDEN (Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536) under a service agreement. No outcome can be guaranteed.