
Eligibility requirements as a cook in Canada
English requirement
IELTS (validity 2 years)
Minimum requirements for Dual Intent LMIAs
IELTS General Stream
Reading 3.5, Writing 4.0, Listening 4.5, Speaking 4.0
CELPIP
Reading 4, Writing 4, Listening 4, Speaking 4
Cooks
Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, educational institutions and other establishments. They are also employed aboard ships and at construction and logging campsites.
Index of titles
Example titles
- Apprentice cook
- Assistant cook
- Banquet cook
- Breakfast cook
- Broiler cook
- Cafeteria cook
- Camp cook
- Caterer cook
- Construction camp cook
- Cook
- Diet kitchen cook
- Dietary cook
- Domestic cook
- Ethnic food cook
- First cook
- Fishing and merchant vessel cook
- Grill cook
- Hospital cook
- Institutional cook
- Journeyman/woman cook
- Kosher foods cook
- Licensed cook
- Line cook
- Logging camp cook
- Mess cook
- Pastry cook
- Pizza cook
- Railway cook
- Restaurant cook
- Second cook
- Ship's cook
- Short order cook
- Small establishment cook
- Special diet cook
- Special order cook - hospital
- Therapeutic diet cook
- Third cook
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare and cook complete meals or individual dishes and foods
- Prepare and cook special meals for patients as instructed by dietitian or chef
- Schedule and supervise kitchen helpers
- Oversee kitchen operations
- Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment
- May set up and oversee buffets
- May clean kitchen and work area
- May plan menus, determine size of food portions, estimate food requirements and costs, and monitor and order supplies
- May hire and train kitchen staff.
- Cooks may specialize in preparing and cooking ethnic cuisine or special dishes.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program for cooks or completion of college or other program in cooking or food safety or several years of commercial cooking experience may be required.
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified cooks upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Eligibility requirements as a Chef in Canada
English requirement
IELTS (validity 2 years)
Minimum requirements for Dual Intent LMIAs
IELTS General Stream
Reading 3.5, Writing 4.0, Listening 4.5, Speaking 4.0
CELPIP
Reading 4, Writing 4, Listening 4, Speaking 4
Index of titles
Example titles
- Assistant chef
- Banquet chef
- Chef
- Chef de cuisine
- Chef de partie
- Chef pâtissier
- Cold foods chef
- Corporate chef
- Entremetier
- Executive chef
- Executive sous-chef
- First sous-chef
- Garde-manger chef
- Head chef
- Head rotisseur
- Master chef
- Meat chef
- Meat, poultry and fish chef
- Pasta chef
- Pastry chef
- Rotisserie chef
- Saucier
- Second chef
- Sous-chef
- Specialist chef
- Specialty foods chef
- Supervising chef
- Sushi chef
- Working sous-chef
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Head chefs
- Plan and direct food preparation and cooking activities of several restaurants in an establishment, restaurant chains, hospitals or other establishments with food services
- Consult with clients regarding weddings, banquets and specialty functions
- Plan menus and ensure food meets quality standards
- Estimate food requirements and may estimate food and labour costs
- Supervise activities of sous-chefs, specialist chefs, chefs and cooks
- Arrange for equipment purchases and repairs
- Recruit and hire staff
- May prepare and cook food on a regular basis, or for special guests or functions.
Sous-chefs
- Supervise activities of specialist chefs, chefs, cooks and other kitchen workers
- Demonstrate new cooking techniques and new equipment to cooking staff
- May plan menus and requisition food and kitchen supplies
- May prepare and cook meals or specialty foods.
- Prepare and cook complete meals or specialty foods, such as pastries, sauces, soups, salads, vegetables and meat, poultry and fish dishes, and create decorative food displays for special events such as banquets
- Instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing and presentation of food
- Create new recipes
- Supervise cooks and other kitchen staff
- May plan menus
- May requisition food and kitchen supplies.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Cook's trade certification or equivalent credentials, training and experience are required.
- Executive chefs usually require management training and several years of experience in commercial food preparation, including two years in a supervisory capacity and experience as a sous-chef, specialist chef or chef.
- Sous-chefs, specialist chefs and chefs usually require several years of experience in commercial food preparation.
- Red Seal endorsement for cooks is also available to qualified chefs upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
- The certifications of Certified Working Chef (CWC) and Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC), administered by the Canadian Culinary Institute (CCI) of the Canadian Culinary Federation (CCF) are available to qualified chefs.