UK Aged Care Workers Moving to Australia: The 2026 Pathway

Why aged care doesn't work like most skilled visas

Aged or Disabled Carer, ANZSCO 423111, sits at a lower ANZSCO skill level than most occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, and it doesn't appear on the Core Skills Occupation List either — so it isn't broadly available for the standard points-tested Skilled Independent (189) visa or the mainstream 482 the way a nurse or engineer's occupation is. That doesn't mean the occupation lacks a visa pathway; it means the pathway runs through purpose-built mechanisms: the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA), Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs), and, in some states, direct inclusion on a state's own 491 regional occupation list.

Understanding this distinction upfront saves real time — an applicant expecting a standard points-tested application for this occupation will be disappointed, but one who understands the labour agreement mechanism will find a genuinely accessible route. For UK applicants specifically, this gap between what a generic visa checker might suggest and the actual mechanism available for this occupation can be a genuine source of confusion, since so many other UK-relevant occupations do run through the mainstream points system.

The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement

ACILA, launched in May 2023, lets approved aged care providers sponsor overseas workers for direct care roles under concessions the standard 482 doesn't offer. An employer must first sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a relevant union — the United Workers Union, the Health Services Union, or the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation — before it can hold an ACILA. As of mid-2026, over 140 ACILAs are in effect nationally, covering more than 30,000 potential worker positions.

Once approved, the employer nominates you under the ACILA's 482 labour agreement stream. The main concessions: a salary floor of $51,222 a year or the market rate, whichever is higher — well below the standard 482 Core Skills Income Threshold of $79,423; a lower English requirement than the standard visa; an age concession up to 55 for the permanent-residence transition; and a pathway to permanent residence via the subclass 186 labour agreement stream after two years. Not every aged care employer holds an ACILA — ask directly before assuming a specific offer includes it. Uptake of ACILA has been slower than the government initially hoped, and much of what's been granted so far has gone to workers already in Australia on other visas — worth knowing if you're applying directly from the UK, since your employer may have less first-hand experience with the offshore side of the process than with onshoring an existing visa holder.

Community Work Australia — the ACILA assessing authority

Community Work Australia (CWA) is the designated skills assessing authority for Aged or Disabled Carer applications made under the ACILA. Its assessment criteria are relevant qualification or relevant work experience — not necessarily both — and it does not itself assess English competency, which is a separate visa-level requirement.

As at August 2026, the CWA assessment fee is approximately $595, with processing generally taking 6 to 10 weeks. What CWA wants to see: identity documents, employment references on letterhead describing your actual caregiving duties, and evidence of any relevant qualification. If your documents aren't in English, certified translations are required.

UK qualifications and the Certificate III benchmark

The Australian industry-standard qualification for aged care work is the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), or the equivalent. UK applicants are often reasonably well placed here — an NVQ or QCF Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adult Care), or equivalent vocational training, is a qualification CWA will consider, though whether it's assessed as directly comparable varies case by case rather than automatically.

If your specific qualification doesn't map cleanly, the alternatives are completing the Certificate III through an Australian registered training organisation (typically 6 to 12 months), or relying on documented UK caregiving work experience alongside whatever qualification you hold — CWA's assessment considers relevant qualification or relevant work experience, not necessarily both as an absolute requirement.

English and the DAMA alternative

Under ACILA, the concessional English requirement is IELTS General 5.0 overall, with 5.0 in Speaking and Listening and 4.5 in Reading and Writing — meaningfully lower than the Competent English standard applied elsewhere in the skilled system. Many UK applicants will clear this comfortably as native English speakers, but the labour agreement may still require you to provide an evidenced current test result rather than relying on citizenship alone; confirm the specific requirement with your prospective employer or a MARA-registered agent rather than assuming an automatic exemption applies.

Designated Area Migration Agreements are a broader alternative in several regions — regional arrangements between the government and local authorities that can include aged care roles with region-specific concessions, generally assessed by VETASSESS rather than CWA. Which mechanism actually applies to you depends on where a prospective employer is located and which agreement, if any, they hold.

Pay, costs and timeline

Aged care pay has improved substantially through several award increases since 2023 — a 15% Fair Work Commission increase in 2023, further increases in 2025, and a further award increase from July 2026 — and workers now generally earn roughly $28 to $35 an hour depending on role, location and experience, with penalty rates on top for weekends and nights (Saturday loading, higher again on Sundays). The $51,222 ACILA floor is a minimum, not a ceiling, and many employers pay above it, particularly in regional areas competing for staff, so a full-time role commonly nets somewhere between $55,000 and $70,000 a year before penalty rates.

Budget for the CWA assessment fee (approximately $595), an English test if your employer's agreement requires an evidenced result, visa application charges (indexed and varying by subclass), a health examination, and a UK police certificate. Your employer covers the ACILA nomination cost, not you. Processing for the 482 through ACILA is generally the fastest of the available pathways, typically running from a few weeks to a few months once your documentation is complete — considerably faster than the 190 or 491 points-tested routes, which can take many months given invitation-round timing.

The path to permanent residence

The subclass 186 labour agreement stream, available after two years with an ACILA-holding sponsor, is the main route to permanent residence for aged care workers, with the age concession extending eligibility up to 55. Some states also nominate aged care roles for the points-tested 190 or 491 even though the occupation sits outside the standard national lists — worth checking directly with the state you're targeting.

Which combination of employer, agreement and eventual permanent-residence route fits your circumstances is worth discussing with a MARA-registered migration agent experienced in aged care sponsorship.

Is Aged or Disabled Carer on the standard skilled occupation lists?

No. ANZSCO 423111 doesn't appear on the Core Skills Occupation List or the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, so the standard points-tested and 482 pathways don't directly apply. The realistic routes are the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, a Designated Area Migration Agreement, or state-specific inclusion on a 491 regional list.

What is the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement?

ACILA is a government arrangement letting approved aged care providers sponsor overseas workers at a concessional salary floor ($51,222 a year or market rate, whichever is higher) and a lower English requirement than the standard 482, with a path to permanent residence via the subclass 186 after two years.

Who assesses skills for aged care work under ACILA?

Community Work Australia (CWA) is the designated assessing authority for the ACILA pathway. For the DAMA pathway, VETASSESS is generally used instead — the two are different bodies for different pathways.

Does a UK care qualification meet the Australian standard?

An NVQ or QCF Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adult Care) is a commonly presented qualification, but whether it's assessed as directly comparable to the Australian Certificate III in Individual Support varies case by case, considered alongside your documented work experience.

Do UK applicants still need an English test for aged care work?

Likely yes as an evidenced current result, even though most UK applicants clear the concessional ACILA standard (IELTS General 5.0 overall) comfortably as native English speakers — confirm the specific requirement with your prospective employer rather than assuming citizenship alone is sufficient.

How much do aged care workers earn in Australia?

Following several award increases since 2023, aged care workers generally earn roughly $28 to $35 an hour depending on role, location and experience, with penalty rates for weekends and night shifts on top. The ACILA salary floor of $51,222 a year is a minimum, not a typical wage.