Afghan Aged Care Workers Moving to Australia: 2026 Pathway

Why aged care doesn't work like other skilled visas

Aged or Disabled Carer, ANZSCO 423111, is classified at a lower ANZSCO skill level than the occupations that populate the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the general stream of the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) — the two lists behind the points-tested 189/190/491 visas and the standard Core Skills stream of the 482. That means aged care isn't reachable through the points-tested Skilled Independent (189) visa the way nursing or engineering are.

What makes it reachable at all is the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA), a standing agreement between the Australian Government and the aged care sector specifically designed to let employers sponsor direct care workers despite the occupation sitting below the standard skill threshold. This is the main door in, and it's worth understanding as its own distinct mechanism rather than a version of the standard 482.

The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement — how it actually works

Under ACILA, an aged care employer that has signed a labour agreement with the Department of Home Affairs can sponsor Aged or Disabled Carer (423111), Nursing Support Worker (423312), and Personal Care Assistant (423313) on a subclass 482 (Skills in Demand) visa, with a pathway to the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme after the qualifying period. The employer must be an approved ACILA signatory — not every aged care provider is, so confirm your prospective employer actually holds an agreement before assuming the pathway applies.

ACILA also carries concessions on English language and salary that aren't available on the standard 482 stream, which is precisely why the agreement exists — without it, the sector's own workforce shortage would have almost no visa lever to draw on.

What Community Work Australia actually assesses

Community Work Australia (the current name for the body formerly known as ACWA, rebranded August 2025) is the designated skills assessing authority for Aged or Disabled Carer under ACILA. The assessment checks three things: your qualification (a Certificate III in Individual Support, or an equivalent overseas qualification), your English language ability, and your industry experience and its currency — meaning recent, not decades-old.

Where you don't hold a formal qualification, at least 12 months of full-time paid aged care experience within the last five years can substitute. Whichever route applies, you'll need identity documents, employer reference letters describing your actual duties, and evidence of any qualification you hold. Vague references are the most common reason an assessment stalls — describe the specific care tasks you performed, not just the role name.

The other two routes: DAMA and state 491 lists

Beyond ACILA, some Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) — regional arrangements that let employers in a specific area sponsor occupations not on the national lists — include Aged or Disabled Carer among their eligible occupations, with VETASSESS running the skills assessment for these rather than Community Work Australia. DAMA regions and their occupation lists differ, so check the current list for the specific region an employer is offering work in rather than assuming coverage.

A small number of states have also, at various times, included aged care roles on their own subclass 491 state or territory nomination occupation list, which works around the national skill-level exclusion by using state-level authority instead. This changes state by state and year by year — check the live list for the state you're targeting.

English requirements are concession-eligible

Standard skilled-visa English requirements (Competent English, broadly IELTS 6.0 across each band) don't automatically apply here — ACILA and most DAMAs carry a lower concessional English standard specifically because the sector's workforce need is acute. That said, aged care work involves close daily communication with residents, families and clinical staff, so treat any English preparation as genuinely important regardless of the formal minimum.

Document evidence for this pathway

Your identity documents (such as your Tazkira), any qualification certificate, and employer reference letters are the core of a Community Work Australia application, and all non-English documents need certified English translation. If you're unable to obtain a document that is normally required — including, for some applicants, a police clearance certificate — Home Affairs' general published policy (which applies to any applicant, not specifically to Afghan cases) is that you provide a written explanation of why the document couldn't be obtained, along with whatever alternative supporting evidence is available; this is then assessed case by case. The Embassy of Afghanistan in Canberra separately processes police clearance certificate requests for Afghan nationals living in Australia, which is worth checking as a potential avenue.

Where assembling this evidence is genuinely difficult, that difficulty is a document-logistics question, not a sign the pathway is closed to you — raise it directly with Community Work Australia or a migration agent rather than assuming a gap disqualifies you.

Next steps

Confirm whether a prospective employer holds an active ACILA agreement before relying on that specific route, and check the current DAMA or state 491 occupation list for the region you're considering if ACILA doesn't apply to your situation. Start gathering duty-specific employer reference letters early, since generic letters are the most common reason an assessment stalls.

Where a case is not a standard skilled application — including where it may involve humanitarian, protection, or family circumstances alongside a genuine interest in aged care work — a MARA-registered migration agent is the right person to advise on the full range of options available, not just the skilled pathway described here. Migratio matches you with one free.

Can an Afghan aged care worker use the standard 189 visa?

No. Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111) sits below the skill level required for the points-tested 189 visa. The realistic skilled routes are the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (482/186), a Designated Area Migration Agreement, or, in some states, a specific 491 state nomination list.

Who assesses aged care skills for migration?

Community Work Australia (formerly ACWA, rebranded August 2025) assesses Aged or Disabled Carer for the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. Where a DAMA pathway is used instead, VETASSESS runs the assessment.

Do I need a formal qualification to qualify?

A Certificate III in Individual Support or an equivalent overseas qualification is the standard route. Without one, at least 12 months of full-time paid aged care experience within the last five years can substitute — check the current criteria with Community Work Australia.

What happens if I can't obtain a required document?

Home Affairs' general published policy — which applies to any applicant, not only Afghan cases — is that where a document genuinely can't be obtained, you provide a written explanation plus whatever alternative evidence is available, and this is assessed case by case.

Does every aged care employer qualify to sponsor?

No. Only employers that have signed an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement with the Department of Home Affairs can sponsor under ACILA. Confirm your prospective employer's status before relying on the pathway.

Is the English requirement lower for this pathway?

Often yes. ACILA and most DAMAs carry a concessional English standard below the Competent English bar used on standard skilled visas, reflecting the sector's acute workforce need.

Should I talk to a migration agent if my situation is more complicated than a standard work visa?

Yes. Where a case involves considerations beyond a standard skilled application, a MARA-registered agent can advise on the full range of pathways available, not just the aged care route described here.