How to hire aged care workers in Australia: screening, where to find them, and ACILA

Screening: what you must check before day one

• Police certificate issued within the last three years that does not show a precluding offence, or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance, which is portable between providers and checked by the state or territory screening unit. A worker with an NDIS clearance does not need a separate police certificate.
• Statutory declaration from any worker who has been a citizen or permanent resident of another country since turning 16, covering offences there.
• Working with children checks where the role touches children; vaccination under your policy and state directions; first aid for many roles.
• Right to work: a VEVO check for every visa holder, every time.

The Department of Health and Aged Care publishes the screening guidance and has flagged a future national care-and-support worker screening check aligned with the NDIS check; until it starts, the police-certificate-or-NDIS-clearance rule applies. South Australian providers also work with the SA Aged Care Sector Employment Check.

Where to find carers and nurses

Pay and the ad

Aged care award rates rose substantially from 2023 under the Fair Work Commission’s work value decisions, and the direct-care classifications now compete with retail and hospitality rather than trailing them. State the hourly rate and the classification in the ad, the shifts, and whether the role is residential or home care; carers choose on roster certainty as much as pay. Use the job ad template, and name the screening requirements up front so applicants arrive with the certificate.

The pool already here

International students in Certificate III and Diploma programs can work 48 hours a fortnight in term and unlimited hours in breaks; 485 graduates have unrestricted work rights for two to three years; many carers hold bridging or partner visas with full rights. They are the fastest hires in the sector, they arrive with an Australian qualification the regulator recognises, and the good ones become your ACILA-sponsored staff later with no relocation. Who can work for you now.

When no local carer applies: the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement

Aged or Disabled Carer, Personal Care Assistant and Nursing Support Worker are not on the skilled occupation lists, so a standard 482 cannot be nominated for them. The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement is the Department’s template that lets an approved provider sponsor those roles on the 482 labour-agreement stream, with concessions on English and salary and a 186 pathway after two years of full-time work. The provider signs a memorandum of understanding with the relevant union, requests the agreement, then nominates; the Certificate III (or a commitment to obtain it) is the qualification standard. Registered nurses (aged care) go on the standard 482 as a listed occupation. The route in detail: aged care sponsorship explained; the candidate-side page your applicants read: aged care jobs with sponsorship; the alternatives: PALM, labour agreement or DAMA.

Frequently asked questions

What checks does an aged care worker need before starting? A national police certificate under three years old with no precluding offence, or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance; a statutory declaration if they have lived overseas as an adult; working with children checks where relevant; and a VEVO check for visa holders. The rule continued under the Aged Care Act from 1 November 2025.

Do aged care workers need a Certificate III? Not by law for every role, but most providers require a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or equivalent, and the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement uses it as the qualification standard for sponsored carers.

Can I hire international students as carers? Yes, within 48 hours a fortnight during term and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks, after the same screening as any worker and a VEVO check. Students completing the Certificate III are the largest onshore supply of new carers.

Can an aged care provider sponsor carers from overseas? Yes, under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement on the 482 labour-agreement stream, after a memorandum of understanding with the relevant union; the standard 482 is not available because the carer occupations are not on the skilled lists. Registered nurses can be sponsored on the standard 482.

Where do carers who need sponsorship look for work? On SponsorTalent, where profiles show qualification, experience, visa position and location; providers search free and unlock contacts at A$30. Many candidates are already onshore on student and graduate visas.