H-1B Visa Restaurant Jobs
Restaurant roles can qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship when the position meets the specialty occupation standard, typically requiring a degree in culinary arts, hospitality management, or a related field. Employers must file a certified Labor Condition Application before your petition reaches USCIS, making early employer engagement essential.
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Summary:
Who We Are
White Lodging develops and operates a portfolio of award-winning premium hotels, rooftop bars, and restaurants in some of the country's most dynamic cities. We know that the hospitality business, like life, is about how you make people feel. That's where you come in. You'll help bring the virtue of hospitality to life while we create an environment that allows you to be your best self and grow.
We are hiring an experienced Executive Sous Chef to serve as the second-in-command of our hotel culinary operations. This is a senior kitchen leadership role for a proven culinary professional who is ready to step into an Executive Chef in training capacity — leading daily food and beverage production, developing a high-performing culinary team, and driving the menu quality and financial performance that define a premium hotel dining experience. If you're an Executive Sous Chef, Senior Sous Chef, or Chef de Cuisine ready to take the next step in your culinary management career with one of the country's leading hotel and restaurant companies, we want to hear from you.
Responsibilities:
- Lead all hotel culinary operations in the Executive Chef's absence — maintaining food quality, freshness, and full compliance with health department regulations and food safety standards across every outlet and meal period
- Collaborate directly with the Executive Chef on menu development, implementation timelines, recipe execution, and USE Records — ensuring all culinary financial objectives and food cost targets are consistently met
- Manage daily back-of-house operations across a high-volume hotel kitchen environment — including staffing, scheduling, inventory management, and portion control in full adherence to White Lodging corporate SOPs
- Train, mentor, and develop culinary associates at all levels — from entry-level cooks to line cooks and senior kitchen staff — fostering a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and internal promotion
- Monitor and manage all food-related expenses — including vendor invoices, payroll, and inventory reconciliation — to ensure consistent budget adherence and culinary department profitability
- Partner cross-functionally with Sales, front-of-house leadership, and Events teams to support banquet operations, special events, and elevated guest dining experiences across the property
What You'll Bring
- Minimum 5 years of progressive Chef experience in a large-scale hotel, resort, or high-volume banquet culinary operation — required
- Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop culinary teams in a high-volume hotel kitchen or banquet environment — with a track record of low turnover and strong internal promotion
- Deep expertise in menu creation, food preparation techniques, recipe development, and strict compliance with food safety and sanitation standards
- Strong analytical and organizational skills — with demonstrated experience managing food cost, labor cost, inventory, and culinary department budgets in a hotel or resort setting
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and culinary coaching skills — with a genuine commitment to building a collaborative, high-performing kitchen team culture
- Associate's degree in Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, or Business Administration preferred — equivalent hands-on culinary leadership experience considered
What You Can Look Forward To
- Benefits — starting day 1
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Life and disability insurance
- Paid parental leave
- DailyPay — get paid when you need it
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off (PTO) with rollover
- Complimentary wellness tools
- Unlimited employee referral bonuses
- Leadership development & tuition reimbursement
- Discounts on hotel rooms, dining, and travel
- Growth opportunities across multiple hotel properties in your market
White Lodging is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Description
Summary:
Who We Are
White Lodging develops and operates a portfolio of award-winning premium hotels, rooftop bars, and restaurants in some of the country's most dynamic cities. We know that the hospitality business, like life, is about how you make people feel. That's where you come in. You'll help bring the virtue of hospitality to life while we create an environment that allows you to be your best self and grow.
We are hiring an experienced Executive Sous Chef to serve as the second-in-command of our hotel culinary operations. This is a senior kitchen leadership role for a proven culinary professional who is ready to step into an Executive Chef in training capacity — leading daily food and beverage production, developing a high-performing culinary team, and driving the menu quality and financial performance that define a premium hotel dining experience. If you're an Executive Sous Chef, Senior Sous Chef, or Chef de Cuisine ready to take the next step in your culinary management career with one of the country's leading hotel and restaurant companies, we want to hear from you.
