Labour agreements for aged care providers
A number of aged care providers care for older Australians from multicultural backgrounds. In these circumstances specialised services may be required, for example, to care for aged Australians with limited English language proficiency or cultural requirements.
Accordingly, aged care providers can request a company specific labour agreement to sponsor skilled overseas workers for a Temporary Skill Shortage(TSS) subclass 482 visa, or an Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) subclass 186 visa.
The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs has recently agreed to allow aged care providers in multicultural communities to seek the following terms and/or concessions to be included in their labour agreement:
- a pathway to the permanent residency ENS visa, provided nominees having been employed for at least three years on a TSS visa,
- an age concession allowing ENS visa nominees to be up to 55 years old, and/or
- a lower English language proficiency requirement equivalent to the short-term stream of the TSS visa (ie International English Language Testing System (IELTS) component scores of at least 4.5 and an overall IELTS score of at least 5.0).
Labour agreements will only be considered where it is demonstrated that Australians cannot fill skill shortages and standard work visa programs cannot be used.
Changes to Minister of Religion Labour Agreements
The Minister of Religion Labour Agreement (MORLA) settings have recently changed.
- Religious institutions can now seek a MORLA to sponsor overseas workers under the additional occupation of ‘Religious Assistant’.
- Thresholds for sponsoring the occupation of ‘Minister of Religion’ have been made more flexible. Previously, the nominee was required to work in the most senior position in a specified location. Under new arrangements, the nominee can work in any senior position.
Sponsors will still need to demonstrate they meet all requirements of the program and have made reasonable efforts to fill positions with Australians.
Disclaimer:
The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.