This page sets out what official immigration and labour pages say about waiters and waiting staff in seven countries. It does not rank countries or say which one is best: each section reports what one official source states, quoted on the date it was read. Whether a route is open to you depends on your nationality, the employer and the rules in force when you apply.
United Kingdom: waiters are listed as Ineligible for the Skilled Worker visa
The GOV.UK page of eligible occupations for the Skilled Worker visa says that all SOC codes are listed as either Higher Skilled, Medium Skilled or Ineligible. In that table, occupation code 9264, “Waiters and waitresses”, is marked Ineligible. The page shows “Updated 22 July 2025”. Other UK routes are not covered here.
Related: United Kingdom country guide · UK Skilled Worker visa guide
GOV.UK (UK Visas and Immigration): Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes
Ireland: waiters are on the Ineligible List of Occupations for employment permits
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment publishes the Ineligible List of Occupations, described as “Employments in respect of which an employment permit shall not be granted”. The page says the list is effective from 13 May 2026, when SI 213 of 2026 came into effect. It includes “Waiters and waitresses” (9273) under other elementary services occupations.
The same page says that, under the Dependant Employment Permit Scheme and the Reactivation Employment Permit Scheme, foreign nationals are eligible to undertake any employment on the list, provided it does not take place in a domestic setting (other than certain carers) or is contrary to public interest.
Related: Ireland country guide
Japan: a Specified Skilled Worker field for restaurant service, currently suspended
The Japanese government’s support website for the Specified Skilled Worker programme describes the Specified Skilled Worker (i) Food Service Industry field as “Jobs waiting on customers and bringing out food at restaurants and similar businesses”, in the general restaurant industry (food and beverage processing, customer service, store management). It lists two standards: the Food Service Industry Field Specified Skilled Worker (i) Proficiency Test, and the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher).
The same page says that, because applicants were expected to exceed the acceptance quota of 50,000 people, issuance of certificates of eligibility for this field was suspended starting on April 13. The Immigration Services Agency notice on the suspension is dated 13 April 2026 and says applications in this field received from that day are not granted. As served on 23 October 2026, the support page still shows the suspension notice; neither page read states an end date.
Related: Japan country guide
Australia: Waiter is not on the Core Skills Occupation List
Home Affairs says that for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the employer must have nominated the applicant to fill an occupation specified on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), unless the applicant is exempt from needing to show this. The CSOL published by Home Affairs includes hospitality occupations such as Chef, Cook, Hotel Service Manager and Accommodation and Hospitality Managers nec. The list does not include Waiter. This page does not cover Australia’s other visa streams or working holiday visas.
Related: Australia country guide
Department of Home Affairs: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream
Department of Home Affairs: The Core Skills Occupation List (PDF)
Canada: waiters are classified in TEER 5
Canada’s National Occupational Classification lists “Waiter/waitress” among the job titles in unit group 65200, Food and beverage servers, who “take patrons' food and beverage orders and serve orders to patrons”. The unit group is in TEER 5, described as occupations that usually require short-term work demonstration and no formal education. The classification also says responsible beverage service certification is usually required for employees serving alcoholic beverages.
For the Federal Skilled Worker Program under Express Entry, IRCC says skilled work experience must be in 1 of the TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3. TEER 5 is not among them. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is not covered here, because the pages read do not name waiters.
Related: Canada country guide · Canada Express Entry guide
Employment and Social Development Canada: NOC 65200, Food and beverage servers
Malta: a Skills Pass that names Bar Waiter and Commis de Rang
The Skills Pass Tourism and Hospitality site says it is an official verification framework established by the Government of Malta. It says the framework is governed by Subsidiary Legislation 409.22 and legal notice 294 of 2025, and that these regulations clarify that third-country nationals who plan to come to Malta to work in the tourism and hospitality industry must obtain a Skills Pass, in addition to any other certification required by the competent immigration authorities.
On its page about obtaining the Skills Pass, candidates select one occupation; the options include “Bar Waiter (Bar Staff)” and “Commis de Rang (Food Service Staff)”. The page says that after Phase 2 the candidate receives the Certificate of Full Skills Pass Achievement and will be able to work in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry Sector in Malta.
Related: Malta country guide
Skills Pass Tourism and Hospitality (Malta): home page
Skills Pass Tourism and Hospitality (Malta): Obtaining the Skills Pass
United States: H-2B temporary non-agricultural work
USCIS says the H-2B program allows U.S. employers or U.S. agents who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary nonagricultural jobs, where the employer’s need is temporary. Before filing with USCIS, the employer must obtain a temporary labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for each half of the fiscal year. The page says that, as of Sept. 4, 2026, USCIS had received enough petitions to meet the cap for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2027. The USCIS page does not list occupations, so it does not say whether a waiter job would qualify.
