Food and beverage servers
Occupation · NOC 2021 65200 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 65200
- TEER
- 5
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 2,174
- Median wage, Canada
- C$18.50 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 6,212
OC<CANFOOD<AND<BEVERAGE<SERVERS<<<<<<<<<<<<< 652009<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<8
About this occupation
Food and beverage servers take patrons' food and beverage orders and serve orders to patrons. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, bars, taverns, private clubs, banquet halls and similar establishments.
Example job titles
- banquet server
- captain waiter/waitress
- chief wine steward
- cocktail waiter/waitress
- food and beverage server
- formal service waiter/waitress
- sommelier
- waiter/waitress
- wine steward
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Greet patrons, present menus, make recommendations and answer questions regarding food and beverages
- Take orders and relay to kitchen and bar staff
- Recommend wines that complement patrons' meals
- Serve food and beverages
- Prepare and serve specialty foods at patrons' tables
- Present bill to patrons and accept payment
- May order and maintain inventory of wines and wine glassware
- May perform sensory evaluation of wines.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- Formal waiters/waitresses may require completion of a one- or two-year apprenticeship program or College or vocational school courses.
- An apprenticeship program for food and beverage servers is available, but voluntary, in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
- On-the-job training is usually provided.
- Sommeliers may require courses in wine selection and service or Experience as a formal waiter/waitress.
- Responsible beverage service certification is usually required for employees serving alcoholic beverages.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2016 | 60 |
| 2017 | 48 |
| 2018 | 26 |
| 2019 | 104 |
| 2020 | 67 |
| 2021 | 59 |
| 2022 | 302 |
| 2023 | 661 |
| 2024 | 726 |
| 2025 | 99 |
| 2026 | 22 |
- Northland Properties Corporation50
- Totem Lodge Ltd31
- Restaurant Le Continental inc24
- GBG Group Inc19
- Subsea 7 Canada Inc.17
- Four Seasons Whistler Holdings Ltd.17
- Noir Food Services Ltd.15
- Haryanvi Retail Ltd.13
- Delice Resto Lounge Inc.11
- Tasty Sweets and Restaurant Ltd10
- Fox Harb'r Development10
- 1268678 BC Ltd.9
- Croisières AML inc.9
- Gestion P. Labrie inc.9
- 1849908 Alberta Inc.9
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | 70 |
| 2025 | 210 | 120 |
| 2024 | 560 | 210 |
| 2023 | 410 | 155 |
| 2022 | 60 | 95 |
| 2021 | 40 | 35 |
| 2020 | 20 | 90 |
| 2019 | 25 | 130 |
| 2018 | 10 | 105 |
| 2017 | 10 | 75 |
| 2016 | 75 | 160 |
| 2015 | 110 | 100 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2015 | 210 |
| 2016 | 235 |
| 2017 | 85 |
| 2018 | 115 |
| 2019 | 155 |
| 2020 | 110 |
| 2021 | 75 |
| 2022 | 155 |
| 2023 | 565 |
| 2024 | 770 |
| 2025 | 330 |
| 2026 | 105 |
Permanent residence
Admissions of permanent residents by intended occupation and Express Entry invitations by occupation (IRCC).
New permanent residents by year
Data table
| 2015 | 90 |
| 2016 | 90 |
| 2017 | 140 |
| 2018 | 85 |
| 2019 | 155 |
| 2020 | 50 |
| 2021 | 270 |
| 2022 | 175 |
| 2023 | 155 |
| 2024 | 175 |
| 2025 | 60 |
| 2026 | 15 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$15.00 | C$18.50 | C$30.00 |
| Alberta | C$15.00 | C$18.00 | C$30.00 |
| British Columbia | C$17.85 | C$20.00 | C$30.00 |
| Manitoba | C$16.00 | C$16.00 | C$23.00 |
| New Brunswick | C$15.65 | C$17.00 | C$25.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | C$16.00 | C$16.50 | C$25.00 |
| Nova Scotia | C$16.50 | C$16.50 | C$25.00 |
| Ontario | C$17.60 | C$17.60 | C$26.00 |
| Quebec | C$16.10 | C$20.00 | C$35.00 |
| Saskatchewan | C$15.35 | C$15.35 | C$22.50 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 6,212
- Vacancies advertised
- 9,087
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$17.60
Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more