Green Card Head Chef Jobs
Head Chef roles can qualify for green card sponsorship under EB-2 or EB-3, depending on your credentials and the employer's petition. The PERM labor certification process requires your employer to document that no qualified U.S. workers are available before filing an I-140 immigrant petition on your behalf, putting you on a path to lawful permanent residency.
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SHOTO Washington DC is the latest concept from renowned restaurateurs and venture capitalist Arjun Waney (ZUMA, ROKA, COYA, La Petite Maison [LPM] & The Arts Club). Launched in the heart of the Nation's Capital, SHOTO offers a contemporary, sophisticated twist on the Japanese izakaya style of informal dining, while respecting traditional techniques and culture.
The 140-seat boutique Japanese restaurant, designed by world-renowned interior designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Studio Glitt in Tokyo, features a bar-lounge area, wine, sake, and whisky cellars, an open kitchen with a robata grill and sushi counter seating, private dining rooms, and an intimate, landscaped outdoor terrace.
Showcasing the unique flavors of modern Japanese-influenced cuisine, the menu features a variety of shared plates, including snacks, sushi, and tempura, as well as skewers of meats, fish, poultry, and seafood from the robata grill. The high-energy bar and lounge at SHOTO will offer bespoke, handcrafted specialty cocktails and an extensive selection of Japanese Sake, Shochu, and rare, hard-to-find Whisky.
SHOTO Washington DC is located at Midtown Center, 1100 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005. Our entrance is on L Street NW, between 15th and 16th Streets NW.
Our Company offers the following benefits to successful applicants:
- Included in the tip pool, with competitive annual earnings based on base pay rate plus tips
- Competitive compensation package reflecting experience, performance, and tip participation
- Partial employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance (Full-Time)
- Employer-paid life insurance
- Commuter benefit program
- Freshly prepared staff meals while on duty
- Employee dining discount program
- Extensive training, professional development, and career advancement opportunities
- Flexible scheduling, with availability required for lunch and dinner shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays
We look forward to staying in contact and providing you with the tools you need to grow within our community and in your personal and professional life. All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. SHOTO Washington, DC, is an equal opportunity employer.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.
Qualifications Essential:
- Provide legible communication.
- Compute basic arithmetic.
- 2 years’ experience in similar position dealing with the public.
- Ability to perform job functions with attention to detail, speed, and accuracy, prioritize and organize.
- Follow directions thoroughly.
- Be a clear thinker, remaining calm and resolving problems using good judgment.
- Work cohesively with co-workers as part of a team.
- Work with minimal supervision.
- Maintain confidentiality of guest information and pertinent restaurant data.
- Provide clear, pleasant telephone communication with proper grammar.
Certificates:
The District of Columbia requires all employees who handle food and liquor to have a Food Handler and Responsible Vendor Certificate. Therefore, this certificate is a requirement for employment at the Company and any expense incurred to obtain the certificate or to renew it, is the responsibility of the employee. This certificate is necessary to work at any restaurant and is not for the exclusive use of the Company.
Physical Abilities:
- Must be able to lift to 50 pounds and manually push/pull up to 150 pounds.
- Must be able to work in fast pace and high-volume environment in the presence of areas containing secondhand smoke, high noise levels, dancing, bright lights and dust and communicate during this time—sometimes within a small area.
- Must be able to stand or walk a minimum of eight-hour shift and work inside assigned bar area in the venue.
- Endure various physical movements throughout the work area.
- Required to stand, stoop; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel, lift, reach with hands and arms; talk to hear and taste or smell.
- Occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and extreme heat. Work near moving mechanical parts.
- Outdoor weather conditions.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Language Skills
- Ability to read, write and speak in English is needed to successfully accomplish the essential duties of this job.
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals. Ability to speak effectively before employees of the Company.
Uniforms
- Employees are responsible for purchasing their own uniforms, this includes shirts, aprons, hats, and chef coats. The cost will be deducted from your paychecks in accordance with the applicable laws. You are responsible for coming to work clean and properly dressed every day and should have enough uniforms to do so.
- NOTE: The employer will deduct the cost for the uniform in accordance with all applicable law. This may entail deductions from more than one workweek and/or payroll cycle. Further, the deduction is "cost" and employer are not profiting in any way from the price.
DESCRIPTION:
SHOTO Washington DC is the latest concept from renowned restaurateurs and venture capitalist Arjun Waney (ZUMA, ROKA, COYA, La Petite Maison [LPM] & The Arts Club). Launched in the heart of the Nation's Capital, SHOTO offers a contemporary, sophisticated twist on the Japanese izakaya style of informal dining, while respecting traditional techniques and culture.
The 140-seat boutique Japanese restaurant, designed by world-renowned interior designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Studio Glitt in Tokyo, features a bar-lounge area, wine, sake, and whisky cellars, an open kitchen with a robata grill and sushi counter seating, private dining rooms, and an intimate, landscaped outdoor terrace.
Showcasing the unique flavors of modern Japanese-influenced cuisine, the menu features a variety of shared plates, including snacks, sushi, and tempura, as well as skewers of meats, fish, poultry, and seafood from the robata grill. The high-energy bar and lounge at SHOTO will offer bespoke, handcrafted specialty cocktails and an extensive selection of Japanese Sake, Shochu, and rare, hard-to-find Whisky.
SHOTO Washington DC is located at Midtown Center, 1100 15th Street NW, Washington DC 20005. Our entrance is on L Street NW, between 15th and 16th Streets NW.
