Industry Labour Agreement
Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement
Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement: three direct care occupations, union MoU for streamlined access, IELTS 5.0 English, AUD51,222 minimum salary.
Administered By
Department of Home Affairs
Key Benefit
Sponsorship of direct care workers on the subclass 482 and subclass 186 visas, with an MoU with the relevant union satisfying labour market testing
Eligible occupations
The agreement is limited to three direct care occupations in the aged care sector. Home Affairs states that employers of these occupations in the disability sector cannot use it and should look to a DAMA instead.
Occupations Covered
Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423312), Personal Care Assistant (423313), Aged or Disabled Carer (423111)
The request process
This agreement has a step no other industry agreement has: a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant industry union (ANMF, HSU or UWU). Providers that enter into and maintain the MoU receive streamlined access to the agreement, and the MoU satisfies the labour market testing requirement. Home Affairs also notes that the union MoU field in the ImmiAccount request form is compulsory for aged care requests.
What the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement provides
The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement lets aged care providers sponsor direct care workers as Nursing Support Worker (ANZSCO 423312), Personal Care Assistant (ANZSCO 423313) or Aged or Disabled Carer (ANZSCO 423111) on the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186). Streamlined access is given to providers that enter into and maintain a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant industry union, and Home Affairs names the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the Health Services Union and the United Workers Union as the contacts. The MoU also satisfies labour market testing.
The English concessions depend on the provider. For a standard provider, subclass 482 applicants need IELTS 5.0 or equivalent with at least 5.0 in speaking and listening and 4.5 in reading and writing; for a culturally and linguistically diverse provider, IELTS 4.5 with no component minimum, provided the worker is fluent in the target community language. Subclass 186 applicants need IELTS 5.5 with no component minimum. Workers need a relevant AQF Certificate III or higher, or 12 months of relevant full time work experience; an overseas qualification or experience in lieu of a qualification requires a positive skills assessment from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (for 423312 and 423313) or Community Work Australia (for 423111).
The minimum salary is AUD51,222 guaranteed annual earnings or the Australian market salary rate where higher, on a full time basis, with the National Employment Standards met if overtime is included in the contract. No post-qualification experience is required for the subclass 482 visa; subclass 186 applicants need at least two years of work experience in Australia in a relevant direct care occupation, not tied to one employer or visa. The subclass 186 age limit is 45 and the agreement template is published by Home Affairs. Checked against the Home Affairs page on 25 September 2026.
Visa Plan Lawyers and the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement
Visa Plan Lawyers advises providers on the union MoU and the ImmiAccount request, then prepares each nomination with the AQF Certificate III or 12 months of experience evidence, the ANMAC or Community Work Australia skills assessment where the qualification is from overseas, and the salary and English evidence the agreement requires.
Reviewed by Visa Plan Lawyers · Last updated: September 2026 · Agreement terms are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change without notice. General information only, not legal advice.