Restaurateurs concerned about new Australian visa restrictions for chefs
April 20 2009 by Ranjan Chakraborty
New strict English language testing for chefs moving to Australia has concerned the restaurant industry, as many restaurateurs claim they will be left short of talented staff.
The new rules, introduced last week require International English
Language Testing level 5 from immigrants who are coming to work in
Australia as head chefs, chefs and cooks. Chefs already in the country
will be removed if they cannot come up to scratch with their language
levels, leaving many restaurants susceptible to closure, according to
migration agents.
The changes will impact those moving to, and living in Australia on
457 visas and is intended to prevent immigrants with poor English being
exploited, according to Australian immigration.
Previously, ‘chef’ was one of the careers that did not require a high
level of English proficiency and many claim the changes are potentially
very damaging to the catering industry, particularly businesses
specialising in authentic ethnic cuisines.
One Indian restaurant manager says that none of his current chefs would
pass the level 5 required for their Australian visas, stating, "what we look for
is someone who is hard-working who has worked in a busy Indian
restaurant and who understands Indian cuisine - we don't need a chef
who is good at office work with excellent English but who is not hands
on."
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