Overseas applicants can seek food counter attendant jobs in Alberta’s restaurants, cafés and fast-food outlets. Job Bank reports provincial wages of CAD $15 to $20 hourly, with a $16 median. Training may be provided, while communication, hygiene and shift availability matter. Checked adverts in Fairview and Canmore are marked “LMIA requested”, not approved. Applicants needing employer support normally require an eligible offer and employer-specific work permit. Apply through Job Bank and verified restaurant operators, checking each location’s recruitment and immigration position.
Food counter attendants generally fall under NOC 65201, TEER 5, alongside kitchen helpers and related support occupations. Typical duties include taking orders, preparing simple food, packing takeaway meals, restocking and cleaning service areas. A supervisor or cook can have a different occupation code, determined by actual duties.
The checked Peak Cafe advert in Banff offers training and does not require a degree. Other employers may ask for secondary school, experience or specific availability. Show customer-service experience, safe food handling, reliability and ability to understand orders and safety instructions.
Ask whether the employer requires an approved food-safety course. Alberta Health Services recommends training for food handlers, but certification requirements do not mean every counter attendant must hold an individual certificate before recruitment. Confirm the role’s exact requirements before buying a course.
Food counter attendant salaries
Pay measure
Hourly amount
Alberta Job Bank wage range
$15.00 to $20.00
Provincial median
$16.00
Dairy Queen, Fairview advert
$16.10
A&W Canmore advert
$16.00
Job Bank’s estimates use historical labour-market data and are not guaranteed offers. At $16 hourly and 40 paid hours weekly, illustrative annual gross earnings are $33,280. Actual hours, taxes and deductions affect income. See the official wage profile.
Compare guaranteed hours, shift patterns, benefits and housing costs. Staff meals, accommodation, flights and relocation assistance are not automatic benefits of an LMIA job. Obtain written terms.
Employers with pending LMIA recruitment leads
No positive LMIA approval for the examples below was independently verified. “LMIA requested” means a request is under review. A brand-wide sponsorship promise should not be inferred from one franchise advert.
Dairy Queen, Fairview
Job Bank’s checked results identify a food counter attendant vacancy posted on 19 October 2026 at $16.10 hourly, marked “LMIA requested”. Search job number 3699746.
Published restaurant address: 11014 100th Avenue, Fairview, Alberta, T0H 1L0.
Potential permit: LMIA-supported employer-specific permit if the required approvals are obtained.
Confirm the legal franchise operator and address against the current advert. The directory contact does not establish that the restaurant has an approved LMIA or a vacancy available to you.
Employment agencies and international recruitment enquiries
Randstad Canada, Calgary North is a legitimate recruitment contact. A current sponsored food counter placement was not verified.
Address: 2912 Memorial Drive SE, Suite 301, Calgary, Alberta, T2A 7R9.
Ask whether the agency recruits for this occupation and accepts overseas candidates needing an LMIA. Identify the actual employer before submitting sensitive documents.
For Bow Valley hospitality opportunities, the Job Resource Centre offers free employment support. It is not a visa sponsor.
For many applicants abroad, the employer must first obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment. It then supplies the documents required for the worker’s permit application. The LMIA and work permit are separate decisions.
Low-wage restrictions are important for restaurant jobs
Food counter roles at the advertised rates generally fall within low-wage recruitment. Certain applications will not be processed when the worksite is in a census metropolitan area with unemployment of 6% or more. The federal table for 9 October 2026 to 7 January 2027 lists Calgary at 6.4% and Edmonton at 7.6%.
Ordinary restaurant employment does not receive the construction or food-manufacturing sector exceptions simply because it involves food. Rural or non-metropolitan locations may avoid this particular restriction, but other recruitment, wage and workforce-cap rules still apply. Check the current federal rules using the actual worksite and application date. A pending advert does not establish that a new application would be processed today.
Other work authorization
An independently eligible open permit may allow restaurant employment subject to its conditions. Some applicants may qualify through an LMIA-exempt category. An offer alone does not create an exemption, and a permit that allows work may still be unsuitable for a particular PR programme.
Complete biometrics, medical and other checks when requested. Follow approval and entry instructions before starting work.
Documents and application fees
Prepare your passport, signed contract, immigration support documents, CV, references, education or training evidence, requested financial information and translations. Medical or police evidence may be required. A language test or educational credential assessment needed for PR is a separate consideration from an employer’s hiring requirements.
Applicant fee
Amount
Work permit processing
$155
Biometrics, if required
$85 per person
Open permit holder fee, if applicable
Additional $100
Check the IRCC fee list. Employers and recruiters cannot pass LMIA processing or recruitment costs to temporary foreign workers. Do not pay for a job offer or “guaranteed LMIA”.
Permanent residence pathways
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream
NOC 65201 is an eligible occupation. Published requirements include already living and working in Alberta for an approved employer, an eligible valid permit, at least six consecutive months and 780 hours with the current employer, and a qualifying full-time offer.
The usual permit basis is a positive LMIA, with a specified wildfire-related exception. Language requirements include CLB/NCLC 4 in every ability. Canadian high-school equivalency and an ECA are normally required unless exempt. Part-time, casual, seasonal and temporary agency employment are ineligible.
Read the complete eligibility rules. Employer approval is separate from an LMIA. Six months of work does not guarantee nomination. Worker streams use an Expression of Interest and invitation process, followed by provincial assessment and a separate federal PR decision.
Food counter attendant work is TEER 5 and does not satisfy the TEER 0 to 3 work-experience requirement for the Canadian Experience Class or Federal Skilled Worker Program. Other eligible experience may establish eligibility. A genuine move into supervisory or skilled work requires the actual duties and qualifications, not just a changed title. Check Express Entry eligibility.
Rural Renewal Stream and RCIP
Alberta’s Rural Renewal Stream requires an eligible job and endorsement from a designated community outside the Calgary and Edmonton metropolitan areas. Not every rural restaurant participates. Use the official community directory.
The federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot is separate. Alberta’s participating community is Claresholm; its checked 2026 priority list does not include NOC 65201. A restaurant offer elsewhere in Alberta cannot be used as a Claresholm RCIP offer.
Contact:eda@claresholm.ca, Claresholm RCIP. Town office: 111 55 Avenue West, Claresholm, Alberta, T0L 0T0. General telephone: +1 403 625 3381. These contacts do not establish occupation eligibility or guarantee a recommendation.
PR permits work and study across Canada and access to benefits subject to eligibility. Healthcare follows provincial rules; citizenship has separate requirements. Temporary restaurant employment does not automatically confer PR.
Embassy contacts and verification
Apply through IRCC and follow official biometrics and passport instructions. Embassies do not sell job offers or guarantee approvals.
For Nigerian applicants, the High Commission of Canada in Abuja lists 13010G, Palm Close, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja. Telephone: +234 (209) 461 2900. General email: abuja@international.gc.ca. Visa enquiries use the IRCC web form linked there.
Mistakes to avoid
Confusing “LMIA requested” with a positive decision.
Assuming every branch of a restaurant chain supports permits.
Ignoring worksite-specific low-wage restrictions.
Paying recruitment fees or for guaranteed PR.
Accepting seasonal work while assuming it qualifies for the hospitality stream.
Starting work without authorization or submitting false documents.
Verify employers independently and check any paid immigration consultant through the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, or a lawyer through the relevant Canadian law society. Obtain written employment terms and lawful authorization before committing to relocation costs.
