Cooking Up A Storm – Tier 2 Chefs

The immigration rules make a distinction between chefs working at takeaway establishments and those working at restaurants.

If the job requires five or more years' relevant experience in a role of at least equivalent status to the one in which they are proposing to start, and the job is not at a fast food outlet, a standard fare outlet or a takeaway outlet, then the job will fall into the chef roles on the Shortage Occupation list.

This has been the subject of High Court cases recently. Chefs argued that excluding those working at restaurants which provided high quality cuisine, but which incidentally happened to offer a takeaway service, was arbitrary and unreasonable. They argued that all skilled chef roles should be on the Shortage Occupation list, and that the focus should be on the nature of the establishment rather than the fact that it also incidentally provides takeaway food.