Foreign students ‘to exploit aged care reforms’

Experts have warned Labor’s union-linked reforms designed to bring in foreign aged-care workers will be exploited by international students seeking a fast-track route to permanent residency.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. Picture: Arsineh Houspian.

Leading education and migration experts have warned Labor’s union-linked reforms designed to bring in foreign aged-care workers will be exploited by international students seeking a fast track to permanent residency.

Under the policy, which was first announced in May, people are able to gain access to full work rights after completing a short course in aged care.

The change in the visa system was introduced in a bid to plug critical workforce shortages in the sector, as Labor seeks to ­implement several sweeping reforms, including mandated care minutes in residential centres.

Immigration expert Abul Rizvi warned the government’s policy would be rorted by international students opting to switch out of longer courses at universities in favour of shorter, aged-care vocational paths in order to gain citizenship.

He said the policy risked ­attracting “shonky” educational providers who would be incentivised to offer aged-care training programs amid a predicted surge in demand.

“If I was a student and struggling to find a pathway to permanent residency, the very best pathway is to do a certificate three in aged care … you might be doing a course in business which is hard to get permanent residency and then switch to aged care which is cheaper, easier and faster,” said the former deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration.

“The government needs to manage two risks, including the entry of providers in this space who are interested in the money and not interested in delivering quality aged care courses.”

International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood warned the policy was at risk of being rorted by “unscrupulous” migration agents seeking to profit from vulnerable students desperate for Australian citizenship and work rights.

Mr Honeywood was concerned that the labour agreement would incentivise the wrong type of student to work in aged care.

“Currently, the government is focused on only allowing quality students to enter the country over quantity. Ironically, this sudden aged-care policy could induce the wrong type of student to pragmatically enter into an industry which requires a genuine caring aptitude,” he said.

Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said the government’s attempt to deliver on its election promise has led to “perverse outcomes”.

He warned “Labor’s shortcut to permanent residency will ­attract people to aged care with no passion for the profession while also undercutting our international sector”.

“Labor’s desperate attempt to plug the gaping hole in their undelivered election promise to provide round-the-clock aged-care nurses is going to deliver perverse outcomes,” Mr Tehan said.

“This is not a long-term solution. There are no guarantees ­migrants will continue working in aged once they have gained permanent residency and there are question marks about the quality of some courses.”

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said Labor’s policy would address critical workforce shortages in aged care while also protecting workers.

“The Aged Care Labour Agreement settings have been ­designed to strike a balance ­between the workforce opportunities migration can facilitate to build a while recognising the vulnerabilities faced by workers on temporary sponsored visas,” he said.

“The Liberals had almost a decade to address workforce in aged care and did nothing. We’re working together with businesses and unions to address workforce shortages while protecting temporary migrant workers from ­exploitation.”

Under the agreement, unions have special access to workers including through inductions that exclude management. The deal also forces providers to ensure workers have time off to attend union meetings.