Aged Care Visa Sponsorship in Australia, Explained for Carers

Reviewed 28 August 2026 — fees and thresholds from the Department of Home Affairs price list and salary page

Yes, a carer can be sponsored to work in Australian aged care. The visa is the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, and the sponsor must be an aged care provider that either holds Standard Business Sponsorship or is endorsed under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA). The roles sponsored are Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111), Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423314) and Personal Care Assistant, which sits under 423111. You need a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or an equivalent overseas qualification, relevant experience, and English. The employer, not you, applies to sponsor and nominate a real vacancy.

What the candidate must have

• A qualification. The Department typically expects a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or an equivalent overseas qualification, plus relevant work experience. Some pathways under ACILA accept on-the-job training at lodgement with a commitment to obtain the Certificate III within a set period. Carers with genuine experience but no certificate can often obtain the Certificate III through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Experience. A standard 482 nomination needs at least one year of relevant work experience in the last five years. Part-time or casual work counts if it adds up to the equivalent.
• English. For a standard 482 you need IELTS 5.0 in each band (or an equivalent test taken from 13 September 2025). UK, US, Canadian, New Zealand and Irish passport holders are exempt. ACILA gives endorsed providers concessions on English; check the current condition on the Department of Home Affairs page for the exact score.
• Checks. Police checks and NDIS Worker Screening (where applicable) are separate requirements, but you cannot start work without them.

What the employer must do

Sponsorship is a three-step process on the employer's side, and each step is an application the provider lodges and pays for.

1. Become an approved sponsor. Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) costs A$420 and is valid for five years. Alternatively the provider applies to be endorsed under ACILA, the industry-wide labour agreement introduced in 2023. Endorsement is at the provider level: the business must be endorsed before it can nominate anyone under the agreement.
2. Nominate a real position. The nomination fee is A$330. The provider must also pay the Skilling Australians Fund levy of A$1,200 or A$1,800 for each year of the visa, depending on business size. A standard 482 nomination requires Labour Market Testing: the role must be advertised through two prescribed channels for at least 28 days before lodging. Under ACILA some concessions on testing may apply for specific occupations.
3. Pay the right salary. A standard 482 nomination must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold of A$79,423 and the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and region. Labour agreements such as ACILA set their own salary terms.

Only after the nomination is lodged do you apply for the visa itself. The 482 visa application charge is A$4,015 for the main applicant, A$4,015 per adult dependant and A$1,005 per child. The visa lasts up to four years, and after two years of full-time work with approved sponsors you may be eligible for permanent residence through the 186 Temporary Residence Transition stream, provided you are under 45 and have competent English (IELTS 6.0 in each band), or through the 494 regional visa if your provider is in a regional area.

Why "I have 2 years' experience, please sponsor me" emails do not work

Providers receive these emails every week, and almost none lead anywhere. The reason is structural, not personal.

• Sponsorship is a nomination of a specific vacancy at a specific facility, backed by a labour market test, a salary at or above the threshold, and a levy the employer pays per year of the visa.
• The employer must already hold SBS or ACILA endorsement, or be prepared to apply for it. Most providers who have never sponsored will not start the process for an unknown applicant who wrote to a generic inbox.
• An email cannot show the things a nomination needs: a verifiable qualification, evidence of experience, an English score and a clean set of checks.
• Timing for a worker outside Australia is 6 to 12 months end to end (482 Core Skills processing: 69 days for half of applications, 10 months for 90 per cent; nominations 5 days to 9 months; SBS 12 days to 4 months). Providers hire against a roster and need candidates who are ready to lodge.

What works instead is being visible where providers actually search. On SponsorTalent you register a free profile with your qualification, experience, English score and current visa status, and aged care employers who are approved sponsors or ACILA-endorsed search that pool directly. You can also check the current sponsored aged care jobs board. Providers who want to learn how sponsorship works from their side can read our employer guide.

If you want an opinion on your own case, WIDEN offers a paid consultation with a registered migration agent (A$200 + GST, credited toward any later engagement; you pay by card when booking) or a free assessment form for a first look.