Our Company offers the following benefits to successful applicants:
- Included in the tip pool, with competitive annual earnings based on base pay rate plus tips
- Competitive compensation package reflecting experience, performance, and tip participation
- Partial employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance (Full-Time)
- Employer-paid life insurance
- Commuter benefit program
- Freshly prepared staff meals while on duty
- Employee dining discount program
- Extensive training, professional development, and career advancement opportunities
- Flexible scheduling, with availability required for lunch and dinner shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays
We look forward to staying in contact and providing you with the tools you need to grow within our community and in your personal and professional life. All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. SHOTO Washington, DC, is an equal opportunity employer.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.
Qualifications Essential:
- Provide legible communication.
- Compute basic arithmetic.
- 2 years’ experience in similar position dealing with the public.
- Ability to perform job functions with attention to detail, speed, and accuracy, prioritize and organize.
- Follow directions thoroughly.
- Be a clear thinker, remaining calm and resolving problems using good judgment.
- Work cohesively with co-workers as part of a team.
- Work with minimal supervision.
- Maintain confidentiality of guest information and pertinent restaurant data.
- Provide clear, pleasant telephone communication with proper grammar.
Certificates:
The District of Columbia requires all employees who handle food and liquor to have a Food Handler and Responsible Vendor Certificate. Therefore, this certificate is a requirement for employment at the Company and any expense incurred to obtain the certificate or to renew it, is the responsibility of the employee. This certificate is necessary to work at any restaurant and is not for the exclusive use of the Company.
Physical Abilities:
- Must be able to lift to 50 pounds and manually push/pull up to 150 pounds.
- Must be able to work in fast pace and high-volume environment in the presence of areas containing secondhand smoke, high noise levels, dancing, bright lights and dust and communicate during this time—sometimes within a small area.
- Must be able to stand or walk a minimum of eight-hour shift and work inside assigned bar area in the venue.
- Endure various physical movements throughout the work area.
- Required to stand, stoop; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel, lift, reach with hands and arms; talk to hear and taste or smell.
- Occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and extreme heat. Work near moving mechanical parts.
- Outdoor weather conditions.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Language Skills
- Ability to read, write and speak in English is needed to successfully accomplish the essential duties of this job.
- Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals. Ability to speak effectively before employees of the Company.
Uniforms
- Employees are responsible for purchasing their own uniforms, this includes shirts, aprons, hats, and chef coats. The cost will be deducted from your paychecks in accordance with the applicable laws. You are responsible for coming to work clean and properly dressed every day and should have enough uniforms to do so.
- NOTE: The employer will deduct the cost for the uniform in accordance with all applicable law. This may entail deductions from more than one workweek and/or payroll cycle. Further, the deduction is "cost" and employer are not profiting in any way from the price.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as a Head Chef
Document your culinary credentials before applying
Gather diplomas, apprenticeship certificates, and letters from former employers confirming your title and years in each role. PERM audits frequently target chef positions, and a complete credential file speeds up your employer's DOL labor certification filing.
Target restaurants with existing PERM filing history
Hotel groups, casino food and beverage operations, and multi-unit restaurant chains are far more likely to have in-house HR teams experienced with PERM sponsorship than independent fine-dining concepts that have never sponsored a foreign worker.
Clarify EB-2 versus EB-3 eligibility with your employer
If the role requires a culinary arts degree and significant supervisory experience, EB-2 may apply. Without an advanced degree, EB-3 skilled worker is the standard route. The category affects your priority date and wait time, especially for applicants from high-demand countries.
Search for green card sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Filter by Head Chef roles where employers have active PERM or I-140 history. Migrate Mate surfaces sponsorship data by employer so you can target kitchen leadership positions at companies already familiar with the green card process.
Verify the prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Your employer must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your specific location and job zone. Use the OFLC Wage Search to check the Level I through Level IV wage range for Head Chef in your target city before you sign an offer letter.
Understand how PERM job requirements constrain your role description
DOL requires the PERM job description to reflect the employer's actual minimum requirements. Listing advanced skills your employer does not genuinely need can trigger an audit. Work with your employer to ensure the posted duties match the real day-to-day Head Chef responsibilities.
Green Card Head Chef: Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Head Chef role qualify for EB-2 green card sponsorship?
Yes, but it depends on how the role is defined. EB-2 requires the position to genuinely need an advanced degree, such as a master's in culinary arts or hospitality management, or equivalent credentials. Most Head Chef sponsorships file under EB-3 skilled worker instead, since the role typically requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent professional training rather than a graduate degree.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B for a Head Chef?
Unlike H-1B visa, EB-3 green card sponsorship has no annual lottery and leads directly to lawful permanent residency rather than temporary status. The tradeoff is timeline: PERM labor certification, I-140 filing, and visa availability together often take two to four years or longer depending on your country of birth. H-1B also has narrower specialty occupation requirements that can be harder to satisfy for culinary roles.
What does the PERM process look like for a Head Chef position?
Your employer files the PERM application with DOL after completing a supervised recruitment campaign to confirm no qualified U.S. workers are available for the role. DOL then certifies or audits the application. Once certified, the employer files an I-140 immigrant petition with USCIS. After your priority date becomes current, you apply for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa to receive your green card.
How can I find Head Chef jobs that include green card sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lets you search Head Chef positions filtered by employers with documented PERM or I-140 sponsorship history. This saves significant time compared to cold-applying and then asking each employer whether they sponsor, which many HR teams are unfamiliar with or unwilling to initiate without a strong candidate already identified.
Will my employer need to pay the prevailing wage throughout the green card process?
DOL requires the employer to certify that the offered wage meets or exceeds the prevailing wage for the Head Chef role at the time of PERM filing. The wage must also be paid once you receive your green card and begin work in the certified position. You can verify current wage levels for your specific city and role classification through the OFLC Wage Search before accepting any offer.