Australia’s aged care sector is short-staffed, and that shortage isn’t slowing down. An ageing population combined with a limited local workforce has pushed many of the country’s largest aged care providers to recruit overseas nurses and carers with visa sponsorship attached.
The problem is that most “lists” of sponsoring employers online are recycled, outdated, or sitting behind a paywall asking you to register before showing you anything real. This article is different: every employer below was checked directly against their own official careers pages, not scraped from a lead-gen site. You’ll also learn which roles are actually eligible, because sponsorship works very differently depending on whether you’re a nurse or a carer.
Nurse or Caregiver? Know Which One You Are First
Before you start applying, it’s worth understanding that “aged care worker” isn’t one job, it covers two very different roles with very different sponsorship pathways. Getting this mixed up is one of the most common reasons overseas applicants get rejected or waste months applying to the wrong roles.
| Role | Qualification Needed | Registration Required | Typical Visa Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered/Enrolled Nurse (RN/EN) | Nursing degree or diploma, often plus a skills assessment if trained overseas | AHPRA registration | Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand), pathway to 186 PR |
| Carer / Personal Care Assistant (PCA) / Assistant in Nursing (AIN) | Certificate III or IV in Individual Support (Ageing) | None | Subclass 482 via Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement |
Nurses are more established sponsorship pathway. Because nursing is a recognised skilled occupation, most large aged care providers can sponsor RNs easily, especially with two or more years of experience.
Carers and Personal Care Assistants(PCAs) can also be sponsored, but only through a specific mechanism: the employer needs access to the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement. Not every provider has this in place, which is why carer-specific sponsorship is a narrower door than nurse sponsorship but it does exist, and a couple of the employers below are using it.
“Elder care” or “aged care,” by the way, is just the umbrella term for the industry not a job title. If you see it used loosely online, it usually means “either of the above.”
How Aged Care Visa Sponsorship Works
Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand visa):
- This is the main employer-sponsored visa used across the sector. It replaced the older TSS 482 visa in late 2024 but kept the same subclass number. An approved employer nominates you for a role, and the visa is typically granted for two or four years depending on the stream.
The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement:
- This is the specific arrangement that allows personal care assistants not just nurses to be sponsored under the 482 visa. Only providers who have negotiated access to this agreement can sponsor PCAs, which is why it’s worth checking for it by name when you’re researching an employer.
Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa):
- A regional-specific alternative. Many providers preference regional placements because workforce shortages are more severe outside major cities, and regional roles often come with a smoother approval process.
The PR pathway:
- Most sponsored aged care workers aim to eventually transition from the temporary 482 visa to the Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) for permanent residency. Several of the employers below explicitly mention this pathway as part of their sponsorship offer, and both nurses and eligible PCAs under a Labour Agreement can generally work toward it.
Salary Expectations: What Nurses and Carers Actually Earn
Pay is one of the first questions most overseas applicants ask, and it varies more than people expect by role, state, employer, and shift pattern (night and weekend shifts come with extra allowances on top of base pay). The figures below are national averages drawn from current job board data, following the aged care sector’s 2025 wage increase.
| Role | Average Hourly Rate | Average Annual Salary (Full-Time) | Entry-Level | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (Aged Care) | ~$35–$44 AUD | ~$85,000–$100,000 AUD | ~$79,000 AUD | Up to $129,000+ AUD |
| Personal Care Assistant / Carer | ~$27–$37 AUD | ~$65,000–$75,000 AUD | ~$55,000–$60,000 AUD | ~$65,000–$75,000+ AUD |
A few things worth knowing about these numbers:
- Nurses generally earn more than carers, reflecting the additional qualification, registration, and clinical responsibility involved
- Location matters: regional roles (which several of the employers above prioritise for sponsorship) sometimes offer higher base pay or relocation incentives to offset lower cost of living and harder-to-fill vacancies
- These are estimates, not guarantees: always confirm the exact salary, allowances, and whether superannuation is included in a specific job offer before accepting a role
The 6 Verified Employers Hiring With Sponsorship in 2026
1. Estia Health
Estia Health operates aged care homes across four Australian states and runs one of the more structured overseas recruitment processes in the sector. They offer sponsorship through the standard 482 visa (both short-term and long-term streams) as well as through Labour Agreements, and work with a dedicated migration partner to guide applicants through the process, including visa nomination fees. They welcome internationally qualified nurses and outline the process clearly on their own careers site.
- Who they sponsor: Primarily nurses, with a clear overseas application pathway
- Visa type: Subclass 482, with PR pathway
- Where to check: Estia Health’s official “Overseas Applications” careers page
2. Calvary Health Care
Calvary is a large not-for-profit operator running hospitals, aged care homes, and community care services across several states. They have an active international recruitment team and email line, and are upfront that sponsorship isn’t offered on every role it’s listed individually in each job description. This makes Calvary a good option if you’re prepared to search their live job board rather than assume company-wide sponsorship.
