{"id":1832,"date":"2024-03-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eaganimmigration.com\/hiring-foreign-chefs-for-your-restaurant-finding-the-right-candidate-and-visa-path\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T14:29:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:29:05","slug":"hiring-foreign-chefs-for-your-restaurant-finding-the-right-candidate-and-visa-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eaganimmigration.com\/en\/hiring-foreign-chefs-for-your-restaurant-finding-the-right-candidate-and-visa-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring Foreign Chefs for Your Restaurant: Finding the Right Candidate and Visa Path"},"content":{"rendered":"\nBy Natalie McQuilkin\u00a0<\/strong>\n\nMulticultural foods are a staple in the United States, but it hasn\u2019t always been that way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIn <\/span>Why Hunting Down \u2018Authentic Ethnic Food\u2019 Is A Loaded Proposition<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>Maria Godoy explains that xenophobia caused many white Americans to turn their noses up at \u201cethnic\u201d foods for decades. In fact, from the 1880s to the 1920s, Godoy writes that \u201csocial workers and nutritionists cautioned that Italian food was too garlicky and spicy \u2013 which they said increased the craving for alcohol.\u201d Godoy explains that in the 1880s, \u201crumors that Chinese immigrants used rat meat in their cooking were common.\u201d Chinese cuisine was also looked down upon in the 1960s due to the use of MSG in certain dishes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nNowadays it\u2019s hard to imagine the U.S. without restaurants featuring foreign food<\/strong>. A January 2024 <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> from the Pew Research Center found that \u201c85 [percent] of U.S. counties have at least one Mexican restaurant,\u201d and nearly 30 percent of U.S. counties have Caribbean, Cuban, Latin American, Peruvian, Salvadoran, or Spanish restaurants. Asian food is also highly popular \u2013 nearly 75 percent of all U.S. counties have at least one Asian restaurant, according to <\/span>another article<\/span><\/a> from the Pew Research Center. In May 2023, they found as well that 39 percent of Asian restaurants serve Chinese food, followed by Japanese food (28 percent) and Thai food (11 percent).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAlthough thousands of restaurants featuring multicultural menus can be found from coast to coast in the United States, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that every dish that\u2019s served is authentic.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nA <\/span>Bloomberg article<\/span><\/a> covering sociologist Stephen Christ\u2019s study on the authenticity of foreign foods in the U.S. found that \u201cin the Midwest\u2026 the predominantly white clientele had little exposure to traditional Mexican cuisine. Even when they did seek out new, \u2018ethnic\u2019 flavors, they were wary of dishes that seemed too exotic or spicy.\u201d As a result, many Mexican restaurants \u201cwatered down recipes, substituted ingredients, and modified traditional cooking methods.\u201d Having to modify traditional recipes can lead to scuffles between chefs and management, too, as \u201cin many cases, cooks wanted to preserve the culinary traditions of their hometowns, while managers were willing to do whatever it took to woo diners.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIn recent years, though, there has been a shift towards boosting authenticity in restaurants with foreign menus.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nMore people are looking for \u201cauthentic ethnic food,\u201d according to <\/span>Godoy\u2019s article<\/span><\/a>. Godoy refers to Krishnendu Ray\u2019s book, <\/span>The Ethnic Restaurateur, <\/span><\/i>to explain that <\/span>\u201ceach new large wave of immigration has remade American cuisine for the better, making it \u2018more creative and rich.\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/b>Krishnendu believes<\/span> we are experiencing \u201canother culinary transformation, driven by the easing of immigration rules in 1965 that resulted in a large influx of immigration from Asia and Latin America.\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nAccording to Nation\u2019s Restaurant News<\/span><\/a>, those aged 18 to 24 are more likely to seek out <\/strong><\/span>actual <\/i>authentic cuisines, and<\/i><\/strong> they\u2019re more likely to eat foods related to their own heritage.<\/strong> Nearly 60 percent of those aged 18 to 24 who responded to Nation\u2019s Restaurant News\u2019 consumer survey said they eat ethnic foods tied to their family\u2019s ancestry or heritage. Additionally, \u201cwhen asked if they would consider trying ethnic food as a special at their favorite restaurant, even it was different from the type of food normally offered there, 80 percent of respondents said they would.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

What does a surge in desire for authentic foreign cuisine mean for restaurants?<\/b><\/h4>\nWith more people on the hunt for authentic flavors, restaurants are held to a higher standard in their recipes and menus. This can cause restaurant owners, especially those who are not familiar with ethnic cuisines, to scramble for talented chefs who can pull off authentic dishes\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIf you\u2019re a restaurant owner or manager, the best way to bring these authentic flavors to your clientele is through hiring a foreign chef with experience in a specific ethnic cuisine.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nSay, for example, you own a Thai restaurant. You hire a chef from Bangkok who can whip up panang curry and pad Thai dishes that your patrons know and love, but she also peppers in an authentic flair that other restaurants might not have. She introduces lesser-known dishes that aren\u2019t commonly served in U.S.-based Thai restaurants, like <\/span>k<\/span>ai yeow maa<\/span><\/i><\/a> (a dish featuring a hard-boiled egg that has been preserved for a month or more for a unique flavor) and <\/span>kung ten<\/span><\/i><\/a> (a dish featuring live, tiny shrimp tossed in a chili fish sauce). While these unique dishes might be new to some of your patrons, you\u2019re certain to attract Thai customers who have missed these authentic dishes. Eventually your regular clientele will learn to love your food as well, especially if they know it cannot be found anywhere else within your market.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nOr perhaps you own a Mexican restaurant that boasts a menu featuring many favorites: chimichangas, enchiladas, fajitas, and arroz con pollo. One of your chefs is from Michoac\u00e1n and adds some new menu items from home, like <\/span>sopa tarasca,<\/span><\/i><\/a> a belly-warming bean soup made with chicken broth, tomatoes, and chiles, and<\/span> corundas<\/span><\/i><\/a> \u2013<\/span><\/i> a pyramid-shaped dish made with masa flour and wrapped with green corn stalk leaves. With a menu that ventures beyond standard Tex-Mex fare, your customers will know they\u2019re getting the real deal.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nHiring a foreign chef is a great way to cultivate an authentic menu that patrons crave while also bringing more diversity and creativity to your menu, staff, and restaurant.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nThat leads us to the burning question: <\/span>How do I hire a foreign chef for my restaurant?<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

What Visas Accommodate Foreign Chefs?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\nThe process of hiring an employee from overseas has many more hurdles than hiring an employee located in the United States. However, it\u2019s important to remind yourself of all the benefits you and your business will reap by hiring a talented chef. The chef will bring authenticity to the table and be a unique asset in diversifying your restaurant\u2019s menu.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nThe first step in hiring a foreign chef is familiarizing yourself with all the visas foreign chefs can obtain. That way, once you land a promising candidate, you can determine which pathway would be the best for the chef and your business.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIn this post, we\u2019ll touch on the EB-1 pathway, O-1B visa, H-1B visa, L-1 visa, and E-2 visa and how they accommodate foreign chefs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

The EB-1 Pathway (Green Card)<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\nThe EB-1 is designed for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim. <\/span><\/b>Being a chef is an artistic occupation, so this is a great option for a chef who has been nationally or internationally\u00a0 recognized for his or her skill and performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires that the foreign national meet just <\/span>three of 10 listed criteria<\/span><\/a>, but we\u2019ve limited this list to the criteria that can be applicable to chefs:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n