Are Thai Cooks Needed in USA?

[MartinL]

My wife's been approached by 'a friend' whose sister wants to work in a Thai restaurant in USA.

This person seems to have no catering experience, qualifications or skills - other than cooking for her family - and is looking for a local restaurant, any restaurant, to write a letter of reference for her. In other words, she's asking someone she doesn't know to lie for her.

My wife isn't involved in the restaurant trade - the 'friend' just wants her to do the leg work (Grrrrr!!) then pass on the name of a willing establishment to the sister.

Does USA still allow unqualified - except by virtue of their nationality - cooks to turn-up and work in restaurants? I'd be surprised if they did, but I don't know.

If she was looking to work in UK, my country, I'd say "Don't waste your time. There are thousands of cooks in UK - even Thai ones - and they don't need any more". I'd have thought that'd apply even more to USA.

Edited May 15, 2016 by MartinL

[tonray]

The primary labor force in the restaurant industry in the USA is from Mexico. Even in Asian food joints (example) Vietnamese, the minute the business gets too big for mom and pop who started the business to handle, they hire Mexican cooks and preps to handle the kitchen.

There are a few towns in Mexico that actually train young Mexican men in cooking techniques so when they arrive in NYC or Chicago or wherever they are able to hit the ground running. This coupled with the fact you will get minimum wage to start means that her best bet is to start her own joint if she thinks she has something special to offer.

[IMA_FARANG]

yes, it can be done.....but not just like that.

There is a market for decent cooks....Thai, Vietnamese, or whatever.

But it stiil will be working your way up from the bottom by hard work.

Nowadays the honest truth is few native-born Americans are willing to work that hard....which is why there are openings for foriegners who are willing and able to work their way in.

It always has been that way in the U.S., but now native born Americans have become fat and lazy.....sorry to have to say that but it is true.

[willyumiii]

When my Thai wife lived in California with me, she worked at a few Thai restaurants.

Most are run by Thai people and their extended families.

But Thai people in America are a tight and close community who are great about supporting and employing each other.

I used to jokingly refer to it as the Thai Mafia.

Unless she has a visa to enter the US for another reason ( and they are not easy to get ) she would have to be guaranteed employment and provide proof of that employment before a visa would even be considered.

[sturdyd]

Interesting question, at least for me. My wife runs a successful Thai restaurant in the US, but it's killing her. She can't get good help and thus does the lion's share of work by herself. Well over 80 hours a week. We tried to get her 50 year old sister a visa, but despite the fact that she (the sister) would have employment and place to live immediately on disembarking, the visa was refused flat out of hand. I'm left wondering how the US Hi-So get all these foreign domestics? It it really just a matter of who you know and/or how much money you have? I'd like to investigate using a visa "professional", but have no idea how to find one that's actually legitimate. Very frustrating.

[AZBill]

Almost every time my wife and I go into a Thai restaurant here in the U.S. they ask her if she wants a job! Been this way for years so I think her prospects are good!

[anto]

Interesting question, at least for me. My wife runs a successful Thai restaurant in the US, but it's killing her. She can't get good help and thus does the lion's share of work by herself. Well over 80 hours a week. We tried to get her 50 year old sister a visa, but despite the fact that she (the sister) would have employment and place to live immediately on disembarking, the visa was refused flat out of hand. I'm left wondering how the US Hi-So get all these foreign domestics? It it really just a matter of who you know and/or how much money you have? I'd like to investigate using a visa "professional", but have no idea how to find one that's actually legitimate. Very frustrating.

F... them,just get her in on a tourist visa and let her overstay .The Government rules are nonsense about who they let in .

[eldragon]

There are agencies that specialize in finding work for Thai chefs who want to go abroad. Two of my friends were looking into it. Offers were somewhere around 50K plus room & board for line work in a major city in USA and 90K plus room & board for head chef in Hokkaido. The line cook exaggerated her resume a bit and the head chef had 20 years documented experience.

If your 'friend' knows the right people, they might be willing to bring her on. But if she's never worked at a restaurant, it's a big risk for both parties. Even here in TH, with 1% unemployment, you're not guaranteed a job. Most chefs start out as what they call 'casual' or part-time and are later offered a full-time job if they seem promising.

[TooPoopedToPop]

Your wife's friend would be well advised to forget about the USA.

Too many hassles on all levels. It's a country that has really gone to the dogs.

[tonray]

Can she speak Spanish ?

[Stradavarius37]

Interesting question, at least for me. My wife runs a successful Thai restaurant in the US, but it's killing her. She can't get good help and thus does the lion's share of work by herself. Well over 80 hours a week. We tried to get her 50 year old sister a visa, but despite the fact that she (the sister) would have employment and place to live immediately on disembarking, the visa was refused flat out of hand. I'm left wondering how the US Hi-So get all these foreign domestics? It it really just a matter of who you know and/or how much money you have? I'd like to investigate using a visa "professional", but have no idea how to find one that's actually legitimate. Very frustrating.

F... them,just get her in on a tourist visa and let her overstay .The Government rules are nonsense about who they let in .

Yeah - that sounds like good advice...go back to the barstool...

[anto]

>>Yeah - that sounds like good advice...go back to the barstool...<<

Thats rather glib .Tell me how it would be a very bad idea then ?.The Mexicans seem to get away with it for many many years in some cases .There children even attend school and they get American driving licences .

[cyberfarang]

Not as straight forward as some may think. I can only speak regarding the situation in England but I guess it`s similar in America.

The Thai restaurant job has to be secured with an employer in America before leaving Thailand and then the employer has to apply for a work permit for the person he`s hiring. The employer has to explain why he want`s someone over from Thailand instead of hiring an American for the job. The way around this is to say that the Thai person he wants over is a specialist Thai chief or requires waiting staff that can speak, read and write fluent Thai that an average American cannot do. Another thing is, that it becomes a tied job, meaning if the employee doesn`t like the conditions of the job once working there and decides to leave, she has to return to Thailand as the work permit is no longer valid.

[Hammock]

Blind me - I have read " are thai cocks needed in USA?" ?

[matta330]

This has come up in our family but in the other end of the spectrum, a relative of my wife was offered a "job at at Thai restaurant" in the US but she had no experience and the salary being supposedly offered was well over the average waiter's salary in the US. I told my wife it was probably a sex trafficker trying to lure her in and my wife actually agreed with me, so we convinced the relative not to take the job.

[Bantex]

Blind me - I have read " are thai cocks needed in USA?" [emoji154]

Not needed - The country's full of dicks already.