UK Cooks Moving to Australia: TRA Pathway and Visa Options

Which visa can a UK cook actually use?

Cook, ANZSCO 351411, sits on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), which governs the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — the main route for cooks with an Australian employer willing to sponsor them. It is not on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), so the points-tested Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa is not available for this occupation.

Some states and territories separately nominate Cook on their own occupation lists for the Skilled Nominated (190) or Skilled Work Regional (491) visas, particularly for regional roles — check the current list for your target state rather than assuming inclusion. The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (494) is a further option through a regional sponsor, and a subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) permanent pathway is typically reached after a period of sponsored work on the 482.

TRA skills assessment for cooks

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the designated assessing authority for Cook. A positive assessment generally requires a qualification comparable to at least a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery plus a minimum of two years of full-time relevant work experience (including on-the-job training), or at least three years of relevant experience where formal qualifications are incomplete.

Many UK cooks hold a City & Guilds or NVQ-level catering qualification, or have progressed through a professional kitchen apprenticeship without a formal culinary college qualification. TRA assesses substance over title, so detailed employer references describing specific dishes, cuisines and kitchen responsibilities matter more than the qualification name alone. Where a formal qualification doesn't map cleanly onto the Australian Certificate III structure but hands-on experience is strong, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) through a Registered Training Organisation is a genuine route to the Australian-equivalent qualification.

English requirements for UK applicants

UK qualifications completed in English generally satisfy the Competent English requirement most skilled visa subclasses ask for, and UK applicants are frequently exempt from a formal English test for visa purposes depending on the specific exemption criteria in place for the visa subclass at the time you apply. Check the current position on the Home Affairs English-language requirements page, since exemption criteria (nationality, qualification or passport-based) are reviewed periodically.

TRA's skills assessment itself doesn't set its own separate English requirement the way nursing or teaching assessments do — the requirement sits entirely with the visa subclass.

Finding an Australian sponsor

Australian hospitality employers — hotel groups, restaurant chains, clubs, and independent kitchens facing genuine local staffing shortages — actively sponsor overseas cooks, particularly outside the largest capital cities. A sponsoring employer must be an approved sponsor, nominate your position at or above the applicable salary threshold, and demonstrate the role is genuine.

For the Core Skills stream of the 482, the nominated salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold, $79,423 per year from 1 July 2026. Regional employers, in particular, are often more willing to sponsor cooks end to end and sometimes contribute to relocation costs.

Costs and timeline

Budget for the TRA assessment fee, a visa application charge that varies by subclass and is indexed annually (confirm the current figure on the Home Affairs fee page), a health examination, and a UK criminal record check (an ACRO Police Certificate is the standard document for this purpose). UK documents are generally straightforward to authenticate for Australian use, since the UK is a Hague Apostille Convention member, avoiding the more involved consularisation process some other countries require.

There's no single fixed timeline — it depends on how quickly your TRA documentation is assembled and visa processing times, which vary by subclass and caseload. A subclass 482 application is generally faster to process than a points-tested pathway once a sponsoring employer is secured.

What happens after you arrive

Day-to-day kitchen practice differs from UK settings in some concrete ways: stricter documented food-safety systems (most states require a Food Safety Supervisor certificate for commercial kitchens), award-rate penalty pay for weekend, public holiday and late-night shifts (which meaningfully lifts total earnings above the base hourly rate), and a generally stronger emphasis on rostered hours and workplace-health-and-safety compliance.

Career progression from cook to senior cook or chef de partie is a realistic trajectory with several years of documented Australian kitchen experience — worth discussing directly with a MARA-registered migration agent alongside your longer-term visa strategy. Migratio matches you with one free.

What ANZSCO code applies to cooks migrating to Australia?

Cook is ANZSCO 351411. It's on the Core Skills Occupation List, supporting the 482 Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream, and some states separately nominate it for the 190 or 491.

Can a UK cook apply for the 189 Skilled Independent visa?

No. Cook is not on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, which is the list required for the 189. Chef (a different ANZSCO code, 351311) is on that list; Cook is not.

Who assesses a UK cook's skills for an Australian visa?

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). A qualification comparable to at least a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery plus two years of full-time relevant experience is the general benchmark, or three years of experience where formal qualifications are incomplete.

Do UK cooks need to sit an English test?

Often not, depending on the specific exemption criteria for the visa subclass at the time of application. Check the current Home Affairs English-language requirements page, since exemption criteria are reviewed periodically.

What salary does an employer need to pay to sponsor a cook on a 482 visa?

For the Core Skills stream, at least the Core Skills Income Threshold, $79,423 per year from 1 July 2026. This figure is indexed annually — confirm the current threshold before an employer finalises a nomination.

Does a City & Guilds or NVQ catering qualification meet the Australian standard?

TRA assesses your specific documented qualification and experience against the Australian benchmark rather than pre-approving any UK qualification by name. Where the formal qualification doesn't map cleanly, Recognition of Prior Learning is a genuine route based on documented work history.