Director of Catering Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Director of Catering roles sit squarely within H-1B visa specialty occupation territory, requiring a bachelor's degree in hospitality management or a closely related field. Employers file a Labor Condition Application before sponsoring, and green card pathways via EB-3 are well-established for experienced catering directors moving toward permanent residence.
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Get Access To All JobsDirector of Catering
The Hotel Business is your first love and selling the hotel’s event space is a close second. In the role of Director of Catering you are “the” person in charge of the team selling all banquet and conference space for your property. You manage a staff of catering sales professionals whose job it is to fill your hotel’s meeting rooms and make it a happening place. Catering Sales – it is all about making a promise and then delivering on that promise with the support of a busy team of banquet and culinary professionals who create the wow experience. In the role of Director of Catering, you will:
Be A Team Builder – oversee a great team of catering sales professionals, ensuring they have the training, skills, vision and tools to be great at what they do.
Be a Visionary – your talent to anticipate change is key. As a DOC you see ahead of current trends and understand what it takes to entice guests – business or leisure – to your hotel for whatever event they are planning. You are creative in your approach and strategic in all things, always keeping the bottom line and your GM and Owner’s goals in view.
Be a Strong Leader – work with each catering sales person so he or she understands his or her role, helping to define markets and goals for each and then measuring achievement and redefining strategies as needed.
Be a Community Presence – represent your hotel in the local community and be part of the giving back process.
Be a Hotel Presence – be sure you know, support and celebrate the hotel’s staff as it takes a team to ensure success.
Be Manager on Duty – if requested.
Job Requirements
At least five years of progressive experience in a hotel catering department or related field is required and a degree in hotel management is preferred. Previous supervisory experience is also required as is the ability to work with various hotel sales software programs. Verbal and written English language proficiency is needed as is the ability to deal with difficult situations and people, while exhibiting a consistent level of professionalism and the ability to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately. Physical requirements include the ability to work long hours; light work, i.e. exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects; the ability to work under variable temperatures and noise levels; the ability to see details; the ability to bend, stretch, twist or reach with your body and arms; and the ability to walk or stand for extended period of time. The ability to travel to Clients and meetings is essential, when necessary.
Experience
- Required 1 - 2 years: Leadership Experience in Hotel/Event Sales
- 5 year(s): Catering Sales Experience
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Director of Catering
The Hotel Business is your first love and selling the hotel’s event space is a close second. In the role of Director of Catering you are “the” person in charge of the team selling all banquet and conference space for your property. You manage a staff of catering sales professionals whose job it is to fill your hotel’s meeting rooms and make it a happening place. Catering Sales – it is all about making a promise and then delivering on that promise with the support of a busy team of banquet and culinary professionals who create the wow experience. In the role of Director of Catering, you will:
Be A Team Builder – oversee a great team of catering sales professionals, ensuring they have the training, skills, vision and tools to be great at what they do.
Be a Visionary – your talent to anticipate change is key. As a DOC you see ahead of current trends and understand what it takes to entice guests – business or leisure – to your hotel for whatever event they are planning. You are creative in your approach and strategic in all things, always keeping the bottom line and your GM and Owner’s goals in view.
Be a Strong Leader – work with each catering sales person so he or she understands his or her role, helping to define markets and goals for each and then measuring achievement and redefining strategies as needed.
Be a Community Presence – represent your hotel in the local community and be part of the giving back process.
Be a Hotel Presence – be sure you know, support and celebrate the hotel’s staff as it takes a team to ensure success.
Be Manager on Duty – if requested.
Job Requirements
At least five years of progressive experience in a hotel catering department or related field is required and a degree in hotel management is preferred. Previous supervisory experience is also required as is the ability to work with various hotel sales software programs. Verbal and written English language proficiency is needed as is the ability to deal with difficult situations and people, while exhibiting a consistent level of professionalism and the ability to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately. Physical requirements include the ability to work long hours; light work, i.e. exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects; the ability to work under variable temperatures and noise levels; the ability to see details; the ability to bend, stretch, twist or reach with your body and arms; and the ability to walk or stand for extended period of time. The ability to travel to Clients and meetings is essential, when necessary.
