Chef PR pathway in Australia, step by step
Settledin Team5 min readThe chef PR pathway in Australia starts with a skills assessment from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). Home Affairs lists Chef, ANZSCO 351311, on the MLTSSL and the CSOL, against visas including the 189, 190, 491, 482 and 186. Jobs and Skills Australia rates it Shortage for 2026.
Lists and pages checked on 11 November 2026.
What are the steps from chef to PR?
For the points-tested visas, Home Affairs sets out the same order: an occupation on the relevant skilled list, a suitable skills assessment, an invitation, and the points test (Skilled Independent 189). The sequence for 351311 runs as follows:
- The occupation is listed by Home Affairs under 351311, on the skilled occupation lists.
- Trades Recognition Australia carries out the skills assessment.
- An Expression of Interest (EOI) is submitted in SkillSelect, which gives an indicative points score.
- For the 190 or 491, a state or territory nomination is also part of the process.
- If invited, the visa application follows.
The whole process is set out in how to get PR in Australia. The monthly SkillSelect release is covered in SkillSelect EOI data.
Which list is chef on in 2026?
| Item | What the official source shows |
|---|---|
| ANZSCO code | 351311 (2022 version for the 186 and 482, 2013 version for all other visas) |
| Home Affairs lists | MLTSSL, CSOL |
| Visas listed | 189, 190, 407, 485, 489, 491, 494, 482 (Core Skills), 186 (Direct Entry) |
| Assessing authority | Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) |
| JSA 2026 rating | Shortage |
Lists as shown by Home Affairs on 11 November 2026 (Skilled occupation lists). Rating from the 2026 Occupation Shortage List, 6-digit ANZSCO 2022 workbook, October 2026.
The JSA rating is a labour market rating. It is not a visa list. The 2026 Occupation Shortage List explains how the two relate. In that file chef moves from Regional shortage in 2025 to Shortage in 2026.
Settledin has a page for the occupation: 351311 Chef. The lists are explained on the MLTSSL and CSOL pages.
Is chef the same as cook?
No. Cook is a separate code, 351411, with its own row and its own Settledin page. Each code has its own row on the Home Affairs lists.
Who assesses a chef's skills?
Home Affairs names Trades Recognition Australia as the assessing authority for Chef, and links to TRA.
TRA runs several programs, chosen by occupation, country of passport, where the person studied and the visa. It has a Program Pathfinder tool on its skills assessment page for this. For skilled migration, TRA describes its Migration Skills Assessment Program as "a documentary-based assessment that determines how your qualifications and employment history compare with Australian standards for your Nominated Occupation".
TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences. Its page also says the program does not apply to people applying for a Skills in Demand or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482). TRA has a separate Temporary Skills Shortage Skills Assessment Program for that visa, and it points applicants to Home Affairs to confirm whether a skills assessment is needed at all.
TRA's Australian Qualifications by Occupation document lists the current Australian qualification it uses as a general reference for Chef: Certificate IV in Kitchen Management (SIT40521). TRA says the list is not exclusive and that other qualifications may be accepted where relevant. For the general process, see skills assessment in Australia and Settledin's skills assessment pages.
TRA publishes its own fees and current timeframes. This post links to them rather than repeating them, because they change.
Which visas name chef?
| Visa | What it is | Chef on it |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (subclass 189) | Points-tested, no nomination | Listed |
| Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) | Points-tested, with state or territory nomination | Listed |
| Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) | Provisional, with nomination or family sponsorship | Listed |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) | Employer sponsored, Core Skills stream | Listed, with caveats |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | Employer sponsored, permanent, Direct Entry | Listed, with caveats |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) | Employer sponsored, regional, provisional | Listed |
| Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) | Temporary, after study | Listed |
Home Affairs also lists the 407 and 489 against chef.
The caveats matter for chefs. For the 482 and the 186, Home Affairs says "Low skilled tasks": the list excludes any position involved in mass production in a factory setting, and any position in a limited service restaurant. Home Affairs says 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) and a limited service pizza restaurant.
For the 482, see the Skills in Demand visa, explained.
What do state pages say about chef?
Each state and territory sets its own list and criteria. Two that were readable on 11 November 2026:
| State | What its page shows |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 351311 Chef is on the onshore skilled occupation list with a tick in the 491 column only. Its 190 and Building and Construction pathway columns are blank for chef. See Queensland state nomination. |
| South Australia | Chef (351311) appears on the occupations list in the South Australian Graduates stream at a minimum of 65 points, and in the Skilled Employment in South Australia and Outer Regional Skilled Employment streams for the 491. The page repeats the limited-service restaurant exclusion. See South Australia state nomination. |
Other states publish their own lists. The state nomination tracker links each one. This post did not read the chef line on the other pages, so it makes no statement about them.
How do points work for a chef?
Home Affairs says an applicant for the 189 must score 65 points or more in the EOI, and must be under 45 when invited (189 page). How the categories add up is in the Australian PR points test, explained. Age is covered in age points for PR.
Settledin adds up an indicative points total from the official points table.
Work out your indicative points
Where does an employer sponsor fit in?
The 482, 186 and 494 are employer sponsored, so they start with an employer rather than an EOI. Home Affairs lists chef against all three, with the caveats above for the 482 and 186. How these visas work is described in employer sponsored visas in Australia.
Home Affairs publishes a sponsor list, which Settledin shows on its sponsor list page, on the Home Affairs sponsor list, as at 15 January 2025. Being on that list is not a job offer. Confirm with the employer, never pay for sponsorship.
Where can each step be checked?
| Step | Official page |
|---|---|
| Occupation lists | Home Affairs skilled occupation lists |
| Skills assessment | Trades Recognition Australia |
| 189 requirements | Home Affairs Skilled Independent 189 |
| Labour market rating | JSA Occupation Shortage List |
Home Affairs publishes current processing times on its visa processing times page.
Frequently asked questions
Is chef the same as cook for migration?
No. Chef is 351311 and cook is 351411. Each has its own row on the Home Affairs lists.
Which assessing authority does a chef use?
Home Affairs names Trades Recognition Australia for 351311. TRA sets the documents for each program.
Is chef on the Skills in Demand list?
Home Affairs lists 351311 on the CSOL, which applies to the 482 and 186, with the caveats for mass production and limited service restaurants.
Do any states list chef?
Queensland ticks chef for the 491 only, and South Australia lists it in several streams. Each state's page sets out its own list.
Can a chef use the 485 route?
Home Affairs lists 485 against 351311. The 485 has its own requirements, set out in the Temporary Graduate visa guide.
Where is the current shortage rating?
In the JSA Occupation Shortage List, published once a year.
This article describes published Department of Home Affairs and regulator information, checked on 11 November 2026. It is general information, not migration advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. Check the register.