How to recruit overseas workers

With the massive workforce shortage in aged care continuing to increase you may be looking at skilled migration as an option to ease the pressure in your organisation.

In July the Government confirmed plans to prioritise permanent visa applications for skilled foreign workers, making it easier for people from overseas to come to Australia as an aged care worker.

This article explains what’s involved in sponsoring, attracting, and training overseas workers so that you can make the decision about whether employing overseas workers to boost your workforce will be beneficial for your organisation and understand what you can do to be prepared.

Overseas workers may be a good option if the staff you need are not available locally, or if you have residents or clients of a particular cultural background that would benefit from being cared for by someone of the same background.

Sponsoring overseas workers and costs

If you are recruiting an overseas worker through any of the available visa options for aged care you will need to sponsor their visa, for a period of time which is dependent on the type of visa. 

There are a range of different visa options, including a temporary skilled visa, Labour Agreement, or the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme – which is one of the biggest Government initiatives to help Australian businesses to employ overseas workers where local workers are not available.

Employers must be approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to participate in the PALM Scheme and can then sponsor a worker to work in a number of industries, including aged care, for one to four years.

The difference between sponsoring a worker through the PALM Scheme and sponsoring a worker on a regular temporary visa is that the Government is more focused on the PALM Scheme, so there may be more support for your organisation through the Scheme.

The upfront cost of sponsoring a visa ranges from $330 to $540, depending on the type of visa, and you’ll also be charged a Skilling Australians Fund levy, which depends on the size of your organisation and the length of stay of the worker.

More information on specific sponsor costs, which must be paid by an employer and cannot be transferred to the overseas worker or their family, can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.

As part of the sponsor process you have to outline what workers you are seeking and what you will provide them. This nomination must be based on labour market testing conducted by you, as well as salary and employment requirements.

The nomination requirements depend on the type of visa you choose and can also be found on the Department’s website.

If a visa is not available, another option could be using a company-specific Labour Agreement, which is granted specifically for an employer wanting to bring overseas workers to Australia.

Aside from company-specific agreements, in some regions aged care providers can use a Designated Area Migration Agreement to sponsor specific workers in caring, nursing and other roles with similar concessions.

These arrangements will still cost you, including the cost of requesting a labour agreement.

Attracting overseas workers

Once you have an idea of the type of visa you would be eligible for as a provider and the types of workers you want to bring to Australia, you will need to think about what you will offer to these workers.

Australian College of Nursing (ACN) CEO, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, said there were several initiatives aged care providers could use to attract workers, including nurses, to move to Australia. 

Adj Prof. Ward said these initiatives include access to suitable housing, accommodation for the first year of their employment, adequate health care cover, and access to training and professional development over the longer term.

“It is so important to make nurses feel supported and welcome to work in Australia long term,” Adj Prof. Ward said. 

“I have long been a champion of [also] bringing nurses’ immediate families with them when they move to Australia.”

ACN actively advocates and works with providers to have the inclusion of family and partner visas for their overseas workers so that it instils a better environment and support network for these new foreign employees.  

Offering the right supports to migrating workers will mean you attract the right people for the job and that they can fulfil their full potential when they begin working for your service.

Training overseas workers

Depending on the overseas workers you are seeking to employ, they may need more training before coming to Australia or upon arrival in Australia.

For example:

• Training before leaving their home country to help with the transition
• Training in recognised qualifications before beginning work in Australia
• Training while working in Australia
• Training in the specific needs of residents at your facility, such as in a dementia unit
• Professional development of upskilling after induction and probation periods

It is important to factor this training into your planning and timelines as it shouldn’t be rushed and you will need to find the right training to be confident that your new employee is ready to work in your aged care service.

It is your responsibility to ensure a worker you sponsor has the training they need. If you are unsure what training they will need and whether you can do this in house or need to go through a Registered Training Organisation, you can ask the Department of Health and Aged Care.