If you work in a commercial kitchen, TRA may treat you as a Cook or as a Chef, and the two sit on different lists with different codes. Cook is ANZSCO 351411 and Chef is ANZSCO 351311, so picking the one that matches your real duties is the first decision of a cook skills assessment in Australia. This guide explains how the two differ and how to line up your evidence before you apply.
Why the two occupations are assessed separately
Home Affairs publishes a combined list of eligible skilled occupations. It shows each occupation's ANZSCO code, the lists it appears on and its assessing authority. For both kitchen roles the assessing authority is Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), but the entries are not the same.
Chef (351311) is on the MLTSSL and the CSOL. Cook (351411) is on the STSOL and the CSOL. Home Affairs also uses ANZSCO 2022 codes for occupations on the CSOL and ANZSCO 2013 codes for the other skilled visa lists, so the code you quote can depend on the visa you are looking at. You can check the live entries on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list.
Home Affairs adds that each assessing authority has its own procedures, timeframes and charges, and that it is your responsibility to contact the right authority for your occupation. In practice that means your kitchen job title is only the starting point.
Cook and Chef side by side
| Detail | Cook | Chef |
|---|---|---|
| ANZSCO code | 351411 | 351311 |
| Skilled occupation lists | STSOL and CSOL | MLTSSL and CSOL |
| Assessing authority | TRA | TRA |
| Where it is listed | Home Affairs combined list | Home Affairs combined list |
The lists matter because the visa you are considering may accept one occupation and not the other. Checking this early saves you from preparing a full file for an occupation that does not fit your plan.
Which one describes your job?
Look at what you actually do, not what your business card says. A cook in a busy canteen, a hotel kitchen or a restaurant line may plan and prepare food every day, while a chef's duties may cover running a section, planning menus and supervising other kitchen staff. Neither description is a promise that TRA will agree with you, so write your own duties down first and compare them with the occupation entries on the official list.
If your duties sit between the two, say so plainly in your employer statements rather than stretching the wording. Evidence that honestly matches one occupation is stronger than evidence written to fit a title.
A Certificate III in Commercial Cookery can be part of that picture. SIT30821 is current on training.gov.au and is equivalent to the earlier SIT30816. You can read about it on RPLDirect's Certificate III in Commercial Cookery page, and our guide to skills assessments for chefs goes deeper on the chef side.
Which TRA program could apply?
TRA offers several programs, based on your occupation, your passport country, where you studied and the visa you are seeking. Two matter most for overseas kitchen workers.
The Migration Skills Assessment is a documentary-based assessment that compares your qualifications and employment history with Australian standards. It is for occupations on the MLTSSL or STSOL where TRA is the assessing authority, and it costs $795 (AUD) in total. It cannot be used for subclass 485 or 482 applicants, or where your occupation and passport combination must use the Offshore Skills Assessment Program. Our Migration Skills Assessment eligibility guide covers the details, and the TRA program page is the official reference.
The Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) is for applicants who work in an occupation on the OSAP Occupation List and hold a passport from a country on the OSAP Country List. For Chef and Cook the country list includes Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Iran, Ireland, Macau SAR, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. A TRA-approved RTO carries out the assessment and recommends an outcome for TRA to approve. Read more in our OSAP explainer.
What OSAP can cost
OSAP costs up to $5,320 for Pathway 1, which is for applicants without a relevant Australian VET qualification. Pathway 2 costs $2,020 and is for applicants with a relevant Australian VET qualification or a current identified Australian occupational licence without restrictions. All amounts are in AUD, and the TRA pages are the place to confirm them before you budget.
Work experience TRA looks for
For the Migration Skills Assessment, TRA's guidelines require proof of at least 3 years of paid work in the occupation, including at least 12 months full-time (38 hours a week) or part-time equivalent within the 3 years before applying.
For OSAP Pathway 1, the guidelines set full-time paid employment at 5 years for a non-licensed trade with no formal training and 3 years for a non-licensed trade with formal training. Check the current guidelines to see which category your own case falls into.