Related: United States country guide
What the official pages used here do not cover
No pay or salary for waiters is given here: none of the pages read sets a wage for this occupation. The pages do not settle the rules for New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates or other countries, so those countries are not described. Where a page is silent about waiters, that silence is not a rule either way. Visa fees, processing times and the Skills Pass fees are not stated, because they were not confirmed from a single official source for this page.
For a wider view of each country’s programmes, browse the country guides or take the free questionnaire.
Corrections in this revision
The previous version included statements without sufficient direct support. This revision removes:
- The table that named a “best pathway” for waiters in twenty countries: it came from an internal database, not from official pages about this occupation.
- The Switzerland short-term permit, the South Korea special-ability visa and the Singapore S Pass presented as pathways for waiters: no official page read supports them for this occupation.
- The Australian Skills in Demand visa presented as the pathway for waiters: the Core Skills Occupation List read does not include Waiter.
- The UK Skilled Worker visa and the Irish General Employment Permit presented as pathways for waiters: the official lists read mark waiters as ineligible.
- The Japanese skilled worker visa presented without the suspension now shown on the official page.
- The routes named for Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UAE: no official page read ties them to waiters.
- The answer saying some countries require licence recognition or credential evaluation for waiters: no source.
- The answer pointing to points-based immigration, a German job-seeker card and digital nomad visas for waiters: no source for this occupation.
- The description promising income requirements and processing times: none was sourced.
- The statement that the page was a March source claim: replaced by the dated reading recorded here.
Questions before acting
Can a waiter get a UK Skilled Worker visa?
The GOV.UK table of eligible occupations marks code 9264, “Waiters and waitresses”, as Ineligible for the Skilled Worker visa. Other UK routes are not covered on this page.
Can an Irish employment permit be issued for a waiter job?
Ireland’s Ineligible List of Occupations, effective from 13 May 2026, includes “Waiters and waitresses” among employments for which an employment permit shall not be granted. The page says the Dependant and Reactivation Employment Permit schemes allow any employment on the list, subject to conditions.
Is there a route in Japan for restaurant service work?
The Specified Skilled Worker (i) Food Service Industry field covers jobs waiting on customers and bringing out food at restaurants. The official page says issuance of certificates of eligibility for this field was suspended starting on April 13, and as served on 23 October 2026 it states no end date.
Is Waiter on Australia’s Core Skills Occupation List?
No. The Core Skills Occupation List read on 23 October 2026 includes Chef, Cook and Hotel Service Manager, but not Waiter. The Core Skills stream of the subclass 482 visa requires nomination in an occupation on that list, unless the applicant is exempt from needing to show this.
Does this page say which country is best for waiters?
No. It reports what each official page says about waiters and the related work route. It does not rank countries or decide whether any route is open to you.
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See recorded sources
- UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office), GOV.UK — United Kingdom. page 'Updated 22 July 2025' (page metadata govuk:updated-at 2026-04-29); read on 23 Oct 2026
- Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE), Ireland — Ireland. list effective from 13 May 2026 (SI 213 of 2026); page as served 23 Oct 2026; read on 23 Oct 2026
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan (Support Website for the Specified Skilled Worker Program) — Japan. page as served 23 Oct 2026 (no date shown; suspension notice refers to 'April 13 of this year'); read on 23 Oct 2026
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan (出入国在留管理庁) — Japan. notice dated 令和８年４月１３日 (13 April 2026); page as served 23 Oct 2026; read on 23 Oct 2026
- Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs — Australia (federal). PDF as served 23 Oct 2026 (no date in the document; file created December 2024); read on 23 Oct 2026
- Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs — Australia (federal). page as served 23 Oct 2026 (no date shown); read on 23 Oct 2026
- Employment and Social Development Canada (National Occupational Classification) — Canada (federal). NOC 2021 Version 1.0; page as served 23 Oct 2026; read on 23 Oct 2026
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Canada (federal). page 'Date modified: 2026-10-16'; read on 23 Oct 2026
- Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta (Skills Pass Tourism and Hospitality, Government of Malta framework) — Malta. page as served 23 Oct 2026 (no date shown); read on 23 Oct 2026
- Institute of Tourism Studies, Malta (Skills Pass Tourism and Hospitality, Government of Malta framework) — Malta. page as served 23 Oct 2026 (no date shown; refers to S.L. 409.22 and legal notice 294 of 2025); read on 23 Oct 2026
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — United States (federal). page 'Last Reviewed/Updated: 09/11/2026'; read on 23 Oct 2026
Sources: the official pages listed above, all read live on 23 October 2026. This page is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the rule that applies to you with the issuing authority before acting.