Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement

ACWA is the skills assessment authority for the occupation Aged or Disabled Carer ANZSCO 423111 in connection with the new Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ILA).

The Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ILA) is an initiative of the Australian Government to address current workforce shortages in the aged care industry. The ILA streamlines the recruitment of skilled direct care workers from overseas to work in Australia where appropriately qualified Australians are not available.

You can learn more about the ILA via the Department of Home Affairs’ website.

Skills assessment applications for this occupation are assessed against the following criteria:

Relevant qualification or relevant work experience
Currency

ACWA will not assess English language competency as part of skills assessments for this occupation. However, to meet the requirements of the Aged Care ILA, potential migrants will need to provide evidence of their English language competency in their visa application to the Department of Home Affairs.

Please note: This assessment does not get you a job in Australia. It also does not guarantee you migration to Australia. You will need to find work with an employer who has signed an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.

Aged or Disabled Carer ANZSCO 423111 description

An Aged or Disabled Carer is a person who is qualified and/or experienced in delivering person-centred services to people who may require support due to ageing or disability. The primary focus of the role is to provide emotional support, care and companionship to individuals to improve their quality of life. Other tasks may include performing general housekeeping and providing household assistance, such as preparing food, assisting in personal hygiene, and getting dressed.

The occupations Nursing Support Worker ANZSCO 423312 and Personal Care Assistant ANZSCO 423313 are assessed by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). Please refer to ANMAC’s website for the skills assessment criteria for these two occupations.

Note: ACWA uses Aged or Disabled Carer terminology to be consistent with the ANZSCO Code. We believe the term ‘disabled’ is outdated and inconsistent with contemporary and respectful guidelines for referring to people with a disability.

Common occupational titles

Common job titles for the Aged or Disabled Carer occupation include:

Aged Care Worker, Disability Care Worker, Personal Care Worker, Carer, Personal Carer, Individual Support Worker, Disability Support Worker, Disability Development and Support Worker, Community Support Worker (Disability Assisted Living), In-Home Support Worker/Carer, Community Care Worker, Home Support Worker, Domestic Support Worker.

Please note: having your job title listed does not necessarily mean your work experience is relevant. Please refer to all relevant information.

Eligibility

A relevant qualification obtained overseas which is equivalent to a minimum AQF Certificate III or higher, and includes a relevant vocational placement/practical training.
or

If you do not have a relevant qualification, 12 months of relevant full-time work experience, or part-time equivalent, in Australia or overseas working as an Aged or Disabled Carer.

Please note: You do not need a skills assessment if you obtained your qualification in Australia.
If you completed a qualification overseas from an Australian registered training organisation (RTO) you will require a skills assessment. Please provide details of where you completed your qualification in your application form.

Assessment criteria

You can demonstrate criterion 1 in one of two ways:

a. Relevant qualification (AQF Level 3 or higher): A relevant AQF Certificate III or higher-level qualification obtained overseas, or overseas equivalent, which includes a relevant vocational placement/practical training. Refer to details below.

b. Relevant work experience.: If you do not have a relevant AQF Certificate III minimum qualification, at least 12 months of relevant work experience can substitute for the formal qualifications listed above. Refer to details below.

Relevant qualification

What is a relevant qualification?

Relevant qualifications include those in aged care, ageing support, geriatric care, disability care/support, individual support, home and community care, and nursing.

A relevant qualification will typically cover the following:

provide individualised support and person-centred service responses;
support independence and wellbeing;
facilitate community participation and social inclusion;
work with diverse people;
work legally and ethically;
follow safe work practices;
meet personal support needs;
support relationships with families and friends;
work with people with mental health issues and dementia.

We will not assess qualifications that are unduly short (less than 6 months in duration). This includes non-accredited free online certificate/diploma qualifications, professional development courses (CPD), or other short courses. Please note: Accredited courses are those that have been formally recognised and approved by a relevant regulatory authority.

What is meant by vocational placement/internship?

In order for your qualification to be assessed as relevant, you must provide evidence that you have completed a relevant vocational placement in:

aged, individual support, disability or health care settings; and
performed at the required skill level (see glossary).

Relevant work experience

If you do not have a relevant qualification, you must demonstrate relevant work experience as an Aged or Disabled Carer.

Relevant work experience is defined as employment that:

involves the provision of direct service to aged clients or clients with a disability, or working with clients in a similar healthcare setting;
is paid work, full-time work (or part-time equivalent)*;
is performed for a minimum of 12 months;
meets the currency requirement of 12 months in the last 5 years, as outlined in Criterion 2 – Currency.

* Refer to Glossary of terms

Whether you have a relevant qualification or relevant work experience, you must demonstrate industry currency.
You can do this in one of two ways:

Your relevant qualification issue date is within the past 4 years;

You have at least 12 months of relevant employment in the last 5 years.

Glossary of terms

Vocational placement/practical training

This is a formal work experience arrangement that is part of an education or training course which provides students the opportunity to apply the theory and skills they learned while studying in a professional workplace.

Industry experience

Paid employment which involves the provision of direct service to clients who require support due to ageing or disability. It is paid work and must be at the required skill level.

Full-time work

Full-time work is defined as paid employment of 30 hours or more per week. For part-time or casual employment, minimum hours of work will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, therefore the minimum duration of 12 months may be extended to longer, depending on hours worked.

Skill level

The level or amount of formal education or training required to competently perform the range of tasks required in a particular occupation.

Document checklist

1. Identity (all applicants, minimum 3 documents)

Colour scan of biography page of passport
Colour scans of at least two (2) other official identity documents including one official photo bearing ID such as:
- Birth certificate
- Australian visa or Immicard
- Driver license or ID card issued by country of citizenship
If applicable, colour scan of evidence of name change

2. Qualifications (if applicable)

Colour scan of qualification award certificate (or letter of completion) showing the completion or award date
Colour scan of transcript of results, including any vocational placement/practical training units completed

3. Industry experience (if applicable)

Official position descriptions for relevant work experience. Applicants must provide this evidence for all work experience claims made in the application.
Letter from employer (also known as a statement of service) showing details of the position including title, employment type (full-time, part-time, or casual), hours per week, and start and end dates. This letter must be dated. Applicants must provide this evidence for all work experience claims made in the application.
Current CV/resume including 2 referees with current contact details, one of whom must have been your workplace supervisor

4. Industry currency

Evidence of your relevant qualification with issue date within the last 4 years or
Letter from employer/s (also known as a statement of service) showing minimum 12 months of relevant work experience within the last 5 years and official position description for the industry experience

5. Agent authorisation

If appointing a migration agent, a signed Agent-authorisation-form

6. Other supporting documents

If applicable, evidence of professional registration/membership in your country of training or a country you have worked in. Evidence can include a colour scan of registration certificate or an online registration verification number

Please note:

If an original document is not written in English, you must provide an English translation along with colour scans of the originals.

ACWA reserves the right to seek additional evidence to support or supplement claims. This may include copies of salary pay slips, bank account statements or a third-party verification.

How to lodge an application

ACWA is now accepting skills assessment applications for Aged or Disabled Carer ANZSCO 423111.

The fee for skills assessment (Aged or Disabled Carer ANSZSCO 423111) is $595.

Application process

Everything you need to know about applying including fees and timeframes.