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Chef (ANZSCO 351311) – Skilled Migration to Australia

Career Opportunities, Skills Assessment & Visa Options for Professional Chefs

Chefs have genuine skilled migration options in Australia, supported by consistent demand across the hospitality and tourism sector. Before applying, chefs need to understand the VETASSESS skills assessment process, the visa subclasses available, and the state and regional demand patterns that can affect nomination. Our migration lawyers can guide you through each stage of this process.

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There are no hidden costs for our services. Our fees are clearly set out in a fee agreement.

Deal direct with a lawyer

From the first same-day response to the granting of your visa, you’ll have direct access to a lawyer.

Clear communication

Our experienced lawyers will give you regular updates and clear explanations of visa pathways.

Satisfaction guarantee

We offer a client satisfaction guarantee in relation to our visa application services.

Installments available

3 - 6 months installment options available on some visa types.

What Is a Chef (ANZSCO 351311)?

Core Duties & Responsibilities

A Chef takes ownership of a kitchen’s food output from planning through to plating, well beyond simply cooking. The role starts with the business side of the kitchen: building menus, working out food and labour costs, and keeping supplies stocked. From there, a Chef sets the standard every dish is held to, catching problems before a plate leaves the pass and showing junior cooks how a technique should actually be done. Running a safe, compliant kitchen day to day, and often training the apprentices coming up through it, rounds out the role.

Woman chef holding red onions in a kitchen

ANZSCO Classification & Skill Level

Chef is classified under ANZSCO code 351311, at Skill Level 2, reflecting the higher technical and kitchen management responsibilities expected of the role compared with a Cook (ANZSCO 351411), which is a separate, lower skill-level occupation with its own assessment criteria. Applicants who are unable to demonstrate sufficient kitchen management responsibility during their skills assessment risk being assessed instead against the Cook occupation, which may affect visa eligibility.

Demand for Chefs in Australia

Hospitality & Tourism Growth

Chef is currently rated a regional shortage occupation by Jobs and Skills Australia, reflecting sustained demand from Australia’s hospitality and tourism sector. Industry bodies have also flagged that reduced federal apprenticeship incentive support for several trades, including chefs, from January 2026 may place further pressure on the domestic pipeline of qualified chefs, potentially reinforcing demand for skilled migrants in this occupation over the medium term.

Regional Shortages & State Lists

Shortages tend to be more acute in regional tourism hubs and coastal destinations, alongside major metropolitan dining scenes. Some states and territories give chefs priority on their nomination occupation lists for the Subclass 190 and 491 visas, though nomination priorities are reviewed periodically and vary by jurisdiction.

Salary & Career Outlook in Australia

Typical Salary Ranges

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the median annual earnings for chefs in Australia is approximately $74,000, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data. Earnings vary depending on experience, seniority, venue type and location, with head chefs and specialist roles generally attracting higher pay. Employer-sponsored pathways are also subject to a minimum salary threshold set by the Australian Government, which is reviewed periodically.

Career Progression

Chefs can progress from roles such as Commis Chef or Chef de Partie through to Sous Chef, Head Chef and, eventually, Executive Chef or kitchen ownership, with experience and further qualifications generally supporting career progression and access to higher paid roles.

Skills Assessment for Chefs (351311)

Assessing Authority

VETASSESS is the designated skills assessing authority for Chef (ANZSCO 351311). VETASSESS assesses whether an applicant’s qualifications and work experience are comparable to the relevant Australian AQF Certificate III or higher qualification in commercial cookery.
Qualification & Experience Requirements

Depending on the assessment pathway, applicants generally need to demonstrate either a recognised commercial cookery qualification supported by relevant employment experience, or a longer period of relevant employment experience where no formal qualification is held. Evidence of genuine kitchen management responsibility, not just cooking duties, is important to a positive outcome given the distinction between Chef and Cook.
Assessment Process

The VETASSESS assessment for this occupation generally involves a documentary evidence assessment, reviewing qualifications, transcripts and detailed employment references, benchmarked against the Australian Qualifications Framework. Applicants should ensure their employment references clearly describe chef-level duties to avoid being assessed against the Cook occupation instead.

Australian Visa Pathways for Chefs

Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Chef (ANZSCO 351311) is included on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, meaning the Subclass 189 visa, a permanent, points-tested visa requiring no state nomination or employer sponsorship, is a potential pathway for eligible applicants who meet the points test and other criteria.

Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

The Subclass 190 visa is a permanent, points-tested visa requiring nomination by a state or territory government. Nomination adds bonus points and depends on that state’s current occupation demand priorities, which can change independently of the national occupation lists.

Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

The Subclass 491 visa is a provisional visa for points-tested applicants nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible family member, to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia, providing a pathway to permanent residence through the Subclass 191 visa after a qualifying period.

Skills in Demand 482 Visa

Chefs with an offer of employment from an approved Australian business may be eligible for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, a temporary employer-sponsored visa allowing work in Australia for an approved employer.

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)

The Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa provides a direct pathway to permanent residence for chefs nominated by an eligible Australian employer, either through the Temporary Residence Transition stream or the Direct Entry stream.

How Australian Migration Lawyers Can Help

Personalised Skills Assessment Support

Our migration lawyers can help you understand VETASSESS’s requirements and how your qualifications and kitchen experience are likely to be assessed.

Visa Eligibility & Strategic Planning

We assess your circumstances against the available visa pathways to help you build a considered migration strategy.