Responsibilities:
- Lead all hotel culinary operations in the Executive Chef's absence — maintaining food quality, freshness, and full compliance with health department regulations and food safety standards across every outlet and meal period
- Collaborate directly with the Executive Chef on menu development, implementation timelines, recipe execution, and USE Records — ensuring all culinary financial objectives and food cost targets are consistently met
- Manage daily back-of-house operations across a high-volume hotel kitchen environment — including staffing, scheduling, inventory management, and portion control in full adherence to White Lodging corporate SOPs
- Train, mentor, and develop culinary associates at all levels — from entry-level cooks to line cooks and senior kitchen staff — fostering a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and internal promotion
- Monitor and manage all food-related expenses — including vendor invoices, payroll, and inventory reconciliation — to ensure consistent budget adherence and culinary department profitability
- Partner cross-functionally with Sales, front-of-house leadership, and Events teams to support banquet operations, special events, and elevated guest dining experiences across the property
What You'll Bring
- Minimum 5 years of progressive Chef experience in a large-scale hotel, resort, or high-volume banquet culinary operation — required
- Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop culinary teams in a high-volume hotel kitchen or banquet environment — with a track record of low turnover and strong internal promotion
- Deep expertise in menu creation, food preparation techniques, recipe development, and strict compliance with food safety and sanitation standards
- Strong analytical and organizational skills — with demonstrated experience managing food cost, labor cost, inventory, and culinary department budgets in a hotel or resort setting
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and culinary coaching skills — with a genuine commitment to building a collaborative, high-performing kitchen team culture
- Associate's degree in Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, or Business Administration preferred — equivalent hands-on culinary leadership experience considered
What You Can Look Forward To
- Benefits — starting day 1
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Life and disability insurance
- Paid parental leave
- DailyPay — get paid when you need it
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off (PTO) with rollover
- Complimentary wellness tools
- Unlimited employee referral bonuses
- Leadership development & tuition reimbursement
- Discounts on hotel rooms, dining, and travel
- Growth opportunities across multiple hotel properties in your market
White Lodging is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
See all 1,854+ H-1B Visa Restaurant Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Restaurant Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Restaurant
Verify your role meets specialty occupation
H-1B eligibility turns on whether your restaurant position requires a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Check the O*NET occupation profile for your job title to confirm the degree requirement before approaching employers.
Target employers with active LCA histories
Use Migrate Mate to filter restaurant employers by verified DOL Labor Condition Application filing history, so you're only applying to companies that have already navigated H-1B sponsorship for similar roles.
Confirm your employer is E-Verify enrolled
USCIS requires H-1B employers to be registered, and many restaurant groups aren't automatically enrolled in E-Verify. Ask the hiring manager directly before accepting an offer to avoid delays after the petition is filed.
Get your foreign credentials evaluated early
A three-year culinary or hospitality degree from outside the U.S. may not automatically satisfy USCIS's four-year equivalency standard. Commission a credential evaluation from a NACES-member organization before your employer files the I-129.
Push your employer to file before April 1
The H-1B cap lottery opens each April for fiscal year start on October 1. Restaurant employers unfamiliar with the cycle often miss the registration window, so confirm your employer's timeline with HR well before the new year.
Use OFLC Wage Search to set salary expectations
DOL prevailing wage levels for restaurant management and culinary roles vary significantly by metro area. Run the OFLC Wage Search for your specific SOC code and worksite location so you can negotiate an offer that clears the LCA wage floor.
H-1B Visa Restaurant: Frequently Asked Questions
Do restaurant jobs qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Some restaurant roles qualify, but not all. USCIS requires the position to meet the specialty occupation standard, meaning it must normally require at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field like culinary arts, hospitality management, or food science. General cook, server, and line-cook positions typically don't qualify, but executive chef, culinary director, and food and beverage manager roles often do when the employer can document the degree requirement.
What documents does a restaurant employer need to sponsor an H-1B?
The employer must first obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from DOL, which verifies the offered wage meets the prevailing wage for the role and location. They then file Form I-129 with USCIS, along with evidence that the position qualifies as a specialty occupation, your academic credentials, and the employment terms. Credential evaluation reports are often essential for foreign culinary degrees.
How do I find restaurant employers who sponsor H-1B visas?
Search Migrate Mate to filter restaurant and hospitality employers by verified DOL LCA filing history. This shows you which companies have actively petitioned for H-1B workers in comparable roles, saving you from cold-applying to employers who've never navigated the process and may decline before even reviewing your qualifications.
Can a restaurant sponsor me for an H-1B if I'm currently on OPT?
Yes. If you're on OPT and your restaurant employer wants to retain you, they can file an H-1B petition during the April registration window. If your OPT expires before October 1 and you're selected in the lottery, the cap-gap rule automatically extends your OPT and work authorization until your H-1B status begins, provided your employer filed on time.
What happens to my H-1B if the restaurant closes or lays me off?
You have a 60-day grace period after your employment ends to find a new sponsoring employer, change to another valid status, or depart the U.S. Your new employer can file an H-1B transfer petition, allowing you to start work once USCIS receives the petition rather than waiting for full approval. Acting quickly within that 60-day window is critical to maintaining lawful status.