Canada Needs Your Culinary Skills: Live and Work in Canada as a Cook or Chef and Earn Up to $69,612 per Year

Are you trained in the culinary arts? Canada currently needs skilled chefs and cooks to join their community.

Provinces such as Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan are searching for talented individuals in the culinary sector who want to live and work in Canada. These four provinces have the highest demand for chefs and cooks, however, as a highly-skilled individual you may be able to find employment anywhere in the country.

As an experienced cook, you can expect to earn around $45,886 and experienced chefs can earn about $69,612 per year.

If you are eligible and receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada, both you and your family will have access to all of Canada amazing benefits, such as free public healthcare and education up until grade 12, not to mention that your spouse or partner will be able to apply for lucrative job offers in industries such as:

With Canadian citizens retiring earlier, and young professionals moving to urban hubs, the country has been suffering a shortage of skilled workers in certain industries. The government has therefore implemented a wide variety of programs to help resolve the issue, which has since been extremely successful.

With systems and programs such as the Express Entry system and Provincial Nominee Programs helping smooth the way for skilled and semi-skilled to live and work in Canada, the economy has seen substantial improvements and growth.

As a skilled or semi-skilled worker, you can choose from over 70 different immigration programs and visas, giving you a better chance to start a new life for you and your loved ones abroad. But with all these options available to you, the process becomes complicated, especially when you aren’t sure which programs are best for you and will optimize your immigration and visa application.

This is why using a paid government-regulated immigration consultant is so important to secure your place in Canada. There are many services offering free eligibility evaluations and claim to offer legitimate services, however, will leave hopeful candidates disappointed.

To speak to one of our immigration and visa consultants and have your eligibility assessment done by a verified service, simply click the link below or continue reading to find out what you best options are to find employment in the culinary industry is as well as how we can help you apply to live and work in Canada.

Live and work in Canada as Chef or Cook

chef holding plate of food | live and work in Canada

There are many ways to live and work in Canada a chef or cook as it is a job that is in high demand. We’ve listed the top 4 ways for you to immigrate to Canada, by securing a position in the culinary industry, below:

  • Express Entry system;
  • Provincial Nominee Program;
  • Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot; and
  • Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

Express Entry

speeding bus in city blurred | Express Entry | live and work in Canada

The Express Entry system manages the 3 Canadian federal economic immigration programs and is aimed at skilled workers who want to live and work in Canada. It works on a point-based system known as the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) which ranks candidates according to factors such as your age, language skills, education and work experience.

In order to qualify for the Express Entry system, you will have to have a skill type 0 or level A or B. Chef and cooks are classified as level B, which means that you may be eligible to apply for any program under the Express entry system.

You will be required to create an online Express Entry profile, you will be entered in a draw pool, which takes place every 2 weeks, from which the highest scoring candidates will be selected to receive an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for permanent residence in Canada.

Provincial Nominee Program

CN tower downtown Toronto Ontario Canada | live and work in Canada

The Provincial Nominee Program allows you to live and work in Canada if you are a skilled or semi-skilled worker and have a valid job offer that is in demand in a particular province or territory. Each province/territory has its own PNP with in-demand occupation lists designed to meet the individual needs of its labour market.

So, chefs may be in demand in Alberta and Saskatchewan, however, may not be in demand in Ontario. These provincial in-demand occupation lists change regularly and it is therefore important to ensure that you have up to date information before you express interest in a particular region

If you are successful in your application you will receive a provincial nomination, which is worth 600 extra points and can be added to your CRS points and will virtually guarantee that you receive an ITA for Canadian permanent residence.

These 4 provinces urgently need chefs and cooks:


Top 4 Canadian Provinces That Need Chefs and Cooks
Province/TerritoryImmigration StreamOccupation (NOC code)Average Annual Salary
AlbertaAlberta Express Entry Stream
Alberta Opportunity Stream
Chef (6321) $39,400
ManitobaManitoba Skilled Worker Overseas StreamCooks (6322)$27,300
SaskatchewanInternational Skilled Worker CategoryChef (6321)
Cooks (6322)
$52,500
$28,275
New BrunswickNew Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program Express Entry Labour Market Stream
New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program Skilled Workers With Employer Support Stream
Cooks (6322)$24,375

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

rural farmland at sunset | live and work in Canada

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-driven program aimed at helping smaller regions develop economically. Skilled workers can live and work in Canada if they have a valid job offer in one of the participating communities, which are in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Because chefs and cooks are in demand in 3 of the 5 participating regions you will qualify to apply through this program.

Because this is an employer-specific pilot, you will have to show that you intend to live in the community as well as have a qualifying job offer and get a recommendation from your designated community organization. You will also need to meet other requirements such as have qualifying work experience, meet the minimum language and educational requirements, and have enough settlement money.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

aerial view of Atlantic coastline | live and work in Canada

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is similar to the rural immigration pilot however is aimed at provinces and territories in the Atlantic region. It was originally a temporary pilot but was recently extended until March 2021 to applicants with a qualifying job offer from a designated employer in one of these specified Atlantic regions in Canada:

  • New Brunswick;
  • Newfoundland & Labrador;
  • Nova Scotia; and
  • Prince Edward Island.

Because cooks are in demand in New Brunswick, this program would apply to those wanting to live and work in Canada.

There are additional requirements that need to be met regarding work experience, job offers, minimum language, and educational requirements, and having sufficient settlement money to move to Canada. You will need to have at least 1 year of full-time, non-seasonal work experience in order to qualify for this pilot.

How We Can Help You Move to Canada

Navigating the Canadian immigration system can be a lengthy and complicated process, with a copious amount of forms and documents to complete and strict submission dates, we wouldn’t blame you if you feel scared about getting started on your application. But that's what we’re here for. At Canadian Visa, we take the stress and hassle out of planning to relocate abroad. Our accredited RCICs (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants) are ready to evaluate your eligibility, review all documentation and submit all documentation on your behalf.

Using an RCIC not only gives you the best possible chance of receiving an ITA but will make the entire process simple and stress-free. We handle the paperwork while you choose your dream job in Canada. All you have to do is fill out our application form to receive your assessment today and we’ll take care of the rest. It's just that simple.