Australia to Issue New Visa Subclass for Aged & Disability Care Workers

Australia will issue a new visa subclass for aged and disability care workers in order to boost the aged care workforce.

The Productivity Commission has introduced a new report suggesting that the Australian government will establish a new visa subclass for aged as well as care workers, VisaGuide.World reports.

In addition, the report reveals that while 30 percent of aged care workers are migrants, less than 1 percent are sponsored for employment in the sector. Instead, it has been emphasized that 38 percent of migrants in care services are on student visas and come into the industry as sideways entrants.

According to the Inside Ageing report, the visa subclass should be a pilot and include a condition that the applicant needs in order to remain employed in specific industries for a period of four years.

The report also indicates that a new funding model for aged care could be the key in order to bring to the country a more significant number of workers.

At the same time, the Commission unfolded a proposal to re-balance public as well as private contributions in order to create a sustainable source of revenue.

The report also emphasized the need to improve the efficient delivery of care services and also the challenge of attracting a larger number of workers to the sector.

At present, only aged care Registered Nurses are listed on the Department of Home Affairs’ Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List, while the new visa subclass for aged as well as disability care workers could provide a stop-gap solution related to the workforce shortages.

Authorities in Australia offer two types of visas for foreigners who plan to retire in the country: the Investor Retirement visa (subclass 405) as well as the retirement visa (subclass 410).

The investor retirement visa permits self-funded retirees who have no dependents and plan to move to Australia in order to spend their retirement years. This kind of visa is issued for a period of four years and permits applicants to work for hours per fortnight.

At the same time, the retirement visa (subclass 410) allows foreign retirees as well as their partners who wish to spend their retirement years in Australia. Authorities in Australia have clarified that this kind of visa is temporary and does not lead to permanent residency.

However, it has also been emphasized that there is a possibility for holders of Retirement Visa (subclass 410) and Investor Visa (subclass 405) to reside permanently in Australia.

All those persons who had one of the visas mentioned above before May 2018 are eligible to file an application for the Pathway which was designed to give holders of both visa categories mentioned above the opportunity to acquire permanent residency in Australia.

>> How to Apply for an Australia Visa?

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