Healthcare workforce sponsorship · For employers

Sponsoring overseas health and care workers.

Australia's hospitals, aged care homes, disability services and nursing agencies all recruit from overseas, but they do not all use the same visa pathway. The right one depends on two questions: who will employ the worker, and whether the occupation is on the Core Skills Occupation List. We help health employers work that out before any money is spent, then manage the sponsorship, labour agreement, nomination and visa.

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At a glance

Health sponsorship in Australia

Key facts

Main visa: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), up to four years.
Permanent pathway: Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), depending on the pathway.
Nurses and allied health: Most are on the Core Skills Occupation List.
Carers and support workers: Not on the Core Skills Occupation List, so a labour agreement is needed.
Minimum salary (standard): AUD 79,423 for nominations lodged 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Registration: AHPRA or the relevant professional body, before the worker starts practising.

Choosing a route

Which pathway fits your organisation?

Four common situations. The pathway follows from who employs the worker and whether the occupation sits on the standard list.

A hospital, clinic or aged care provider employing nurses or allied health staff directly

Usually standard employer sponsorship, subclass 482 then 186. These occupations are on the Core Skills Occupation List, so no labour agreement is needed.

A nursing or allied health agency placing staff with client hospitals and facilities

Usually an On-hire Industry Labour Agreement. It is the only way to sponsor workers you place with other businesses.

An aged care provider employing carers, personal care assistants or nursing support workers

Usually the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. These roles are not on the standard list. The agreement opens them, with a permanent pathway.

A disability or NDIS provider employing support workers

Usually a Designated Area Migration Agreement, if your region has one that lists the role. Disability sector employers cannot use the aged care agreement.

Roles

Occupations we see most often

Nursing

Registered Nurses across specialties, Nurse Practitioners, Midwives and Enrolled Nurses.

Allied health

Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Podiatrists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians, Radiographers, Sonographers, Pharmacists and Psychologists.

Care roles

Aged or Disabled Carers, Personal Care Assistants and Nursing Support Workers, through labour agreements.

Whether a particular role qualifies depends on the occupation code that matches the actual duties, any restrictions on that code, and the worker's registration. We check this against the current list at the time of advice.

Ground rules

What every health sponsorship has in common

Registration comes first in practice

A nurse or allied health professional must be registered to practise in Australia. For many overseas-trained nurses, registration takes longer than the visa.

The employer pays the sponsorship costs

Sponsorship, nomination and Skilling Australians Fund charges cannot be passed on to the worker.

Australians first

Most pathways require evidence that you advertised the role in Australia.

Salary must match Australian rates

The worker must be paid at least what an Australian doing the same job would be paid, and at least the relevant threshold.

Home-country rules still apply

Workers from the Philippines, for example, have their own exit and employer accreditation requirements.

Our process

How we work with health employers

Viability check

Before you pay for agreement work, we confirm the right pathway, the salary position and any issues with your business record.

Sponsorship and agreement

We prepare and lodge the sponsorship or labour agreement request, including union and DAMA endorsement steps where they apply.

Nomination

Position, salary evidence, labour market testing and contracts, checked against the rules for your pathway.

Visa and beyond

Visa applications for each worker and their family, then the permanent residence stage where available.

Common questions

Health sponsorship questions

Can we sponsor a nurse without a labour agreement?

Usually yes, if you employ the nurse directly. Registered Nurses are on the Core Skills Occupation List. A labour agreement is needed if you are an agency placing the nurse with another organisation.

Can a recruitment agency sponsor aged care workers?

Not to place them with other facilities. Carer roles are only available through the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, which is held by the aged care provider that employs the worker. An agency can help recruit, but the provider sponsors.

How long does it take?

It depends on the pathway. A labour agreement request is measured in months, and the Department does not publish processing times for them. Registration for overseas-trained nurses can take around nine to fourteen months. We give you a realistic timeline at the consultation, not a guarantee.

Who pays the fees?

Sponsorship, labour agreement, nomination and Skilling Australians Fund costs must be paid by the employer and cannot be recovered from the worker.

Next step

Tell us the roles you need to fill

We will confirm which pathway applies to your organisation, what it will require of you, and a realistic timeline, before you commit to anything.

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Important information

The information on this page is general in nature, current as at 25 September 2026, and does not take account of your individual circumstances. It is not immigration assistance or legal advice. Occupation lists, thresholds and labour agreement terms change. The terms that apply to your business are confirmed at the time of advice under a written agreement. No agent can guarantee a visa outcome.

Migration Star, Registered Migration Agents, MARN 1797395.