Job Opportunities for Cooks see a surge in Canada

Cooks are in great demand right across Canada and may be able to secure a Canadian Permanent Residency Visa with or without a job offer.

 

According to the current update on the Government agency website, Job–Bank, during the period from 2017 till 2025, job opportunities for this profession is expected to be in great demand with approximately 52,000 to 55,000 job openings. This is a positive indication, however currently there is an excessive number of applicants.

 

Even otherwise, the competition is tough. But the situation is not as gloomy as it sounds, job prospects for the occupation in Canada is extremely positive. They are in great demand across Canada.

 

The good news is that having a job offer to move to Canada is not a pre- requisite to accessing the Express Entry process. Cooks who want to move to Canada also have other options to secure their Canada visa.

 

For starters, cooks are eligible to apply for immigration to Canada under the Canadian government’s immigration program. Since there is huge demand for cooks in Canada, they have been included in the list of occupation known as the NOC list (National Occupation Code List).

 

The code for cooks on the NOC is 6322.

Their duties are as under:

• Prepare and cook meals or dishes
• Cook special meals for patients
• Supervise kitchen helpers
• Manage kitchen operations
• Keep a record of food, supplies and equipment
• Plan menus
• Hire and train kitchen staff

The Express Entry point-based system commenced from 2015 onwards to enable skilled professionals to settle down in Canada as a Permanent Resident and start working without the need for a work permit.

 

What is a chef’s salary in Canada? An individual employed as a chef in Canada takes home an average salary of CAD73,000 per year. Meanwhile, the lowest salary for the same professional is CAD36,000 while the highest is about CAD115,000. Included in the average annual income are accommodation, travel, and other basic benefits. Of course, the salary of a chef varies from one location to another, his/her skill set, and gender. For instance, a chef with below two years of experience earns about CAD42,000 CAD per year. At the same time, a professional with an experience of two to five years would earn an annual average salary of CAD54,000 per year. On the other hand, a chef having work experience of five to ten years takes home a salary of CAD 74,700 per year.

 

Currently, applicants can use the following 3 categories to apply under the Express Entry program:

1. Federal Skilled Worker Class
2. Canada Experience Class
3. Federal Skilled Trade Class

A cook looking to immigrate to Canada can apply under the Federal Skilled Trades visa or through the Provincial Nominee program.

 

Applying through the Provincial Nominee Program will help them garner additional 600 points in their Express Entry profile in case their application is approved by a Province. There is a huge demand for chefs/cooks in:

1. Vancouver Island, Victoria - British Columbia,
2. Manitoba,
3. Saskatoon and Rural West, Saskatchewan
4. Prince Edward Island
5. Ontario

Provincial Nominee Program is a very active program now with Provinces announcing draws very frequently.

 

While filing the application in the Express Entry pool applicants can opt for the province that has the candidate’s occupation along with an Expression of Interest. An Expression of Interest (EOI) is the first step for candidates interested in becoming permanent residents in the chosen province. It is a pre-application process which allows candidates to fill in an online application to indicate their interest in applying to that Province and demonstrate their qualifications. The information required is based on the Province’s criteria and is used to assess the candidate’s eligibility and determine whether the candidate’s details can be entered into the International Skilled Worker EOI system.

 

Candidates with attributes aligned to the needs of the opted province’s labor market condition and immigration objectives are selected and given Invitation to Apply or ITA.

 

Scoring points under the Express Entry System:

About applying through the Express Entry Points-based program the applicant must score the required points in the Comprehensive Ranking System.

 

The Government of Canada has reduced the additional points from 600 to 200 if the candidate has an employment offer for a senior position and 50 points for other skilled occupations. This essentially means that if a cook has scored less than 300 in the Comprehensive Ranking System and has a job offer, the CRS score will rise by 900 points as per the following calculation:

• 300 in the Comprehensive Ranking System
• 600 for the employment offer

Those who are keen to migrate under this occupation may work towards increasing their CRS Score by enhancing their qualification by doing an additional course or honing their language skills.

 

If it is your dream to settle in Canada, the other option is you could start your own restaurant as an Entrepreneur through the Government of Canada’s “Small Business Loans Program” provided you have done a thorough study of the market, get all the documents in order and have a clear business plan.

 

If you are planning to study, work in Canada or intent to Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, please talk to Y-Axis, the World’s #1 immigration and Visa Consultant.