Line Cooks (Level 2)

Duties

• receive supervision from journeyperson-level cooks or chefs
   
• engage in organizing, preparing, assembling, and presenting food to order
   
• prepare mise en place (everything in place) , organize their work station and production area, ensuring that the necessary food products and equipment are in place
   
• follow recipes and methods of cooking, coordinating production of orders
   
• carry out specific kitchen assignments and activities as directed
   
• apply quality standards to receiving and storing food products
   
• uphold and maintain food safety, hygienic and safe work environment standards

Employer Requirements

• An employer must provide an organizational chart (showing the reporting structure flow) listing each position in the kitchen, the salary range for each position, and the number of persons employed in each position.
   
• An employer must provide evidence of their official seating capacity.
   
• An employer must sign an Employer Compliance Declaration Form (new application form as of Nov. 2, 2009) and attach it to their application, responding to each question about the status of their business with the following legislative authorities:
   
  • Employment Standards
  • Public Health Act 
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Workers' Compensation
  • Human Rights

  Note: Employers are obligated to uphold provincial standards for both workplace health and safety, and offer their candidate(s), for as long as their candidate(s) is/are employed, a sustainable and reliable work environment. The AINP supports all legislation regarding a safe and healthy work environment, and will not approve an employer who does not adequately demonstrate compliance in meeting the AINP criteria and applicable administrative and regulatory agencies regarding their legislation.
  
  Alberta employers must be in compliance with all the aforementioned legislation. All answers must be truthful, correct and complete. Failure to completely disclose the employer's current status with any of the applicable legislative authorities will result in the refusal of current and future applications submitted to the AINP on the basis of non-disclosure. The AINP reserves the right to declare the employer ineligible to apply under the program for up to 24 months from date of application received for non-disclosure.

• To maintain program integrity, and to ensure the job description is consistent with the occupation requested, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program may conduct a site visit of the establishment.

Formal Training/Educational Requirements

A Line Cook is considered to be performing entry-level and preparation cooking tasks, and is working under the supervision of a journeyperson-level Cook or Chef.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program will consider an application made for a Line Cook where the candidate has completed two (2) years of formal certified culinary training at a recognized post-secondary or culinary institute.

A program completed outside of Canada must be equivalent, in terms of content and scope, to that of a two-year post-secondary culinary arts diploma program in Canada.

In the absence of the completion of a formal post-secondary educational program in culinary arts (as described above), the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program will consider an application made for a Line Cook who has one of the following:

• obtained the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) Qualification Certificate as a Cook, OR
   
• completed a minimum of 54 months of documented and verifiable work experience in cooking within Canada

A Line Cook must also have completed an industry-recognized safe food handling program (e.g. FOODSAFE).

Classifications

The following classifications of Line Cook may be considered:

• Assistant Cook
• Caterer Cook
• Mess Cook
• Banquet Cook
• Dietary Cook
• Second Cook
• Cafeteria Cook
• Grill Cook
• Short Order Cook
• Camp Cook
• Line Cook
• Third Cook

Employment Status

A candidate for nomination, as a Line Cook, must:

• Hold a valid work permit, as a Temporary Foreign Worker, issued for at least one (1) year by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
   
• Have been lawfully working for their employer in Alberta for at least nine (9) months preceding the date on which the application is received

Allocations

The number of Line Cooks who can be nominated for permanent residence by the province is restricted. An employer will be eligible to request a nomination for one (1) Line Cook for every 35 seats in their restaurant up to a one-time maximum of six (6) Line Cooks.

If the employer is approved for six (6) Line Cooks, the employer will not be eligible for any further approvals of this occupation under the program. The intent of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program is to help employers retain foreign workers and fill a skill shortage permanently. The employer is responsible for providing appropriate incentives or benefits to encourage valued employees to remain with the establishment. Employers of choice have effective retention plans to attract workers in a competitive labour market.

The following table should assist in clarifying the number of allocations available to one restaurant location for an application that meets the above criteria for Line Cooks:

Number of Seats in Restaurant	Maximum Number of Allocations (Line Cook)
0-69	1
70-104	2
105-139	3
140-174	4
175-209	5
210 or more	6

 

Date Updated: Feb 25, 2009
RDP-735