Jhoseph initially came to Australia to study Hospitality Management on a student visa in 2019. He knew though, he wanted to try and remain in Australia permanently. In his native Philippines he had completed a Bachelor of Science but he quickly realised he had a burning passion for travel and the culinary arts. He spent 11 years working on board cruise ships, working himself up to the position of Chief Cook. The experience on the cruise ships was able to combine his passion and enthusiasm for seafaring along with the culinary arts. Although he had sufficient work experience to migrate directly utilising his work experience, he wanted to come to Australia and explore migration options firsthand.

When he consulted Questra Immigration, we were able to provide him with a individualised migration plan for him to launch his Cooking career in the super dynamic food scene of Melbourne.

Good to know:

The plan included studying the Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management. This was recommended for three key reasons:

• To build on his cooking skills and add Hospitality Management skills to his bow, therefore, being able to command a better role like Head Chef or Sous Chef in Melbourne.
• By virtue of having a passport from the Philippines, Jhoseph was required to have a full skills assessment. However, by completing a Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management and considering the occupation Chef is Skill Level 2 occupation as per ANZSCO, Questra was able to get an exemption from the skills assessment requirement. At the same time, saving Jhoseph a lot of time and money.
• Whilst undertaking the courses in Australia, Jhoseph would also be able to explore different employer sponsorship opportunities. Understanding that a TSS visa is a 4-year work visa, choosing the right sponsor that boasts a positive workplace environment and culture is of paramount importance.

Being an experienced chef, Jhoseph was fortunate enough to find paid work experience at many local restaurants and cafes. This allowed him to earn to support himself whilst he studied and at the same time explore suitable sponsorship opportunities.

Upon completing his Advanced Diploma, Questra assisted Jhoseph’s employer apply for Standard Business Sponsorship and the Nomination. We applied for Jhoseph’s Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa successfully arguing for a skills assessment and English language criteria exemption. The application also included Jhospeh’s partner and two children. We skilfully submitted a strong portfolio of relationship evidence which granted his family in the Philippines the same visa too. Given that that the occupation Chef was recently added to the PMSOL, we were thrilled to see that Jhoseph’s and his families visa was granted within 6 weeks.

Although a temporary working visa, the occupation Chef being on the MLTSSL allows Jhoseph to live and work in Australia for up to four years.

Potential Pathway:

Jhoseph and his family will be eligible for permanent residency in Australia after working for three years on his TSS visa for his employer as Chef. His employer will be able to nominate him through the Employer Nomination scheme (ENS) and Jhoseph and his family will be able to apply for the Temporary Transition Stream (TRT) of the subclass 186 visa.

Key takeaway:

We had developed a migration plan for Jhoseph which used the student visa as a gateway to launch Jhoseph’s culinary career in Melbourne. At the same time alleviating the requirement of having to provide a skills assessment. Jhospeh being a chef in demand was able to be patient and choose the best employer for him to work for the next three years at least to be able to transition to permanent residency.

Find your migration plan:

Bill Mitroulas

Head of Migration at Questra Immigration. Managing and overseeing the growth and performance of Questra’s team of migration agents, while maintaining a client-centric and quality-driven approach. A registered migration agent since 2015 and a member of the Migration Institute of Australia, with over 15 years’ experience in international education and 11 years in Australian Migration law.