Disability Support Worker to Australia: why it's not a points-tested visa (ANZSCO 423111)

Why Aged or Disabled Carer, ANZSCO 423111, can't be nominated for the subclass 189, 190 or 491 on its own, and how the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement and Designated Area Migration Agreements actually get disability support workers sponsored. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 Can a disability support worker get a subclass 189?
  2. 0:13 ANZSCO 423111 Aged or Disabled Carer
  3. 0:29 Can't be nominated for a 189, 190 or 491 on its own
  4. 0:41 Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA)
  5. 0:53 482 English: 5.0 standard, 4.5 under ACILA
  6. 1:07 13 DAMAs currently in place
  7. 1:20 PR through the labour agreement's own 186 stream,
  8. 1:31 Certificate III in Disability, then a labour-agreement 482
  9. 1:42 Over 600,000 NDIS participants
  10. 1:54 Where to read more

Transcript

Can a disability support worker get a subclass 189 visa in Australia? No — and understanding why changes the whole strategy.

Disability Support Worker is classified as ANZSCO 423111, Aged or Disabled Carer, Skill Level 4. It doesn't appear on the MLTSSL, the core skilled list, or the Regional Occupation List.

That means it cannot be nominated for a standard points-tested visa — the 189, the 190, or the 491 — on its own, no matter how many points you score.

The route in is the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. Home Affairs' own template names Aged or Disabled Carer as a covered occupation, assessed by Community Work Australia.

ACILA also carries an English concession. The standard subclass 482 requirement is IELTS 5.0 in each band. Under ACILA, reading and writing drop to 4.5.

There's also the Designated Area Migration Agreement route. Several of the 13 current DAMAs, including South West WA and The Goldfields, list Aged or Disabled Carer with their own concessions.

From there, permanent residence runs through the labour agreement's own Employer Nomination Scheme stream, subclass 186 — not through the points-tested 491.

There's also a student pathway: completing an Australian Certificate III in Disability, then a labour-agreement sponsored 482 — still not a points-tested visa.

The demand behind all this is real. Over 600,000 Australians receive NDIS-funded supports, and that number has grown every year since full scheme.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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