H-1B Visa Sous Chef Jobs
Sous Chef roles can qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship when the position requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent in culinary arts, hospitality management, or a related field. Fine dining groups, hotel chains, and multi-unit restaurant operators are the most active sponsors. No lottery exemption applies, so timing your job search around the April cap season matters.
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Get Access To All JobsSous Chef
Salary: $65,000 - $70,000.
Other Forms of Compensation: Comprehensive Benefits Package.
Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations! Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards - Best Places to Work, This is R/A!
Seeking a hands-on and service-driven Closing Sous Chef to support culinary operations within a premier corporate dining environment in Chicago, IL. This position will lead daily kitchen production and closing procedures while ensuring the highest standards of food quality, presentation, sanitation, safety, and operational excellence.
The ideal candidate is an organized culinary leader who understands the elevated expectations of premium corporate dining and can deliver consistently exceptional experiences for clients, guests, and associates. This role will supervise and mentor the culinary team, coordinate food production, and ensure the kitchen is fully prepared for the next day’s service.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, and support cooks and kitchen associates in the daily execution of culinary operations.
- Assist with interviewing, scheduling, training, performance feedback, and employee development.
- Prepare and oversee high-quality food production in accordance with approved recipes, menus, presentation standards, and service timelines.
- Partner with culinary and operations leadership to deliver an elevated dining experience aligned with client expectations.
- Ensure consistent portion control, food presentation, product quality, and safe serving temperatures.
- Take ownership of daily closing procedures, including kitchen sanitation, equipment checks, product storage, inventory review, and securing the operation.
- Ensure the kitchen and culinary areas are fully organized and prepared for the following day’s service.
- Monitor food usage, waste, inventory levels, and product quality; assist with requisitioning and purchasing as needed.
- Receive and inspect deliveries to confirm the accuracy, quality, freshness, and quantity of products.
- Maintain strict compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
- Keep workstations, service areas, equipment, utensils, and storage areas clean and presentation-ready throughout operations.
- Support the development, testing, and execution of seasonal menus, culinary programs, and special-event offerings.
- Provide culinary leadership and hands-on support for evening receptions and client events as needed.
What We're Looking For:
- Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Lead Cook, Kitchen Supervisor, or similar culinary leadership role in a high-volume setting.
- Experience in corporate dining, upscale hospitality, fine dining, catering, or high-end foodservice preferred.
- Strong knowledge of culinary production, food safety, sanitation, portion control, and presentation standards.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and motivate a culinary team.
- Able to work a Monday–Friday schedule, typically 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., with flexibility to support occasional evening receptions.
- Comfortable performing hands-on culinary, operational, and closing responsibilities.
- Excellent communication, organization, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
- Commitment to delivering exceptional service and consistently exceeding client and guest expectations.
Associates at Restaurant Associates are offered many fantastic benefits:
- Medical.
- Dental.
- Vision.
- Life Insurance/ AD.
- Disability Insurance.
- Retirement Plan.
- Paid Time Off.
- Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state).
- Associate Shopping Program.
- Health and Wellness Programs.
- Discount Marketplace.
- Identity Theft Protection.
- Pet Insurance.
- Commuter Benefits.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
- Paid Parental Leave.
- Personal Leave.
Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Restaurant Associates maintains a drug-free workplace.
Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law. Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity.
We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act. Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details:
Sous Chef
Salary: $65,000 - $70,000.
Other Forms of Compensation: Comprehensive Benefits Package.
Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations! Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards - Best Places to Work, This is R/A!
Seeking a hands-on and service-driven Closing Sous Chef to support culinary operations within a premier corporate dining environment in Chicago, IL. This position will lead daily kitchen production and closing procedures while ensuring the highest standards of food quality, presentation, sanitation, safety, and operational excellence.
The ideal candidate is an organized culinary leader who understands the elevated expectations of premium corporate dining and can deliver consistently exceptional experiences for clients, guests, and associates. This role will supervise and mentor the culinary team, coordinate food production, and ensure the kitchen is fully prepared for the next day’s service.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, and support cooks and kitchen associates in the daily execution of culinary operations.
- Assist with interviewing, scheduling, training, performance feedback, and employee development.
- Prepare and oversee high-quality food production in accordance with approved recipes, menus, presentation standards, and service timelines.
- Partner with culinary and operations leadership to deliver an elevated dining experience aligned with client expectations.
- Ensure consistent portion control, food presentation, product quality, and safe serving temperatures.
- Take ownership of daily closing procedures, including kitchen sanitation, equipment checks, product storage, inventory review, and securing the operation.
- Ensure the kitchen and culinary areas are fully organized and prepared for the following day’s service.
- Monitor food usage, waste, inventory levels, and product quality; assist with requisitioning and purchasing as needed.
- Receive and inspect deliveries to confirm the accuracy, quality, freshness, and quantity of products.
- Maintain strict compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards.
