Aged and Health Care Visas
Skilled migration strengthens the delivery of essential healthcare services.
Health and aged care providers face persistent workforce challenges —chronic shortages in regional and remote communities, increasing demand from an ageing population, and competition for skilled professionals across hospitals, clinics, and aged care facilities.
Nurses, aged care workers, allied health professionals, doctors, and medical specialists are often required urgently to maintain patient care standards and meet regulatory staffing ratios.
Australia’s skilled migration program enables Health and Aged Care employers to access a broader global talent pool, helping to ensure continuity of care and service delivery when local recruitment falls short.
Key Visas Used in Health and Aged Care
To assist businesses with understanding the top 7 visa arrangements commonly used by the Health and Aged Care sector, Interstaff has prepared a comparative analysis based on our industry experience.
DAMAs
Category
Designated Area Regional Migration Agreements
How it Meets Health Needs
- Allows sponsorship of health and aged care roles not on standard occupation lists, with access to visa concessions.
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- Offers concessions on age, English, and salary in designated regions.
Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement
Category
Sector-specific Labour Agreement
How it Meets Health Needs
- Enables aged care providers to sponsor workers for with streamlined requirements and tailored concessions.
482 Skills in Demand Visa
Category
Temporary Employer-Sponsored Visa
How it Meets Health Needs
- Enables sponsorship of nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals.
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- High-earning medical professionals may qualify for faster visa processing via the 482 Visa Specialist Skills Stream.
494 Regional Visa
Category
Employer-Sponsored Regional Visa
How it Meets Health Needs
- Supports long-term employment in regional and remote health facilities.
400 Short Stay Specialist Visa
Category
Short-Term, Highly Specialised Work Visa
How it Meets Health Needs
- Suitable for urgent deployments such as locum tenens, specialist consultations, or short-term clinical support.
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- Relatively fast processing with stays up to 3–6 months.
186 Permanent Visa
Category
Permanent Residence via Employer Sponsorship
How it Meets Health Needs
- The 186 Transition stream supports retention of staff.
- The 186 Direct Entry stream provides Permanent Residence for health professionals without prior sponsorship.
Employing Existing Visa Holders
Category
Independent Skilled Migration Visas
Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Visas
Student and Graduate Visas
How it Meets Health Needs
- States and Territories may nominate skilled migrants for 190 and 491 visas in priority health occupations.
Health and Aged Care Labour Insights
Australia’s standard skilled migration program—encompassing the 482 Skills in Demand Visa and the 494 Regional Visa—provides the main pathways for international health professionals, with a broad range of medical and nursing roles listed on the Skilled Occupation Lists.
For care and support roles, the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement may be suitable, though employers must navigate a comprehensive application process including union engagement.
Interstaff: Skilled Migration Specialists
Interstaff has delivered skilled immigration solutions to employers and individuals for over three decades. Our Registered Migration Agent team understands the workforce pressures faced by hospitals, medical and GP offices, aged care, and community health services.
Operators face ongoing workforce shortages, rising compliance requirements, and pressure to maintain continuity of care.
Experience matters when time, staffing, and compliance converge. We’ve worked with providers of all sizes and understand the cost of disruption. Our role is to keep the process structured and risks under control, so providers can focus on delivering care.
Interstaff works with health providers to secure skilled workers through reliable visa and sponsorship pathways.
APPLY
Assess and Strategise:
Healthcare Worker Visa Strategy
Managing migration for the health industry requires more than filling out paperwork. Our team advises on visa planning and renewal timelines, giving clients the ability to plan ahead rather than react to unexpected delays.
We support businesses by:
- Reviewing hard-to-fill roles and workforce needs
- Assessing sponsorship and visa eligibility – enabling faster, more confident hiring decisions
- Providing migration advice on a suitable visa strategy including compliance matters
STRATEGISE
Apply and Comply:
Visa and Sponsorship Management
We provide clarity and consistency throughout the application process, allowing workforce requirements to move forward without unnecessary delays.
We support businesses by:
- Advising on key requirements such as local job advertising requirements and salary benchmarks
- Managing all aspects of sponsorship, nomination, and visa applications, including complex cases
- Providing clear reporting and oversight of multiple visa holders and obligations
- Keeping you and your employees informed at every stage of the process
GROW
Retain and Grow:
Staying Compliant and Future-Ready
We help businesses align skilled migration with their broader workforce strategy to boost stability, retain global talent, and support long-term growth. Our support includes:
- Compliance advice during business or employment changes
- Advice on upcoming visa expiries to plan future workforce needs
- Permanent Residence pathway mapping for temporary visa holders
- Advice on developing audit-ready reports for immigration inspections
- Post-visa support for employees and their families – including Citizenship
- Ongoing training on immigration policy changes and impacts
Experience and Insights: Healthcare Immigration
Explore more about how we work, our industry experience and insights.