Help Wanted: Pakistani Cook in Canada

Posted by Baylen on Jun. 16, 2008

A Fredericton, New Brunswick restaurant owner can’t for the life of him seem to find a sous chef. He’s blaming the government, which seems strange until you actually read the story.

A Fredericton restaurant owner says he’s had little, if any, progress since the provincial government pledged to help him find a cook six months ago.

Rizwan Ul-Haq, who owns and operates Chez Riz on Queen Street, has been trying to get someone to help him carry the load at his well-known eatery that specializes in Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

Ul-Haq works 14-hour days to keep the business going. But his efforts to find someone who can help him in the kitchen continue to meet roadblocks.

“It’s the same story as a couple of months ago. There’s nothing going on,” said Ul-Haq, who has been a restaurateur for 20 years and moved to Fredericton 21 1/2 years ago.

He said he’s been trying to contact the provincial nominee program, but “nobody returned our call.”

He has made attempts to bring in prospective employees from Pakistan, but the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad has nixed his choices for cooks he wants to bring to the country, he said.

“They told me the guy gave the wrong documents because he hadn’t worked at the same place he gave the documents for,” Ul-Haq said.

Since my father’s side of the family first came from England to the U.S. through this part of Canada about 350 years ago, and since I like Pakistani food, I feel qualified to respond.

I don’t know what’s sadder: 1) a government promising to help a restaurant to find a cook and consistently failing; 2) the restaurateur trying and failing to find a cook, often because the people he wants are people the government refuses to admit to the country; 3) the fact that a restaurant owner thinks the government should help him find a cook at all; or 4) the fact the owner wants to pay his charge a whopping $12 an hour.

Whole story here. Perhaps someone could let restaurant owner Rizwan Ul-Haq know about Toronto?

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    My father-in-law in Pakistan could do this job for you but I bet he'd have trouble getting into Canada. Australia and New Zealand are tough to get into as well, as you might qualify in one respect but not another. Ability to read or write English is a big hurdle for many in India or Pakistan. Maybe 15% of people in Pakistan learn to read or write properly, but it doesn't mean they can't cook. My father in law has the age problem. He's 54 this year.

    Another thing is that experience gained in Pakistan might not be recognised in Canada. Like my brother-in-law, who I wanted to sponsor to learn truck driving in Pakistan so he could go to Dubai or someplace where they really want drivers. First problem is that the overseas firms don't recognise the Pakistani qualification, and so the Pakistani's have to find a way to get the qualification overseas. But they can't leave the country to get the qualification. With all these Catch-22 situations, its no wonder they get devious and the governments don't trust them. A vicious circle.
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    sir
    i m [shef ] pakistani food and indiaen food and chaines food i want working in canada in resturent if your want shef u sand me e mile i wite u call my number 0092 3067025514

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