- Who they sponsor: Varies by role, check each job listing for a sponsorship flag
- Visa type: Subclass 482
- Where to check: Calvary’s “International Recruitment” careers page
3. Opal HealthCare
One of Australia’s largest aged care networks, with well over 100 care communities nationally. Opal’s own careers page is explicit: they offer sponsorship for Registered Nurses only, typically in regional locations, using the subclass 482 visa with a stated pathway toward 186 permanent residency.
- Who they sponsor: Registered Nurses only
- Visa type: Subclass 482 → 186 PR pathway
- Where to check: Opal HealthCare’s “Overseas Nurses” careers page
4. Bupa Aged Care
Bupa recruits qualified nurses with at least two years’ experience for its regional aged care homes, offering support to relocate and the potential for ongoing sponsorship toward permanent residency. Like Opal, this is a nurse-focused program, with a stronger emphasis on regional placements.
- Who they sponsor: Registered Nurses with 2+ years’ experience
- Visa type: Subclass 482, potential PR pathway
- Where to check: Bupa’s aged care workforce careers page
5. St Vincent’s Health Australia
St Vincent’s runs a dedicated international candidates program covering a range of specialties, including aged care, alongside mental health, intensive and critical care, emergency, theatre, and anaesthetics. Eligible applicants may also receive funding support toward visa nomination costs.
- Who they sponsor: Experienced nurses across several specialties, including aged care
- Visa type: Subclass 482
- Where to check: St Vincent’s Health Australia “International Candidates” careers page
6. Regis Aged Care
Regis is one of the largest aged care operators in the country, and sponsorship listings for both nurses and personal care assistants regularly appear on major job boards, particularly for regional homes. However, unlike the others on this list, Regis’s own official careers page doesn’t state a company-wide sponsorship policy so this one requires checking individual job ads carefully rather than assuming blanket eligibility.
- Who they sponsor: Appears to include both nurses and PCAs, but confirm per listing
- Visa type: Subclass 482, regional roles more common
- Where to check: Regis’s live job vacancies page, cross-checked against job boards for a sponsorship mention
Red Flags: Sites and Offers to Avoid
While researching this list, we came across a lot of noise: sites offering “exclusive” databases of sponsoring employers, subscription-based “job trackers,” and pages that ask you to register or pay before showing anything concrete.
Two rules of thumb will keep you safe:
- Genuine sponsorship information is never paywalled. Real employers post their sponsorship policies and vacancies openly, on their own careers pages or on free job boards like Seek and Indeed. If a site wants payment or an email signup before showing you which companies sponsor, treat that as a warning sign rather than a shortcut.
- Always verify directly with the employer’s own website. Third-party lists including this one can go out of date. Before you invest time in an application, confirm the sponsorship details on the employer’s official careers page rather than relying solely on secondhand summaries.
How to Apply: Practical Next Steps
If you’re a nurse:
- Start your AHPRA registration application early this can take time and is often a prerequisite before an employer will progress your application
- Have a skills assessment ready if you trained outside Australia
- Prepare English proficiency test results (IELTS, OET, or PTE, depending on the employer’s requirement)
If you’re a carer or PCA:
- Complete or begin a Certificate III or IV in Individual Support (Ageing) this is generally the minimum requirement
- Look specifically for employers with access to the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, since this is what makes PCA sponsorship possible
- Highlight any hands-on caregiving experience clearly in your application, as it strengthens your case even without formal registration
Where to search live roles:
- Filter Seek and Indeed listings using “visa sponsorship” alongside “aged care” to surface current openings
- Check each employer’s own careers page directly, since not every sponsored role gets listed on third-party boards
- Set up job alerts so you’re notified as soon as new sponsored roles are posted
On timelines:
- Expect the process from job offer to actually relocating to take anywhere from a few months to close to a year, depending on visa processing times, skills assessments, and your own personal circumstances. Calvary, for example, states this can take three to nine months after an official offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a caregiver with no experience get sponsored?
- A: It’s unlikely without at least a Certificate III in Individual Support. Most employers offering PCA sponsorship are still looking for some relevant training or hands-on experience, even if formal registration isn’t required.
Q: Do I need IELTS or OET to apply?
- A: Most nursing roles will require an English proficiency test as part of AHPRA registration. Requirements for carer roles vary by employer, so check the specific job listing.
Q: How long does the pathway from 482 to permanent residency take?
- A: This varies based on your visa stream, employer, and individual circumstances, but many sponsored workers begin looking at the 186 permanent residency pathway after meeting the relevant work and time requirements on their 482 visa. Speak with a registered migration agent for guidance specific to your situation.
Q: Can I bring my family with me?
- A: Generally yes most employer-sponsored visas allow you to include a spouse and dependent children, who can often access work and study rights in Australia as well. Confirm the specifics with your employer or a migration agent before applying.