Aged Care Sector Calls for Essential Skills Visa as Filipino Carer Fears Migration Cuts
Ageing Australia and the think tank CEDA are calling for a dedicated essential skills visa for care workers as Labor, the Coalition and One Nation put forward plans to cut net overseas migration, ABC News reported, featuring Rose Buen, who came to Australia from the Philippines on a student visa.
Aged care providers and an economic think tank are calling for a dedicated essential skills visa to protect critical workforces from proposed cuts to migration, ABC News reported on 20 October 2026. The calls come as Labor, the Coalition and One Nation put forward competing plans to cut net overseas migration over coming years.
The peak body for aged care, Ageing Australia, said 51 per cent of the sector's residential workforce was born overseas. Its CEO, Tom Symondson, told the ABC: "We need about 110,000 additional care workers by the end of this decade alone just to keep up with the demand we're currently dealing with and the demand that's coming down the road at us."
The ABC report featured Rose Buen, who came to Australia from the Philippines on a student visa to build a better future for her family and works in aged care in regional NSW. "I'm actually scared right now. These visa policies hit us directly, especially with our life and future career plans," she said. At Uniting Wontama in Orange, service manager Rosie Dunnett said the centre also has staff from India and the Philippines, among other countries.
The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) estimates there are 70,000 personal care workers who arrived in Australia on temporary visas like student and partner visas. Under CEDA's proposal, aged and disability carers, personal care assistants and nursing support workers would have access to a visa specifically for occupations facing long-term shortages.
The Philippine Times noted that Australia already has an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement through which approved employers may sponsor eligible workers, and that the proposed essential skills visa has not been introduced.
Key facts
- Ageing Australia and CEDA are calling for a dedicated essential skills visa for care workers, ABC News reported on 20 October 2026.
- Ageing Australia said 51 per cent of the residential aged care workforce was born overseas, and its CEO said about 110,000 additional care workers are needed by the end of the decade.
- CEDA estimates there are 70,000 personal care workers who arrived in Australia on temporary visas like student and partner visas.
- The proposed essential skills visa has not been introduced; the existing Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement lets approved employers sponsor eligible workers.
Official sources
Kislap reports this story for general information only. Nothing here is immigration, legal, financial, tax, medical, employment, or other professional advice; check official sources and speak with a qualified professional before acting.