Care worker visas are now available following new migration changes just announcd. This will allow the aged care sector to sponsor carers with the required skills to care for elderly residents even though the occupation of the aged care workers is not in the list of eligible occupations. Aged care providers have identified a need for bilingual carers.

A new labour agreements will support the country’s multicultural communities. The new agreement for the aged care sector will allow aged care facilities to sponsor carers with the required skills to care for communities’ elderly, even though the occupation of the aged care workers is not in the list of eligible occupations.

Care Worker Visas

“Aged care providers have identified a need for bilingual carers, as elderly people or those with dementia may revert to their native language or lose the ability to speak a second language,” Immigration Minister David Coleman said in a statement.

“[The new arrangement] will greatly assist them in finding the right staff to deliver vital aged care services.”

Under the new arrangement, aged care providers will be able to sponsor overseas workers for a Temporary Skills Shortage visa or an Employer Nomination Scheme Visa, provided that the employers can demonstrate that they can’t find workers with the required skills in Australia.

A new occupation of Religious Assistant is being made available for religious institutions broadening the scope for sponsoring overseas workers while expanding the scope of work for the existing occupation of Minister of Religion.

Under the existing arrangement, the Minister of Religion was required under a specified location at the most senior position. The new arrangement will afford the flexibility to the visa nominee to work in any senior position.

Mr Coleman said there are 23,000 ministers of religion in Australia and he expects strong growth in the numbers of both the ministers of religion and religious assistants in the next five years.

He said the new measures were being put in place after many multicultural faith-based communities raised concerns about difficulties in sourcing workers for religious institutions.

“The new measures will help address Australia’s religious worker skill shortage,” Mr Coleman said.

The sponsoring employer must be a religious institution under the Migration Regulations and provide evidence of charitable status.

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