State/Territory Nomination Guidance

Our team can advise on current state and territory nomination priorities relevant to chefs and how these may affect your Subclass 190 or 491 strategy.

Documentation Preparation & Lodgement

We assist with preparing and reviewing the documentation required for your skills assessment and visa application, aiming for a decision-ready submission.

Practical Test & Reference Support

Our migration lawyers can help you prepare strong, detailed employment references that clearly demonstrate chef-level kitchen management responsibility, reducing the risk of being assessed against the Cook occupation instead.

Appeal & Review Assistance

Where a skills assessment or visa application does not proceed as expected, our migration lawyers can advise on your review and appeal options.

Typical Migration Timeline

The pathway to a skilled visa for a chef generally follows several stages: completing a VETASSESS skills assessment, lodging an expression of interest through SkillSelect, receiving an invitation to apply, and then lodging and awaiting a decision on the visa application.

Processing times vary considerably depending on the assessment pathway, visa subclass, individual circumstances and Department of Home Affairs workloads, so we recommend discussing indicative timeframes for your situation directly with our migration lawyers rather than relying on a general estimate.

Ready to Start Your Migration Journey as a Chef?

If you are a chef considering a move to Australia, Australian Migration Lawyers can help you understand your options and build a considered migration strategy. Our migration lawyers deal directly with you throughout your matter and are available seven days a week to discuss your circumstances.

Professional chef preparing steak in a restaurant kitchen

Saemeh Ghasemi Australian Migration Lawyer

Crystal Johnston posing with a professional backdrop.

Which visa should I apply for?

This depends on your individual circumstances, including whether you have an employer willing to sponsor you, your points test position, and your state or regional preferences. Our migration lawyers can help you identify the most suitable pathway.

What salary can chefs expect in Australia?

Jobs and Skills Australia data places median chef earnings at approximately $74,000 per year, though individual salaries vary with experience, seniority, venue type and location.

What qualifications do I need?

VETASSESS assesses whether your qualifications and work experience are comparable to the relevant Australian AQF Certificate III or higher qualification in commercial cookery.

Is there a practical test for chefs?

The VETASSESS process for this occupation is generally a documentary evidence assessment based on qualifications, transcripts and employment references, rather than a separate practical cooking test, though this can vary by assessment pathway.

How long does the process take?

Timeframes vary depending on the skills assessment pathway, visa subclass and individual circumstances. Our migration lawyers can advise on realistic timeframes once we understand your situation.

Do I need a skills assessment to migrate as a chef?

Yes. A positive skills assessment from VETASSESS is a mandatory requirement for skilled and employer-sponsored visa pathways for Chef (ANZSCO 351311).

Can I include my family in my visa application?

Eligible family members can generally be included in most skilled and employer-sponsored visa applications, subject to meeting health, character and other relevant criteria. Our migration lawyers can confirm which family members can be included in your specific application.

Perry Q Wood

Partner

Perry Q Wood is Immediate Past President of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law and one of Australia’s leading administrative, immigration and human rights lawyers.

Important Information Regarding the Use of the Term 'Partner'

We are an incorporated legal practice which is a corporation for the purposes of the Corporations Act 2001. The use of the title ‘Partner’ by a lawyer in this practice is used to denote seniority and does not and is not intended to signify that the practice is contracting otherwise than as a corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, any such title does not and is not intended to signify that a partnership within the definition of the Partnership Act exists at law.

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Chef (ANZSCO 351311) – Skilled Migration to Australia

Career Opportunities, Skills Assessment & Visa Options for Professional Chefs

Claim your consultation

Claim your consultation

The Australian Migration Lawyers difference

Fixed price

Deal direct with a lawyer

Clear communication

Satisfaction guarantee

Installments available

What Is a Chef (ANZSCO 351311)?

Core Duties & Responsibilities

ANZSCO Classification & Skill Level

Demand for Chefs in Australia

Hospitality & Tourism Growth

Regional Shortages & State Lists

Salary & Career Outlook in Australia

Typical Salary Ranges

Career Progression

Skills Assessment for Chefs (351311)

Assessing Authority

Qualification & Experience Requirements

Assessment Process

Australian Visa Pathways for Chefs

Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)

Skills in Demand 482 Visa

Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)

How Australian Migration Lawyers Can Help

Personalised Skills Assessment Support

Visa Eligibility & Strategic Planning

State/Territory Nomination Guidance

Documentation Preparation & Lodgement

Practical Test & Reference Support

Appeal & Review Assistance

Typical Migration Timeline

Ready to Start Your Migration Journey as a Chef?

{visa type} visa checklist

Personal documents

Character documents

Evidence of relationship

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Meet your expert team

Perry Q Wood

Cindy Zhao 趙青

Madeleine Scanlon

Benjamin Magill

Don (Susantha) Katugampala

Saemeh Ghasemi

Arthur Seremetis

Cherlyn Teo (CPA)

Neil Williams

Shereen El Ali

Kate Colston

Andrew Euan

Walt Calis

Nicholas Merlin Esq.

Joshua Coulson

Oliver Thomas Christensen

Ella Pullin

Larisa Stoian

Olivia Parrott

Micah Schembri

Taahira Rajudin

Joshua Elsbury

Carolyn Salman

Yasmin Hicks

Mariam Hassan

Terrance Chu

Annalise Pope

Moniroth Ieng

Myra Sehgal

Sam Prasad

Jessica Myers-Denton

Tabarak Nader

Maryam Sadah