Australian visas 2023: Fast-tracked permanent residency for aged care workers recruited from overseas

Under the first 'Aged Care Labour Agreement', the federal government has extended visa concessions to nurse support workers, personal care assistants and aged and disability carers. In addition to removing the conditions of higher English proficiency and post-qualification work experience, care workers will be able to apply for permanent residency within two years.

The new 'Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement' sets out ways to streamline the recruitment of qualified direct care workers from overseas. Credit: triloks/Getty Images

Key Points

• Priority visa processing set to boost supply of aged care workers.
• Visa concessions are extended to nurse support workers, personal care assistants and aged and disability care staff.
• A migration agent says she fears many international students will try switching to aged care courses as a pathway to permanent residency.

Last month, the Albanese government announced that the new 'Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement' would streamline the recruitment of qualified direct care workers from overseas to work in the aged care sector.

The new agreement would allow aged care providers to sponsor overseas workers for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa in direct care occupations such as nursing support worker, personal care assistant and aged or disability carer.

Australia is facing a shortage of direct aged-care workers and nurses. Credit: Jeff Moore/PA/Alamy/AAP Image

Aged care providers will also be able to sponsor overseas workers for permanent residency under the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa program.

Key concessions from the standard skilled visa requirements:

• Two-year pathway to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme
• Streamlined visa nomination and priority visa application processing
• No post-qualification work experience requirement
• English language concessions for workers with relevant community language skills
• Annual salary of at least $51,222 or the Australian Market Salary Rate, whichever is higher.

The federal government said care workers must have at least two years of full-time work experience in Australia in a relevant direct care occupation.

However, the two years of work experience is no longer tied to a particular employer or visa subclass.

Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said that the agreement would benefit aged care providers and the workforce by streamlining the employment and visa processes for overseas workers.

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese (L), with Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells. Source: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE

“We are ambitious for aged care and the Albanese Government’s historic $36 billion aged care budget will help restore dignity to older people, just as the Royal Commission asked us to," Ms Wells said.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended a slew of measures in its final report including establishing an aged care workforce, and planning for and long-term workforce modelling of the supply and demand for health professionals, including allied health professionals, and care workers.

CEO of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association, Tom Symondson, welcomed the move by saying “Like many aspects of Australian society, the aged care sector is struggling to attract workers at a time when Government reforms and an ageing population require providers to hire even more carers.”

Tom Symondson is CEO of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association.

“Australia and India share unique bonds of friendship. Qualified Indian carers will always be welcomed to work in Australian aged care when positions are unable to be filled locally,” he told SBS Hindi when asked if India could be tapped to fill the gaps.

According to migration expert, Suman Dua, the new agreement was good news for those who were already employed in the care industry.

However, she expressed concern that many international students would try switching to aged care courses as a pathway to permanent residency.

"We are already receiving many inquiries about this category, but, in the end, it's highly important to note that the eligible applicants will have to make sure they have employer sponsorship, which may be a bit challenging," Ms Dua said while welcoming the latest initiative.

Ongoing shortages of aged and disability care workers

The new initiative is in response to an ongoing shortage of aged and disability care workers as identified by several reports including 'Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.'

The report titled 'Care, Dignity and Respect' highlighted modelling by Deloitte Access Economics which estimated that the number of direct care workers needed to maintain current staffing levels would be around 316,500 full-time equivalents by 2050, based on demographic trends and rates of use of aged care.

"This is a 70 per cent increase - more than 130,000 additional workers - compared with the current baseline number of 186,100 full-time equivalents in 2020," the report said.

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The 2021 Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) report also called for urgent action stating that the country was facing a shortage of direct, aged-care workers within the next decade.

The report, 'Duty of care: Meeting the aged care workforce challenge', said "the shortage would balloon to more than 400,000 workers by 2050 unless we take dramatic action now."

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