How To Get a Job in the US Hospitality and Restaurant Industry With Education From Latin America

Do you dream of cooking, serving, or managing in America's busy restaurants and hotels? You can get a job in the US hospitality and restaurant industry with your Latin American education if you know the right path. American kitchens, hotels, and resorts hire hundreds of thousands of new workers every year. Your culinary training, language skills, and warm customer service style give you an edge.

Here's how to turn your education from Latin America into a steady paycheck and a long-term US career.

Why US Restaurants Want Workers From Latin America

Your training is valuable. US employers need bilingual staff, skilled cooks, and people who make guests feel welcome. Latin American food, from Mexican to Peruvian to Brazilian, drives some of the fastest-growing dining trends in the country.

Worried your degree from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, or the Dominican Republic won't count? It will, once you have the right paperwork to prove it.

Top Hospitality Jobs Open Right Now

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects strong growth in food service and hospitality jobs over the next decade. Employers in hotels, resorts, casinos, restaurants, food trucks, and specialty kitchens are hiring all over the country.

Common open roles include:

• Executive chef, sous chef, and line cook

• Baker, pastry chef, and caterer

• Bartender and wine sommelier

• Restaurant manager and host

• Hotel front desk clerk and concierge

• Housekeeper, bellhop, and porter

• Server, barista, and dishwasher

• Food safety technician

• Spa worker and tour guide

You don't have to live in a big city like Los Angeles. Demand is strong in tourist hubs like Orlando, Las Vegas, Napa Valley, Miami, and Ocean City. Growing markets like San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Phoenix, Allentown, and The Villages, Florida, also need help. 

How To Get a Job in the US Hospitality and Restaurant Industry: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Get Your Credentials Evaluated

US employers need proof that your Latin American degree matches a US education level. A credential evaluation does exactly that.

A Document-by-Document evaluation lists your degrees and years of study. It fits general employment, immigration, and military enlistment. A Course-by-Course evaluation goes deeper. It lists every class and grade; perfect if you want to transfer credits to a US college or qualify for licensing.

Foundation for International Services (FIS), a charter member of NACES since 1987, offers four turnaround speeds for Document-by-Document reports.

Step 2: Translate Your Documents

Are your transcripts in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Creole, Quechua, Mixtec, or Kekchi? You'll need certified English translations. FIS, a member of the American Translators Association (ATA), handles all of these languages.

Send your passport too if your name has changed since school. A good evaluator asks the right questions to keep your name consistent across every document.

Step 3: Choose the Right US Visa

Several visa types fit hospitality workers. Common options include H-1B for specialty roles, L-1 for company transfers, O-1 for extraordinary ability, and E-1, E-2, or E-3 for treaty traders and investors. If you want to invest in a US business, consider the EB-5 program. The Diversity Visa lottery is another path. Many workers eventually move to permanent residency, a green card, and citizenship.

Most of these visas need a credential evaluation. The H-1B often requires an Expert Opinion letter from a US professor confirming your skills match a bachelor's level.

How To Get a Job in the US Hospitality and Restaurant Industry as a Business Owner

America rewards entrepreneurs. If you'd rather run your own kitchen than work in someone else's, a restaurant or food truck might be your goal.

Start with a clear business plan that covers your menu, startup costs, location, and growth strategy. Then connect with a credential evaluator who has a network of culinary and hospitality experts. An Expert Opinion letter shows investors, lenders, and immigration officers that you have what it takes to succeed.

Tips To Land Your First US Hospitality Job

You don't need to check every box on a job posting. Confidence, warmth, and hard work open doors. Try these moves:

• Build your network. Many hospitality jobs never get posted online. Talk to friends, former classmates, and industry contacts.

• Know your worth. Research average wages in your city. Ask for what you deserve in the interview.

• Tell your story. Share your training, your favorite dishes, and what your home country brings to the table.

• Aim higher. With an Associate's or Bachelor 's-equivalent degree, you may earn better pay and even a sign-on bonus.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a credential evaluation take?

FIS offers same-day, next-day, one-week, and two-week options. You pick the speed that fits your timeline and budget.

Do I need a US degree to get a job in the US hospitality and restaurant industry?

No. A credential evaluation translates your Latin American education into US-accepted equivalents.

What if my documents are in Spanish or Portuguese?

FIS provides certified translations from Spanish, Portuguese, French, Creole, Quechua, Mixtec, Kekchi, and more. As an ATA member, FIS meets the standards employers and immigration agencies expect.

Can FIS send my evaluation to schools or employers?

Yes. FIS delivers your report to multiple schools, licensing boards, and employers — saving you time and stress.

Start Your US Career Today

You can get a job in the US hospitality and restaurant industry, no matter where in Latin America you trained. From Mexico City to Buenos Aires, Lima to Santo Domingo, Caracas to São Paulo, FIS has helped thousands of professionals turn their education into opportunities in the US for over 40 years.

Call FIS at (425) 472-1628, email info@fis-web.com, or start your application online and get a job in the US hospitality and restaurant industry sooner than you think.

Getting a Job in the US Hospitality and Restaurant Industry With Your Latin American Education Is Easy

FIS serves people in the U.S., Canada, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Poland, Austria, Bangladesh, Beijing, Bellevue, Bolivia, Bosnia, Boston, Brazil, Brussels, California, Camas, Cambodia, Canada, Caribbean, Century City, Chicago, China, Australia, Central America, Central Asia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dallas-Fort Worth, Dominican Republic, Dubai, Edmonds, Egypt, Houston, Kazakhstan, Kent, Kenya, Laos, Latin America, Los Angeles, London, Louisiana, Lynnwood, Madrid, Melanesia, Mexico, Miami, Micronesia, Orange County, Oregon, Orlando, Seattle, Seoul, Silicon Valley, South America, Spain, Spokane, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tacoma, Taipei, Tel Aviv, Texas, Thailand, Tokyo, Tulsa, Turkey, UAE, Uruguay, U.S. Military, United States, Vancouver, Venezuela, Washington DC

Posted on May 8, 2026 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business