Aged Care ILA: The Union Signs First, $51,222 Is Only the Floor, and 45 Ends the 186

Priya runs the roster at a 96 bed home in Reservoir. Eight personal care shifts a week go unfilled. She has two candidates. Maria is in Manila with a Certificate III equivalent and IELTS 5.0 overall, but only 4.5 in reading. Dev is 43 and already in Melbourne, two years into a 482 with another provider. Under the standard program, Maria’s English and Dev’s occupation both stall. Under the Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement, both files move. However, the first signature Priya needs is not the Department’s. It is the union’s.

The union signs before the Department does

Home Affairs names three unions for the agreement: the ANMF, the HSU and the UWU. A provider that enters into an MoU with the relevant union gets streamlined access to the agreement. More importantly, the MoU does the advertising work. While the sponsor stays a party to the MoU, labour market testing is treated as met. That holds as long as the union raises no concern. In contrast, a provider without an MoU falls back on the standard evidence. Our guide to labour agreements in 2026-27 explains how an industry template differs from a bespoke deal. The terms below were checked on 13 October 2026 on the Home Affairs page and in the template.

The MoU brings obligations with it. The sponsor must consult the union at least once every six months about how the agreement operates. Within seven days of a worker starting, the sponsor must organise a two hour induction meeting. The union runs it, in paid time. Moreover, the worker must receive workplace rights information inside the same seven days. Therefore, treat the MoU as a standing relationship, not a form.

Three numbers on one pay slip

The template calls $51,222 the reduced Core Skills Income Threshold. Many providers read it as the wage. It is not. Instead, three figures sit on the same pay slip, and the highest one wins.

Figure	What it is	When it binds
$51,222	Reduced threshold under the agreement, guaranteed annual earnings	Always, as the floor. Food and board never count towards it.
Market rate	What an Australian in the same job at the same site earns	Whenever it exceeds $51,222, which it usually does under the award
$79,423	The full Core Skills Income Threshold from 1 July 2026	Only outside the agreement, for a standard 482 or 186 nomination

Guaranteed overtime can count towards earnings, but only on conditions. The hours must match industry practice. Australians at the same site must have the same guaranteed hours. The contract must fix them at nomination. In addition, the result must sit at or above the award or enterprise agreement for comparable Australian staff. Every position must also be full time. Our article on the three salary tests on the 482 shows how the market rate is proved.

Maria and Dev: two files, two sets of rules

Three codes, one skill level, one exclusion

The agreement covers three occupations, all at ANZSCO skill level 4. Nursing Support Worker is 423312 and Personal Care Assistant is 423313, both assessed by ANMAC. Aged or Disabled Carer is 423111, assessed by Community Work Australia. The template treats all three as occupations outside the eligible skilled occupation lists. However, no skills assessment is needed where the qualification was completed in Australia.

Disability providers cannot use the agreement at all. Home Affairs points them to a Designated Area Migration Agreement instead. Our guide to what a DAMA is and who signs it explains that route.

From MoU to permanent residence

1. Step 1Enter the MoU with the ANMF, HSU or UWU for your occupations and setting.
2. Step 2Request the labour agreement. Home Affairs charges nothing for the request. The agreement runs five years from its effective date.
3. Step 3Nominate within the yearly ceiling for each occupation, with the salary evidence and any guaranteed overtime fixed in the contract.
4. Step 4Visa grant. A 482 can run for the requested period of up to four years.
5. Day 7Workplace rights information delivered and the paid union induction held.
6. Every 6 monthsUnion consultation on how the agreement is working.
7. Year 2A worker with two years of full time Australian direct care work can be nominated for the 186.
8. Year 3The Department reviews the agreement, and earlier if you ask for more places.

Ceilings are set per occupation per year. You can ask for more, but the Commonwealth decides. Consequently, plan nominations against the ceiling, not the vacancy list.

What the Commonwealth charges

We have not verified any union fee for an MoU. So the figures below are the Commonwealth charges you can budget today. The sponsor pays every one of them. The template also bars charging workers for their nomination or for securing the job. Our guide to sponsor costs you cannot pass on lists the rest.

Turnover of $10 million or more lifts the levy to $1,800 a year. At the 186 stage, the nomination is $540 and the levy is $3,000 or $5,000 one-off. The visa starts from $6,140.

Before you nominate

• MoU signed with the union for the occupation, setting and state
• Occupation is 423111, 423312 or 423313, in aged care, not disability
• Certificate III or equivalent held, or one year of relevant work in its place
• ANMAC or Community Work Australia assessment for an overseas qualification
• English result at the right level for the visa and the provider type
• Full time contract at the market rate, never below $51,222, overtime written in
• No evidence the worker owes money for being recruited
• Nomination sits within this year’s ceiling for the occupation

The template forbids nominating a worker the sponsor suspects, or ought to suspect, owes a recruitment debt. Similarly, salary must be paid directly. Deductions need written consent that benefits the worker, or an award, agreement or law behind them.

Frequently asked questions

Does the $51,222 figure mean I can pay a carer that amount?

Only if the market rate for the role at your site is no higher, which is rare. The agreement requires the higher of $51,222 and the Australian market salary rate. Food and board never count.

Do I still need a union MoU if I already advertised the role?

The MoU is what gives streamlined access and treats labour market testing as met. Without one, you rely on the standard evidence and the Department assesses the request on its ordinary terms.

Can a worker’s two years with another aged care employer count for the 186?

Yes. Home Affairs says the two years of Australian direct care experience are not tied to one employer or visa subclass. The worker must have complied with their visa conditions throughout.

My home serves a Greek speaking community. Which English score applies?

A culturally and linguistically diverse provider can nominate a 482 worker with IELTS 4.5 overall and no component minimum. The worker must be fluent in the community language. The 186 stays at IELTS 5.5 overall.

Can I ask for more nominations once the agreement is signed?

You can request a higher ceiling for any year. You supply an updated workforce plan and the other information in the template. The Commonwealth makes the final decision and the template says more places are not assured.

Visas, occupations, English, skills, experience, salary, age and union MoU terms verified 13 October 2026 on the Department of Home Affairs page Industry labour agreements and in the Department’s Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement template, clauses 6 to 13 and Schedules 1 to 9. The Core Skills Income Threshold and the Commonwealth charges are as at 1 July 2026 on Home Affairs visa pricing.

General information as at 13 October 2026. Priya, Maria and Dev are a fictional example. Not legal advice.