Working as a chef can lead to an exciting international career, however, visas are usually required for overseas jobs. Vira International has the expertise and skills to help professional chefs obtain the UK Tier 2 visa needed to work in the British hospitality sector.

How to get a Tier 2 visa for the UK

It’s only possible to apply for a UK Tier 2 visa if the job you want or have been offered pays a salary of £29,570 per year or more. You’ll also need at least five years’ experience working as a chef or in a similar role. Some UK chef roles offer meals and accommodation in the total  package, however, the salary requirement of £29,570 noted above must be met in full, even after any deductions are made for accommodation or meals.

As you can see, it’s really only chef roles that will meet the Tier 2 work visa requirements, so if you’re seeking any other kind of UK hospitality role you will probably need to look at different routes. This may not be such a problem nowadays, as the impacts of Brexit will be very hard on the hospitality sector.

If you plan to apply for a Tier 2 visa, your job offer can be in any of the following roles:

• Executive chef or head chef, although these roles are limited to just one for any kind of establishment
• Sous chef, which has a limitation of one to every four-kitchen staff employed in the outlet
• Specialist chef, which is limited to one chef per speciality offered by the outlet

In addition to the above, the chef roles offered should not be in any kind of fast food establishment or an outlet providing takeaway meals. The establishment should also offer dishes that are prepared using fresh or raw ingredients and not be an outlet offering standard fare.

You will need a UK sponsor company to assist your application and this sponsor needs to:

• Keep relevant salary records as confirmation that your pay is at the appropriate level. These documents will need to be supplied to the UK Border Agency, if requested
• Apply for references from your previous employer(s) over the past five years and retain these in case of any future enquiries from UK authorities Vira International have all the expertise needed to handle visa applications for chef roles in the UK and other international locations.

Contact Vira International today to speak with a seasoned consultant about your chance to embark on a hospitality training program in the USA! Email: anjum@vira.co.uk now!