Restaurant Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Restaurant visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois are concentrated in Chicago, home to a nationally recognized dining scene with employers ranging from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises and Levy Restaurants to major hotel groups like Hyatt and Marriott. Roles span executive chefs, sous chefs, restaurant managers, and sommelier positions across fine dining, hospitality groups, and large-scale food service operations.
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Position Summary:
The host assists the Restaurant Manager on duty with the day-to-day activities of the front-of-the-house to ensure consistency high levels of quality, service and guest satisfaction.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide exceptional hospitality to guests and coworkers.
- Responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment aboard the vessel, focusing constantly on the safety of all guests and shipmates.
- Actively participate in meetings including the Manager pre-cruise briefing.
- Oversee the setting of assigned deck(s), including package assembly & placement, and side work & section assignments.
- Assist with the warm and efficient greeting and seating of guests when they arrive.
- Coordinate buffets and table invitations on assigned deck(s).
- Assist Servers and Server Assistants with table service.
- Comprehensive knowledge of all F & B Menu items, packages & POS systems.
- Table touch all individuals on deck and meet all group leaders.
- Participate and lead post cruise clean up; assign duties and ensure the completion of all side work.
- Perform a walk-through inspection with the manager(s) at the completion of each cruise to ensure proper deck arrangement and sanitation.
- Check in with managers following the cruise to address any issues or situations, and to offer solutions to problems.
- Additional job duties as assigned.
Requirements & Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Previous restaurant experience preferred.
- Will work for extended periods of time without sitting.
- Required to lift furniture and other heavy items.
- Strong customer service, organization, and interpersonal skills.
- Maintain a high level of organization, detail-oriented and meet deadlines.
- Handle multiple tasks/projects at one time.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships as required by job responsibility.
- Listen effectively, assess the situation, determine relevant issues, & suggest solutions.
- Have a working knowledge of computer skills, including but not limited to proficiency with Microsoft Office Suites.
- Must be able to effectively understand and convey written and verbal information to coworkers and guests.
- Maintain uniform and personal grooming in compliance with appearance standards.
- Will be required to be available for work nights, weekends and on all major holidays.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to work onboard a moving vessel in varying weather and sea conditions, including maintaining balance and stability while underway.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, frequently throughout a shift.
- Ability to navigate stairs, ladders, narrow passageways, and confined spaces commonly found onboard vessels.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull supplies, equipment, and inventory weighing up to 40 pounds independently.
- Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, and perform repetitive motions as required in food service and hospitality operations.
- Ability to respond quickly and effectively during normal operations, guest service situations, and emergency procedures.
- Ability to safely work in a fast-paced environment with exposure to moving equipment, wet surfaces, temperature variations, and moderate noise levels.
- Ability to visually inspect service areas, food presentation, cleanliness standards, and safety conditions.
- Ability to communicate effectively with guests, crew members, and management in person and via radio or other communication devices.
- Successfully complete vessel-specific safety and emergency training.
- Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended shifts as operational needs require.
Work Environment
- Work is performed primarily onboard a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel, with duties split between dining, service, storage, galley-adjacent, and administrative areas.
- Position requires regular movement throughout multiple decks and may involve occasional exposure to outdoor marine environments, including heat, humidity, rain, wind, and sunlight.
- Must be able to safely perform duties while the vessel is docked or underway.
The RESPECT Service System embodies our mission, vision, values and operating principles. By creating a company culture that puts RESPECT at its core, we believe it will drive us to achieve our goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader.
EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Hornblower is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibit discrimination and/or harassment of any type, including but not limited to discrimination and or harassment based upon race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, pregnancy or relation medical conditions, childbirth, breastfeeding, parental status, veteran and/or military status, disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, political affiliation, domestic violence survivor status, marital status, or other characteristics prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Additionally, as a federal, state, and local contractor, Hornblower complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals, where and as they apply. The company also participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations.
Restaurant Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Restaurant Jobs in IllinoisRestaurant Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for restaurant jobs in Illinois?
The most active sponsors in Illinois tend to be large hospitality groups and hotel operators rather than independent restaurants. Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (headquartered in Chicago), Aramark, and Levy Restaurants have documented histories of sponsoring work visas for culinary and food service roles. Hotel food and beverage departments and large convention center operators are generally the most consistent sponsors in this category.
What visa types are most common for restaurant roles in Illinois?
The H-1B visa applies to specialty occupation roles such as executive chef or corporate culinary director, where a relevant degree is required. The H-2B visa covers temporary or seasonal non-agricultural positions, including line cooks and servers during peak periods, though it has an annual cap. The O-1 visa is an option for chefs with extraordinary recognition. Many front-line restaurant roles do not qualify for any sponsored visa category.
Which cities in Illinois have the most restaurant visa sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the overwhelming majority of restaurant visa sponsorship activity in Illinois. Neighborhoods like the West Loop, River North, and the Loop concentrate fine dining establishments and hotel food and beverage operations most likely to sponsor visas. Outside Chicago, Rosemont and Schaumburg have convention and hospitality venues that occasionally sponsor culinary roles. Other Illinois cities have very limited sponsorship activity in this sector.
How to find restaurant visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate is the most direct way to find restaurant and food service roles in Illinois where employers are open to visa sponsorship. You can filter specifically by state and role type to surface relevant positions, rather than sorting through general job listings where sponsorship status is unclear. Migrate Mate focuses specifically on international candidates, so the jobs listed are from employers who have indicated sponsorship willingness for roles in Illinois.
Are there any Illinois-specific considerations for restaurant visa sponsorship?
Illinois requires employers sponsoring H-1B visa workers to meet Department of Labor prevailing wage standards for the specific occupation and geographic area, which for Chicago metro is typically higher than national averages given the city's cost of living. Illinois also has strong culinary training programs at institutions like Kendall College (now part of National Louis University) that can create pipelines for internationally trained chefs seeking sponsored positions at established restaurant groups.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored restaurant jobs in Illinois?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.