Budgeting an International Chef Hire: A Cost Model

The cost of hiring a chef from abroad is usually underestimated in the same way: the salary is budgeted carefully, and everything else is a line called "visa". This guide breaks the cost into parts, gives the government fees we verified in official sources for several common routes (as of September 2026), and works through three examples. It deliberately leaves out numbers we could not verify, such as adviser fees, and tells you where to get them.

1. The six cost buckets

2. Verified government fees by route

The UK figures are included for completeness only: new overseas sponsorship of chefs (SOC 5434) is effectively closed because the occupation is on neither the Immigration Salary List nor the Temporary Shortage List. See hiring a Japanese chef in the UK. We have not verified the Canadian work permit fee, Singapore pass application fees or US consular fees other than those shown; check them on the official pages before you budget.

3. Worked example: Australia, subclass 482

Assumptions: small business (turnover under A$10 million), Core Skills stream, two-year nomination, salary set at the Core Skills Income Threshold of A$79,423 (from 1 July 2026). The employer pays the visa charge. Superannuation guarantee is 12%.

Two cautions. The sponsor may not recover sponsorship or nomination costs from the worker, so do not plan to deduct them. And free housing cannot be used to reach the income threshold, because it must be met from earnings excluding non-monetary benefits. Payroll tax and workers' compensation insurance vary by state and are not included. More in hiring a Japanese chef in Australia.

4. Worked example: Singapore, S Pass or Employment Pass

The S Pass qualifying salary starts at S$3,300 a month and rises with age to S$4,800; from 1 January 2027 the range is S$3,600 to S$5,100. The Employment Pass starts at S$5,600 (non-financial sector) and has no levy. For a younger candidate at the minimum:

At the minimum S Pass salary, the levy adds about 20% to the salary cost. S Pass holders also count against a 10% services sub-quota, and an Employment Pass also needs 40 COMPASS points. See hiring a Japanese chef in Singapore and COMPASS points for chefs.

5. Worked example: United States, E-2 or O-1

Assume a salary at the national median for chefs and head cooks, $62,470 a year (BLS, May 2025). Employer Social Security tax is 6.2% (on wages up to $184,500 in 2026) and Medicare 1.45%.

Not included: federal and state unemployment taxes, workers' compensation, legal fees and the consular visa fee for the O-1. The E-2 route also depends on your company being at least 50% owned by Japanese nationals. Legal fees for an O-1, where you must prove extraordinary ability, are often larger than the government fees. See E-2 visa for restaurant staff and O-1 visa for chefs.

6. Time is a cost too

Every week the position is empty costs you, in overtime for others, a shorter menu or lost covers. Some verified lead times:

• Australia: labour market testing requires two advertisements, each running at least four weeks, within the four months before nomination.
• Canada: high-wage LMIAs need four weeks of advertising; low-wage LMIAs need eight consecutive weeks since 9 July 2026. Low-wage applications are not processed in some cities, including Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver, from 10 July to 8 October 2026.
• United States, H-2B: the prevailing wage request must be filed at least 60 days before the date of need, and the labour certification 75 to 90 days before it.

Put a realistic start date in your plan, then budget for cover until then.

7. Budget template

Compare the total with the realistic alternative: a local hire you train, or a chef already in the country on a working holiday visa (see Australia and Canada). For Japanese-language readers there is also 海外和食の採用コスト.

General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Fees and thresholds change, often on 1 July or at the start of a financial year. Confirm every figure on the official page and with your adviser before committing to a budget.