Building evidence that fits the occupation
For the Migration Skills Assessment, TRA asks for the passport identification page, qualifications and transcripts, apprenticeship documents if applicable, a completed Employer Template form for each employment period, and pay evidence for each period.
For employment outside Australia, pay evidence means at least two of the following: official government tax records, official government documents showing the employer and period of employment, three payslips showing your and your employer's names, superannuation documents, or bank statements showing income from your employer. Documents not in English need English translations, and translations done in Australia must be by NAATI-accredited translators.
Employer statements are where Cook and Chef cases most often drift apart, because the duties listed decide which occupation the evidence supports. Our guides on an employer reference for a skills assessment and an evidence checklist for TRA show how to set them out. If you are also applying for kitchen jobs while the file is built, a short self-introduction video is one more way to explain your experience to a new employer.
Steps to choose and prepare
- Write down your real duties in a normal week: what you cook, what you plan, who you supervise.
- Compare them with the Cook and Chef entries on the Home Affairs list and note which lists each occupation is on.
- Check which visa you are considering and whether a skills assessment is required for it.
- Look at the TRA programs page and confirm which program fits your occupation, passport country and visa.
- Gather employer statements, pay evidence and qualifications for every employment period.
- Have anything not in English translated before you lodge.
Where RPL fits in
TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences. RPL is a separate route: ASQA says it recognises skills gained through previous training, work or life experience, and a qualified assessor compares them with the course requirements. If the evidence is acceptable you might get full or partial credit, and if it falls short the provider may offer additional training.
The evidence for the two overlaps: employer references, photos of your work, payslips and previous certificates are useful for both. RPLDirect's own evidence checklist lists a resume, employer reference letters, photos and videos of your work, payslips or contracts, licences, tickets and previous certificates. No outcome is certain, and a qualification on its own does not promise a visa, a licence or a job.
Common mistakes
- Choosing by title. Selecting Chef because it sounds stronger, or Cook because it sounds easier, instead of matching the duties.
- Assuming one list fits every visa. Cook and Chef are on different lists, so a visa that accepts one may not accept the other.
- Skipping the passport check. The OSAP Country List can change which program you must use.
- Thin employer statements. A statement that says only "cook" without duties, hours and dates gives the assessor little to work with.
- Missing pay evidence. Each employment period needs its own pay evidence.
- Mixing up the assessment and RPL. A skills assessment result is not a qualification.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cook or Chef the easier skills assessment?
Neither is easier by default, because TRA compares your evidence with the occupation that matches your actual duties. Choosing the lighter-sounding title when your work does not fit it can lead to a weak case, so start with what you do on a normal shift.
Can I be assessed as a Chef if my job title is Cook?
A job title alone does not decide it. What counts is the work your employer statements and other evidence describe, set against the standards for each occupation. If your duties go beyond a Cook's, your evidence needs to show that clearly, and TRA makes its own decision.
Does a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery matter for either occupation?
SIT30821 Certificate III in Commercial Cookery is a current qualification on training.gov.au, and the migration skills assessment compares your qualifications and employment history with Australian standards. Having one may strengthen your documents, but TRA still looks at your whole case.
Which TRA program applies to a cook or chef from my country?
It depends on your occupation, your passport and the visa you are seeking. If your passport country is on the OSAP Country List for Chef and Cook, check the TRA page before you assume the Migration Skills Assessment is open to you.
Can RPL replace a skills assessment for migration?
No. A migration skills assessment is issued by the assessing authority for your occupation, while RPL is a way to have your skills assessed against an Australian qualification by an RTO. They answer different questions, although the evidence you collect for one often helps with the other.
Does a positive result mean I will get a visa?
No. Home Affairs says you cannot apply for a skilled migration visa without a positive assessment, but a positive result is only one requirement. Visa decisions stay with the Department of Home Affairs.
Key takeaways
- Cook (351411) and Chef (351311) are separate TRA occupations on different skilled lists.
- Match your choice to your real duties, then check the visa you are considering.
- Your passport country may decide whether OSAP or the Migration Skills Assessment applies.
- Employer statements and pay evidence for every period carry most of the weight.
- A skills assessment and RPL do different jobs, and neither promises a visa or job.