- Keep workstations, service areas, equipment, utensils, and storage areas clean and presentation-ready throughout operations.
- Support the development, testing, and execution of seasonal menus, culinary programs, and special-event offerings.
- Provide culinary leadership and hands-on support for evening receptions and client events as needed.
What We're Looking For:
- Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Lead Cook, Kitchen Supervisor, or similar culinary leadership role in a high-volume setting.
- Experience in corporate dining, upscale hospitality, fine dining, catering, or high-end foodservice preferred.
- Strong knowledge of culinary production, food safety, sanitation, portion control, and presentation standards.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and motivate a culinary team.
- Able to work a Monday–Friday schedule, typically 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., with flexibility to support occasional evening receptions.
- Comfortable performing hands-on culinary, operational, and closing responsibilities.
- Excellent communication, organization, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
- Commitment to delivering exceptional service and consistently exceeding client and guest expectations.
Associates at Restaurant Associates are offered many fantastic benefits:
- Medical.
- Dental.
- Vision.
- Life Insurance/ AD.
- Disability Insurance.
- Retirement Plan.
- Paid Time Off.
- Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state).
- Associate Shopping Program.
- Health and Wellness Programs.
- Discount Marketplace.
- Identity Theft Protection.
- Pet Insurance.
- Commuter Benefits.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
- Paid Parental Leave.
- Personal Leave.
Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
Restaurant Associates maintains a drug-free workplace.
Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law. Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity.
We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act. Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details:
See all 164+ H-1B Visa Sous Chef Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Sous Chef Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Sous Chef
Verify your degree meets specialty occupation
USCIS requires H-1B roles to demand at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Culinary Institute of America degrees and accredited hospitality management programs satisfy this, but a general associate's degree alone won't. Check your credential against O*NET before applying.
Target multi-unit operators over independent restaurants
Independent restaurants rarely have the HR infrastructure to file H-1B petitions. Focus on hotel groups, casino dining divisions, and restaurant management companies with dedicated immigration counsel, as they've navigated the LCA and I-129 process before.
Search verified H-1B sponsors on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Sous Chef openings by employers with confirmed H-1B LCA filing history. This removes the guesswork of cold-applying to restaurants that have never sponsored a work visa.
Negotiate offer timing around the April filing window
H-1B cap-subject petitions must be filed in April for an October 1 start date. If you receive an offer in June, your earliest cap-subject start is the following October. Discuss this timeline explicitly with hiring managers before accepting.
Confirm the employer's prevailing wage before the LCA
Your employer files a Labor Condition Application with DOL certifying your offered wage meets the prevailing wage for Sous Chef roles in that metro area. Run the OFLC Wage Search yourself first so you know whether the offer clears the DOL threshold.
Organize foreign culinary credentials for the petition
If your training was outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-member agency before your employer files the I-129. USCIS adjudicators scrutinize culinary degrees from foreign institutions, and a detailed equivalency report reduces the risk of a Request for Evidence.
H-1B Visa Sous Chef: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Sous Chef role actually qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
It depends on how the position is defined. A general line-level Sous Chef role without a degree requirement typically won't qualify. Positions at fine dining establishments, luxury hotels, or corporate food service operations that explicitly require a bachelor's degree in culinary arts or hospitality management are far more likely to clear USCIS's specialty occupation standard. The job description language your employer uses in the LCA matters significantly.
Which types of employers are most likely to sponsor H-1B visas for Sous Chefs?
Hotel groups, casino resort dining programs, corporate food and beverage divisions, and upscale multi-unit restaurant companies are the most active H-1B sponsors for culinary roles. These employers typically have in-house HR or retained immigration counsel experienced with LCA filings. You can find employers with verified H-1B filing history for culinary roles on Migrate Mate, which filters listings by actual DOL Labor Condition Application data.
Can I switch from an F-1 OPT to H-1B status while working as a Sous Chef?
Yes, if your employer files your H-1B cap petition in April before your OPT expires, a cap-gap provision extends your work authorization through September 30 while the petition is pending. If your OPT expires before April, you'd need to stop working until an H-1B is approved. Timing your job search to secure an offer before your OPT end date is critical.
What happens to my H-1B if the restaurant closes or I'm let go?
You have a 60-day grace period after your employment ends to find a new H-1B sponsor, change to another visa status, or depart the U.S. During that window, you're not authorized to work. If a new employer files an H-1B transfer petition before the grace period ends, you can begin working for the new employer once the petition is received by USCIS, even before approval.
Does the H-1B annual cap apply to culinary roles at nonprofit or government employers?
Cap-exempt status applies to certain nonprofit research organizations, government research entities, and institutions of higher education, not to standard restaurant or hotel employers. A Sous Chef position at a university dining program run directly by the institution could qualify as cap-exempt, meaning no lottery and year-round filing. Private restaurant groups, even prestigious ones, are cap-subject and subject to the April registration window.