Sponsoring a Japanese Chef on Australia's 482 Visa: Steps and Costs

Among the major markets, Australia is one of the most straightforward countries for bringing in a Japanese chef. Chef (ANZSCO 351311) and Cook (351411) are both on the occupation list for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), and Japanese nationals have no mandatory skills assessment.

Most of the process, however, falls on the employer. For owners of Japanese restaurants in Australia and staff at Japanese head offices with an Australian subsidiary, this article sets out what you actually do, in what order and at what cost, following the legislation and official information from the Department of Home Affairs. For a comparison across six countries, see our comparison of overseas work visas for cooks.

1. The overall process and rough timing

The 482 visa has three stages. Sponsorship and nomination can be lodged at the same time.

1. Sponsor approval (Standard Business Sponsor): the employer is approved as a business allowed to employ overseas workers
2. Nomination: the employer nominates a specific position, salary and candidate. Labour market testing (LMT) evidence is also lodged at this stage
3. Visa application: the chef applies. Experience, English, health and character are assessed

Home Affairs does not give a fixed processing time for the 482 visa; instead it publishes a tool showing how long recently finalised applications took. When planning a hire, it is realistic to allow at least a few months once you add the LMT advertising period (minimum 4 weeks) and document preparation.

2. Step 1: Sponsor approval

Companies and sole traders operating a business in Australia can apply. Under regulation 2.63A of the Migration Regulations 1994, approval as a Standard Business Sponsor lasts 5 years from the date of approval. Once approved, you can nominate several chefs during that period.

The assessment looks at whether the business is lawfully and actively operating and whether there is any adverse information about it. A newly opened restaurant can apply, but gathering documents that show it is trading, such as the lease, business permits, financial statements and BAS (Business Activity Statements), early on reduces back and forth.

3. Step 2: Nomination (occupation and salary)

Choosing the occupation: Chef or Cook

Both are on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), but with two caveats: the position must not be in mass production in a factory, and it must not be in a "limited service restaurant". The latter includes fast food, takeaway, fast casual, drinking establishments offering only a limited range of food, and limited-service cafés and pizzerias. A full-service Japanese restaurant does not fall under this, but a ramen shop or bento shop that mainly does takeaway needs to present its duties and business model carefully.

Make the position description match the actual job. If the person will be head chef handling menu planning, cost control and staff training, Chef is the natural choice; if the work is mainly cooking, Cook. For the difference between roles, see also Japanese kitchen roles explained.

Salary: meet both the CSIT and the AMSR

The salary offered must be at least the higher of the annual market salary rate (AMSR) for the occupation and the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT). For nominations from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the CSIT is A$79,423 (A$76,515 the previous year). Non-monetary benefits such as housing or a car do not count towards the threshold.

4. Labour market testing (LMT) requirements in detail

LMT is the process of showing that you looked for workers in Australia. The requirements are set out in section 140GBA of the Migration Act and the instrument made under it, LIN 18/036 (compilation as at 7 December 2024).

There are two practical points. First, a salary that meets the CSIT will almost certainly be below A$96,400, so in most cases ads for chefs at Japanese restaurants must state the salary. Second, the 4 months count back from the day the nomination is lodged. If you spend too long negotiating terms with a candidate after the ads run, you will have to redo the LMT.

When a written explanation is enough

The same instrument treats certain positions as "select positions", for which a written statement explaining why no suitable Australian worker can be found is enough in place of advertising. Three are likely to be relevant to Japanese restaurants:

• Where a person employed by a company operating overseas is nominated by that company's associated entity in Australia
• Positions requiring internationally recognised, exceptional achievement, where the instrument names "top-talent chef" as a field
• Positions paying A$250,000 or more a year

In addition, the Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) is listed as an international trade obligation relating to LMT in instrument LIN 21/075 (compilation as at 1 October 2025). When LMT is waived depends on the type of application, so check whether it applies before you lodge.

5. Step 3: The chef's visa application

• Work experience: at least 1 year in the nominated occupation or a related field. It must be within the past 5 years, and part-time or casual work must add up to the equivalent of 12 months full time. The period does not need to be continuous.
• Skills assessment: a TRA skills assessment for Chef is mandatory only for holders of passports from specified countries, and Japan is not one of them.
• English: the minimum standard must be met (exemptions apply). Test results must be no more than 3 years old.
• Health and character: medical results are usually valid for 12 months. Character requirements apply, including to family members aged 16 or over.
• Health insurance: maintaining adequate health insurance throughout the stay is a visa condition.

The stay is up to 4 years, and family members (spouse and children) can come too. If the conditions are met, there is also a pathway to the Employer Nomination Scheme permanent visa (subclass 186). Ask the chef's previous restaurants for employment references in English that state specifically the dates of employment, employment type, weekly hours and duties. "Engaged in Japanese cooking" on its own does not convey what the experience involved.

6. Costs at a glance (as of September 2026)

The visa application charges are the amounts after the increase on 1 July 2026 (as reported by KPMG and others; confirm Home Affairs' fees with the fee estimator on its official site). For example, if a restaurant with turnover under A$10 million nominates for 4 years, sponsorship, nomination and SAF come to A$5,550 in total.

Home Affairs states that costs relating to sponsorship, nomination and the SAF cannot be passed on to the visa holder or their family. Receiving any benefit from the person in exchange for the visa, including by deducting it from pay, is illegal. Part of the SAF is refunded in limited circumstances, such as when the person withdraws before starting work or leaves within 12 months. For an overall view of costs, see our cost of hiring Japanese cuisine staff abroad.

7. Advantages for Japanese companies and Japanese chefs

1. No skills assessment: with no mandatory TRA assessment, you skip the whole wait and cost of one.
2. Lighter LMT for transfers within a group: if an Australian associated entity nominates a chef employed by the Japanese head office or a restaurant in Japan, the position may count as a "select position". Multi-site operators should look at this route first.
3. Japanese experience counts as it is: what is required is at least 1 year of experience related to the nominated occupation. A cooking school diploma or a Japanese cook's licence (調理師免許) can be attached as supporting evidence of that experience.

8. What to watch once the chef starts work

• As a rule, the visa holder may work only for the sponsor or its associated entities. Before sending the chef to help at another restaurant in the group, check that it is within the associated entities.
• Changing the salary or duties may require a new nomination.
• If employment ends, the chef must, within up to 180 days, find a new sponsor, obtain another visa or leave Australia.
• The CSIT is revised every 1 July. The figure at the time of nomination applies, but renewals and new nominations use the new figure.

Once the visa is in sight, preparing housing and the chef's first weeks after arrival makes a difference to retention. See also housing and relocation for chefs working abroad and retaining chefs. The restrictions on hiring people on a working holiday are covered in our guide to hiring working holiday makers.

This article is general information prepared after checking official Australian Government information and legislation as of 22 September 2026. It is not legal or immigration advice. Amounts and thresholds are revised every July. For individual cases, consult a registered migration agent (MARA) or a lawyer.