How to get sponsored as an aged care worker in Australia

Which visa can an aged care worker be sponsored on?

482 Core Skills stream: the default pathway for personal care workers and nursing support workers. Up to 4 years; salary at CSIT, A$79,423, and the market rate. Labour market testing applies unless exempt.

Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA): an industry-wide labour agreement introduced in 2023. It lets approved aged care providers sponsor personal care workers and nursing support workers with concessions on English, age (up to 50) and certain skills assessment requirements that do not apply to standard 482 nominations. Endorsement is at the provider level, and ACILA sets its own salary terms.

494: for providers in designated regional areas, most of Australia outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A 5-year provisional visa with a route to permanent residence through the 191 after 3 years.

186: permanent residence, either through Temporary Residence Transition after 2 years of full-time work with approved sponsors, or Direct Entry where the occupation is on the 186 list.

Occupation list status, ANZSCO code and assessing authority

SponsorTalent's occupation data file has no entry for Aged or Disabled Carer or Nursing Support Worker, so the facts below come from WIDEN's aged care sponsorship guide. Confirm the occupation is on the current Core Skills Occupation List or covered under ACILA before anyone lodges.

• Aged or Disabled Carer: ANZSCO 423111. Personal Care Assistant sits under the same code. Typically sponsored under the 482 Core Skills stream or under ACILA.
• Nursing Support Worker: ANZSCO 423314, for workers performing nursing-adjacent duties under registered nurse supervision.
• Registered Nurse (Aged Care): a separate regulated occupation; see the registered nurse guide.
• Assessing authority: none recorded for carers. A skills assessment is only required where the Department's instrument lists the occupation for your passport country; ACILA has concessions on certain skills assessment requirements.

Salary versus the threshold

For a standard 482 nomination the salary must meet both CSIT, A$79,423, and the Annual Market Salary Rate for the role and region, and cannot fall below the Aged Care Award 2010. Underpaying is a sponsorship breach and a Fair Work Act issue. ACILA sets its own salary terms. SponsorTalent does not publish average carer wages.

Skills assessment and licensing

The Department typically expects a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or an equivalent overseas qualification, plus relevant experience. Some ACILA pathways accept on-the-job training at lodgement with a commitment to obtain the Certificate III within a set period, and workers with experience but no certificate can often obtain it through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Police checks and, where applicable, NDIS Worker Screening are separate requirements: not part of the visa, but you cannot start work without them. No occupational licence applies to carers.

Work experience and English

• 482 Core Skills: at least 1 year of relevant experience in the last 5 years; IELTS 5.0 in each band or equivalent (tests from 13 September 2025); up to 4 years.
• 494: 3 years of experience, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent, under 45 unless exempt; 5-year visa, 191 after 3 years.
• 186: under 45 unless exempt, IELTS 6.0 in each band or equivalent; TRT stream needs 2 years of full-time work with approved sponsors in the 3 years before nomination.

Under ACILA the English concession is lower than the standard 482 requirement and the age concession runs to 50; the exact terms are in the agreement and the provider's endorsement.

Step by step: aged care worker applying from outside Australia

1. Confirm you are inside the rules before spending money: you have aged care experience and, ideally, a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or an equivalent qualification. If you have experience but no certificate, look at Recognition of Prior Learning.
2. Sit an English test unless your passport exempts you (IELTS 5.0 each band for a 482, 6.0 for a 186 or 494). No assessing authority is recorded for carers; ACILA has concessions on certain skills assessment requirements.
3. Register at /register-candidate; employers searching /find/aged-care-worker see your profile. Apply at /sponsored-jobs/aged-care-worker and accept only a written offer of at least A$79,423.
4. The employer obtains Standard Business Sponsorship and lodges a nomination; you lodge the visa after that. Do not resign or travel until it is granted.

Step by step: aged care worker already in Australia

On a 485, 417, 462 or 500 visa you cannot move to a sponsored visa on your own: an employer must hold Standard Business Sponsorship and lodge a nomination before you can apply. A job offer is not a nomination.

1. Keep meeting your current visa conditions while the nomination is prepared.
2. Ask the provider whether it holds Standard Business Sponsorship and whether it is endorsed under ACILA. Many students and working holiday makers already work as carers; the employer still has to nominate you.
3. If your employer will not sponsor you, register at /register-candidate and apply to sponsored aged care worker vacancies; employers seeking onshore candidates use /find/aged-care-worker.
4. Apply for the visa before your current visa expires so you receive a bridging visa.

Already on a 482? You may be without a sponsor for up to 180 consecutive days, and 365 days in total across the visa, while a new employer lodges a nomination.

For employers: how to sponsor an aged care worker

1. Standard Business Sponsorship. A$420, once; half decided in 12 days, 90% within 4 months.
2. Nomination. A$330 for a 482; half decided in 5 days, 90% within 9 months. Show the position is genuine, pays at least A$79,423 and the market rate, and that you are an approved aged care provider and, if using ACILA, that the business is endorsed under the agreement. Labour market testing applies to standard nominations unless the position is exempt.
3. Visa. Lodged by the candidate. 482 Core Skills: 69 days for half of cases, 10 months for 90%; 186 Direct Entry 10 / 14 months; 494 7 / 11 months (Department figures, 4 August 2026).
4. SAF levy. A$1,200 per year of the 482 if turnover is under A$10 million, otherwise A$1,800; one-off A$3,000 or A$5,000 for a 186 or 494. Levy and fees cannot be passed to the worker.

Search sponsorship-ready aged care worker candidates at /find/aged-care-worker; profiles show visa status, location and experience before you unlock contact details.

Frequently asked questions

Can an aged care worker be sponsored for a 482 visa?

Yes. Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111) and Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423314) are typically sponsored under the 482 Core Skills stream or the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. Confirm the occupation is on the current Core Skills list or covered by ACILA before lodging.

What is the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement?

ACILA is an industry-wide labour agreement introduced in 2023. It lets endorsed aged care providers sponsor personal care workers and nursing support workers with concessions on English, age (up to 50) and certain skills assessment requirements. Endorsement is at the provider level, so the business must be endorsed before it nominates anyone.

What qualification do I need to be sponsored as a carer?

The Department typically expects a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or an equivalent overseas qualification plus relevant experience. Some ACILA pathways accept on-the-job training at lodgement with a commitment to obtain the Certificate III later, and Recognition of Prior Learning can convert experience into the certificate.

What is the minimum salary for a sponsored aged care worker?

For a standard 482 nomination the salary must meet the Core Skills Income Threshold of A$79,423 for 2026–27 and the market rate for the role, and it cannot be below the aged care award. ACILA sets its own salary terms in the agreement.

Can my employer make me pay the SAF levy or nomination fee?

No. Migration Regulation 2.87 prohibits a sponsor from recovering the SAF levy, the sponsorship application fee, the nomination fee or sponsorship-related migration agent fees from the worker. You do pay your own visa application charge of A$4,015 for a 482.