ILA Restaurant (Premium): A Practical Guide for Restaurants, Cafés and Hospitality Employers

If you run a restaurant, café or hospitality venue in regional Australia, you already know the real challenge is getting the needed staff.

One regional restaurant owners wife recently confided: she was covering the floor herself, on off days, because staff kept dropping out - while still trying to keep her day job and look after a young child.

She’d heard about sponsoring chefs.

But she hadn’t heard about the Restaurant (Premium Dining) Industry Labour Agreement at all.

That’s not unusual.

And more importantly - it’s not just about chefs.

For the right venue, this pathway can cover:

• Chefs

• Cooks

• Restaurant Managers

• Trade Waiters (including sommelier-style roles)

This guide breaks it down in plain English — what it is, who it suits, how it compares to other options, and where cafés and bakeries fit into the picture.

What Is the ILA Restaurant (Premium) Pathway?

The Restaurant (Premium Dining) Industry Labour Agreement is a hospitality-specific labour agreement framework.

From an employer perspective:

👉 It’s a structured pathway for premium venues
👉 It includes specific hospitality occupations
👉 It operates under the labour agreement stream of sponsorship

It was designed to address shortages in:

• qualified chefs

• experienced kitchen staff

• premium front-of-house service roles

• venue leadership

What Does “Premium” Actually Mean?

This is the most important filter - and where many businesses get caught out.

A Premium Dining establishment is generally described as:

• non-franchised

• at least ~$2M+ annual revenue

• offering a wine list

• employing experienced staff

• requiring specialised front-of-house and kitchen roles

Practical reality

👉 This is not aimed at every café or takeaway
👉 It is aimed at higher-end, structured hospitality operations

What Occupations Are Included?

Trade Waiter includes:

• Sommelier

• Wine Steward

• Formal / Silver Service Waiter

👉 This is where the pathway becomes particularly valuable for premium venues.

Can It Be Used for Front-of-House Staff?

Yes — in the right roles.

The pathway includes:

• Café or Restaurant Manager

• Trade Waiter (including sommelier-style roles)

It is designed for:

👉 structured, skilled, premium service positions

Café vs Bakery: Where Do They Fit?

This is one of the most common real-world questions.

Café with a full kitchen → Possible

A café may be a fit where:

• it has a real commercial kitchen

• food is genuinely cooked (not just assembled)

• the team includes chef-level roles

• the venue operates at a premium standard

The inclusion of Café or Restaurant Manager is a strong signal that cafés are not excluded.

The catch:

👉 The business still needs to meet Premium Dining criteria

Bakery → Usually unlikely

A traditional bakery is typically a poor fit because:

• Baker is not an included occupation

• the model is production + retail, not dining

• it often does not meet premium dining characteristics

Hybrid bakery-café → Grey area

A hybrid venue may be assessable if:

• it runs a full kitchen service

• the role is genuinely Chef or Cook, not baking

• the venue operates like a premium café/restaurant

Simple takeaway

👉 The business model matters just as much as the job title.

Chef vs Cook vs Pizza Maker

This is where many applications fall over - even before they start.

Chef (351311)

• higher responsibility

• menu input

• kitchen leadership

Cook (351411)

• more structured role

• less responsibility

Pizza Maker

👉 Could be a Chef if the role includes:

• dough development

• menu responsibility

• kitchen management

👉 Could be not a Chef if:

• repetitive production

• limited scope

How Does ILA Compare to Skills in Demand (SID)?

SID (standard)

• broader use

• more common

• general occupations

ILA Restaurant (Premium)

• hospitality-specific

• includes Trade Waiter

• tailored to premium venues

👉 Think of it as:

SID = general tool
ILA = specialised hospitality tool

How Does It Compare to DAMA?

DAMA

• region-specific (and yours may not be included)

• may offer flexibility

ILA Restaurant

• industry-specific

• structured nationally

Key takeaway

👉 DAMA is not the only FOH option (Front of House)
👉 ILA already includes Manager + Trade Waiter

Experience Expectations (Chefs & FOH)

For Chef, Cook and Manager:

👉 No concessions - standard occupation expectations apply

Typical indicators:

• formal training

• real commercial experience

• structured kitchen or service background

For Trade Waiter:

• combination of qualification and/or experience

• typically aligned with premium service environments

What If Staff Cross Between Roles?

This is normal in hospitality.

A chef might:

• run food

• speak with customers

• help service

That’s fine.

👉 The key is:

The core role must match the nominated occupation

Can Sponsored Staff Transition to Permanent Residency (PR)?