Experience
- Required 1 - 2 years: Leadership Experience in Hotel/Event Sales
- 5 year(s): Catering Sales Experience
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Director of Catering Jobs
Frame your degree for specialty occupation
H-1B eligibility hinges on a direct link between your degree field and catering management duties. A hospitality, food service management, or business administration degree strengthens that connection. A general arts degree without supplemental coursework creates RFE risk, so document the alignment explicitly in your resume and cover materials.
Look up prevailing wages before negotiating
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your specific metro area. Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the Level I through Level IV wage tiers for your target city before you negotiate, so you're not accepting an offer the employer legally can't file on.
Target hotel groups and venue management companies
Large hospitality groups operating convention centers, hotel chains, and private venue portfolios have dedicated HR teams with prior LCA filing experience for catering leadership roles. Focus your outreach on properties with 200-plus event rooms or catering revenue exceeding departmental thresholds, where director-level sponsorship is an established practice.
Find verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Search Migrate Mate to identify U.S. employers with verified LCA filing history for catering and hospitality management roles. This saves you from applying to employers who've never navigated visa sponsorship for food service leadership positions, cutting weeks off your job search timeline.
Start the PERM process early for green card planning
If your employer is open to permanent residence, the PERM labor certification requires a lengthy supervised recruitment process before DOL submission. For Director of Catering roles, that recruitment must demonstrate no qualified U.S. workers are available. Beginning PERM discussions during your first H-1B term avoids a gap between status expiration and I-140 approval.
Prepare for the LCA public access file requirement
Once your employer files your LCA, they must maintain a public access file containing the certified LCA, wage documentation, and the posted notice. As the sponsored employee, confirm your employer has posted the LCA notice at your primary work location for the required ten consecutive business days before your petition is submitted to USCIS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Director of Catering role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, provided the employer requires at least a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, food service management, or a directly related field as a minimum for the position. If the employer typically hires candidates without a specific degree requirement, USCIS may issue an RFE. The job description must reflect that a degree in a specific discipline is genuinely necessary to perform director-level catering duties.
Which visa types realistically cover a Director of Catering role?
H-1B is the primary path if the role meets the specialty occupation threshold. TN visa is not an option, as catering director is not on the USMCA profession list. J-1 visa is possible through a designated exchange organization but uncommon for senior management roles. For candidates already in the U.S., an EB-3 green card via PERM labor certification is a well-worn pathway for experienced catering directors whose employers are willing to sponsor permanent residence.
How do I find employers willing to sponsor a Director of Catering visa?
Browse Migrate Mate to find U.S. employers with verified sponsorship history for hospitality and catering management roles. Filtering by role type lets you identify which hotel groups, venue management companies, and hospitality corporations have an established track record of filing LCAs for director-level catering positions, so you can focus your applications where sponsorship is already a known process.
Will a three-year hospitality degree from outside the U.S. satisfy H-1B degree requirements?
A three-year bachelor's degree from Australia, the U.K., or comparable countries is generally accepted by USCIS as equivalent to a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree, particularly in hospitality and business fields. Your employer's immigration attorney will typically obtain a foreign credential evaluation from a recognized evaluating agency to confirm equivalency before filing. Degrees from countries where three-year programs are the standard national credential face the fewest challenges.
What happens to my H-1B status if I'm let go from a Director of Catering role?
You enter a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days following the loss of employment, during which you can seek a new H-1B employer. Once a new employer files an H-1B transfer petition on your behalf, you can begin work immediately without waiting for approval. If no new petition is filed within the 60-day window, you must depart the U.S. or transition to a different lawful status.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Director of Catering jobs?
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.