Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement vs Standard 482 nomination
A direct care worker, a personal care assistant, a nursing support worker or an aged or disabled carer, is not on the standard occupation list and cannot be nominated for an ordinary 482; an approved aged care provider that has signed the memorandum of understanding with the relevant union and entered the industry labour agreement can nominate those roles in the labour agreement stream, with concessions on English and salary set by the agreement and a permanent pathway through the 186 labour agreement stream after two years. A registered nurse, an enrolled nurse or a manager in the same facility is on the standard list and is nominated in the Core Skills stream without any agreement. The agreement is for the roles the list leaves out; the standard 482 is for the rest.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Occupations
- Nursing support worker, personal care assistant, aged or disabled carer · Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health, managers and other listed occupations
- Needs
- An approved aged care provider, a memorandum of understanding with the union, the labour agreement, then nominations · An approved Standard Business Sponsor and a nomination
- Concessions
- English below the standard level and a salary concession, as the agreement sets, with the award and market rate still applying · None
- Labour market testing
- As the agreement provides · Required unless exempt
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement | Standard 482 nomination | |
|---|---|---|
| Occupations | Nursing support worker, personal care assistant, aged or disabled carer | Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health, managers and other listed occupations |
| Needs | An approved aged care provider, a memorandum of understanding with the union, the labour agreement, then nominations | An approved Standard Business Sponsor and a nomination |
| Concessions | English below the standard level and a salary concession, as the agreement sets, with the award and market rate still applying | None |
| Labour market testing | As the agreement provides | Required unless exempt |
| Path to PR | 186 labour agreement stream after 2 years with the sponsor, with the agreement’s concessions | 186 transition stream after 2 years |
| Time to first nomination | Months, for the MoU and the agreement | Weeks after sponsorship approval |
| Watch out | The agreement’s reporting and ceilings; the MoU is a union agreement | A direct care role cannot be dressed as a listed occupation |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
A direct care worker, a personal care assistant, a nursing support worker or an aged or disabled carer, is not on the standard occupation list and cannot be nominated for an ordinary 482; an approved aged care provider that has signed the memorandum of understanding with the relevant union and entered the industry labour agreement can nominate those roles in the labour agreement stream, with concessions on English and salary set by the agreement and a permanent pathway through the 186 labour agreement stream after two years. A registered nurse, an enrolled nurse or a manager in the same facility is on the standard list and is nominated in the Core Skills stream without any agreement. The agreement is for the roles the list leaves out; the standard 482 is for the rest.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement or Standard 482 nomination — which is better?
A direct care worker, a personal care assistant, a nursing support worker or an aged or disabled carer, is not on the standard occupation list and cannot be nominated for an ordinary 482; an approved aged care provider that has signed the memorandum of understanding with the relevant union and entered the industry labour agreement can nominate those roles in the labour agreement stream, with concessions on English and salary set by the agreement and a permanent pathway through the 186 labour agreement stream after two years. A registered nurse, an enrolled nurse or a manager in the same facility is on the standard list and is nominated in the Core Skills stream without any agreement. The agreement is for the roles the list leaves out; the standard 482 is for the rest.
What is the main difference between the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement and the Standard 482 nomination?
Occupations: Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement — Nursing support worker, personal care assistant, aged or disabled carer; Standard 482 nomination — Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health, managers and other listed occupations. Needs: Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement — An approved aged care provider, a memorandum of understanding with the union, the labour agreement, then nominations; Standard 482 nomination — An approved Standard Business Sponsor and a nomination. Concessions: Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement — English below the standard level and a salary concession, as the agreement sets, with the award and market rate still applying; Standard 482 nomination — None.
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