This is one of the most important - and often overlooked - parts of the ILA Restaurant (Premium) pathway.

For many employers, the real goal isn’t just filling a gap for 12 months.

It’s building a stable, long-term team.

The short answer

👉 Yes - this pathway can support a transition to permanent residency (PR) through employer-sponsored options, subject to the relevant requirements being met at the time.

How the PR Pathway Generally Works

Under the Restaurant (Premium Dining) labour agreement, workers may be sponsored:

• for a temporary period (up to several years), and

• in some cases, for permanent residence through employer-sponsored pathways

A commonly referenced pathway is via the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), following a period of employment with the sponsoring business.

Typical transition timeframes (general guide only)

• Chefs and Cooks → often aligned with a shorter transition period

• Trade Waiters and Café/Restaurant Managers → may involve a longer transition period

👉 The exact timing and requirements depend on the specific agreement settings and the applicable visa rules at the time.

Why This Matters for Employers

This is where the ILA becomes more than just a staffing solution.

It supports retention

Instead of constantly restarting recruitment, you can:

• bring someone in

• train them

• integrate them into your business

• and potentially retain them long-term

It strengthens your recruitment offer

From a candidate’s perspective:

👉 A role with a potential PR pathway is significantly more attractive than a short-term position.

That can make a real difference when:

• competing for skilled chefs

• attracting experienced service staff

• filling harder-to-source roles

It opens doors for roles that are otherwise limited

For some hospitality occupations, particularly:

• Cooks

• Trade Waiters

…the ILA may provide access to longer-term pathways that are more limited under standard sponsorship settings.

👉 That can be a major advantage when building a reliable team.

What About Concessions?

One of the reasons labour agreements exist is to provide structured flexibility where standard settings may not fully suit an industry.

Depending on the agreement settings, this may include:

• different benchmarks around experience

• potential flexibility in certain criteria such as English skills (The best Chefs may not have English as a first language)

• pathways that are not always available under standard programs

👉 These settings are defined within the agreement and should always be reviewed carefully.

A Practical Employer Mindset

Rather than thinking:

“How do I fill this role quickly?”

It can be more useful to think:

“If I invest in this person, can they grow with the business?”

That’s where the PR pathway becomes powerful.

It aligns:

• your need for stability

• the worker’s need for long-term opportunity

Reminder

PR pathways are not automatic and are always subject to:

• the rules in place at the time

• the worker meeting relevant criteria

• the business continuing to meet sponsorship obligations

👉 This is where early planning and good advice make a big difference.

When Is This the Right Pathway?

Best suited when:

• the venue is genuinely premium

• you need long-term staff

• roles align with included occupations

• local recruitment isn’t working

Other Options for Front-of-House

Even with this pathway, most businesses use a mix.

Working Holiday Makers

• useful for short-term coverage (and may contribute to their 88 days)

• can support FOH teams

Local hiring + training

• still critical for stability

DAMA (where available)

• may offer additional flexibility if needed

Process Overview (High-Level)

1. Confirm business fits Premium criteria

2. Define role clearly

3. Prepare documentation

4. Complete labour market testing

5. Lodge nomination

6. Candidate applies for Visa

7. Onboard and manage properly

How Long Does It Take?

There are two stages:

• labour agreement

• visa processing

👉 Expect months, not weeks.

👉 The biggest delays come from:

• unclear roles

• poor documentation

• last-minute planning

Final Thoughts

The biggest shift in thinking is this:

👉 This pathway is not just for chefs

It can support:

• kitchen

• front-of-house leadership

• premium service roles

But the real filter is not the worker.

It’s the business.

Does your venue actually look like a Premium Dining operation?

That’s the question that matters most.

Glossary of Key Terms

ANZSCO – Job classification system
SID – Skills in Demand visa
ILA – Industry Labour Agreement
DAMA – Regional migration agreement
Nomination – Employer role application
LMT – Labour Market Testing

Related Articles

Related Articles that you may enjoy
https://auvisas.au/post/becoming-a-business-sponsor

https://auvisas.au/post/common-visa-mistakes

https://auvisas.au/post/labour-market-testing

https://auvisas.au/post/costperday

https://auvisas.au/blog

Source: AU Visas Employer Guide Series

Disclaimer

The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. It is subject to change. Consult a MARA-registered migration agent or lawyer for professional advice before making any application.

👉 Contact AU Visas today for a professional opinion on your situation. https://auvisas.au/free-consult for business.