457 visa changes on the way? – Immigration to decide on ‘Functional English’ requirement

Australia’s Immigration Department is reviewing its rules for 457 work visas in a move that could allow foreign cooks to work temporarily in Australia – without having to prove they can pass strict English language tests.

Immigration is reassessing the regulations following an industry call for thousands more chefs to come to Australia on temporary visas as part of a new labour agreement for the hospitality industry.

The review comes as Australia’s hospitality industry peak body – Restaurant and Catering Australia (RACA) – says that 3500 more cooks are needed to fill existing vacancies because of local labour shortages.

RACA’s CEO John Hart told reporters this week that foreign workers could work effectively without speaking English and should be paid the same award rates as Australian chefs.

“The reality is that most of the people coming into the business are cooks and chefs and many of the kitchens, especially in the ethnic cuisine, don’t use English at all,” he said.

Restaurant owner Angelos Tachmatzidis in Port Melbourne. Photo: Mike Sweet
Source: neoskosmos.com

“The language of the kitchen is the language of the cuisine.”

Angelos Tachmatzidis – who came to Melbourne two and a half years ago from Katerini in northern Greece – and has just opened his first restaurant – told Neos Kosmos that such a change was overdue.

“Cooks don’t need so many communication skills,” said Mr Tachmatzidis who owns Skewer’d – a new upmarket souvlaki bar in Port Melbourne.
“If you have good hands for working in a kitchen, a lot of these people’s English isn’t great, but if they have just a little, they’ll be ok.”

42-year-old Tachmatzidis – who has permanent residency through his Greek wife Sasa holding an Australian passport – said that a continuing problem for his business was finding and keeping good kitchen staff.

“I have a real problem to find good cooks here because my style is the original Greek style. I need more,” he said.
“If you want a good business you have to find good people. That’s been my headache.”

Meanwhile, Angelos has his eyes firmly fixed on Immigration’s next move, and says he welcomes any change to the visa system that could increase the availability of skilled workers.

“As soon as possible please. If they said next month, I would bring two or three workers here from Greece and they could work straight away.
“If you are working in the back, if your English isn’t so good – no problem, but for a waiter or waitress it must be perfect. If you’re cooking, it doesn’t matter.”