Permanent residency for aged care workers recruited from overseas is being fast-tracked by the government in a bid to address a jobs crisis in the sector, but at the same time, high-quality temporary workers deemed too old are being kicked out of the country.
Industry leader Busi Faulkner from Home Care Nurses Australia says the absurdity is plain to see in the following tale of two aged care workers, both filling vital roles.
One, 64-year-old former paramedic Mary Ellen Kemister, who is an Australian citizen, can keep working in the sector for as long she likes and her body is willing.
While another, Nigerian-born carer Ozioma Onyekwere, is facing losing her temporary 408 COVID relief visa status in June next year because she is 57 – beyond the immigration age cut-off.
Ozioma Onyekwere is an aged care worker.(Supplied)
She would need a sponsor (which is complex and expensive) to stay, or to convince immigration her skill as a carer is of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.
But in that case,she would also have to be outside Australia when the visa was granted.
That's not that easy to do, according to Ms Faulkner — Ms Onyekwere's boss.
Aged care client Robert Borey and Home Care Nurses Australia managing directorBusi Faulkner. August 2023.(ABC News: Lexy Hamilton-Smith)
The reality is she most probably won't get it renewed, despite Ozioma being a good skilled worker, working in a critical area of home care, Ms Faulkner said.
Despite having seven years' experience, which is like gold at the moment in a market with huge job shortages.
We are definitely in a crisis and I think it is now getting to that catastrophic stage where we need to do something now.
Immigration needs to look at each worker case by case, not have a blanket rule with age as a get-out clause.
Despite being qualified and experienced,Nigerian-born Ozioma Onyekwere likely won't be allowed to keep her job as an aged carer in Australia next year.(ABC News: Stephen Cavenagh)
Ms Onyekwere is highly qualified with a Diploma inEarly Childhood, disability support work qualifications and a Masters in Education and Business Management from James Cook University in Queensland.
Her current visa, which is an employer-sponsored program under the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA)and has relaxed age restrictions, ends in June 2024.
Calls for more flexibility and fairness
Immigration Lawyer Tin Zhu is acting for Ms Onyekwere.
He said Australia's immigration department should consider lifting the age limit for key industry sectors like aged care.
It is quite sad to see because she has been in Australia for eight years and cannot apply for permanent residency, he said.
MrZhu explained that because Ms Onyekwereis 57-years-old, under current regulations, she wouldn't have the opportunityto apply to become a permanent residentunder the subclass 186 scheme.
Tin Zhu is a registered Australian migration agent.(ABC News: Stephen Cavenagh)
While there is the new skilled migration program with no age limit, the department may think she is not eligible for that either, he said.
And from the employer's perspective, the process to sponsor is quite complicated because they have to deal with the union, home affairs, migration agents and a solicitor.
It is very expensive and complex, with no certainty.
MrZhu said he was increasingly turning away clients close to 55 or over, because under the current system, he cannot help them.
Many ageing Australians need 24-hour care
Ms Faulkner said her company has 300 workers on its books – 60 per cent are from overseas – but she needs at least 100 more as she specialises in home care.
Under the new aged skilled worker sponsorship agreement it would cost her $20,000 on average for each carer to meet migration demands.
A total of $2 million dollars is money she does not have.
And yet, she faces losing one of her best workers, Ms Onyekwere, and will be forced to start from scratch retraining new staff.
Home care client Robert Borey (right)with carer Silvanus Kimutai (left), a Kenyan student undertaking special needs education.(ABC News: Lexy Hamilton-Smith)
Clients like 59-year-old Robert Borey, who isnon-verbal and haslate-stage diabetes, need 24/7 care.
His carers include 29-year-old Kenyan Silvanus Kimutai, who is here on a student visa while he completes a Special Needs Education course.
But Ms Faulkner said it was a struggle to find enough workers to fill every shift.
Older migrants have 'negative lifetime fiscal impact'
Analysis by the Productivity Commission in 2016 found thatprimary skilled migrants aged 45 or greater had negative lifetime fiscal impact.
It also found that while migration ofolder people could attract benefits for Australia in the early years, as they age and increasingly draw on the health and aged care system, they generate a steep rise in costs to taxpayers.
However, a review of migration policy is underway and will include critical policy shifts, aspokesperson told the ABC.
The federal government plans to release its new Migration Strategy later this year.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-30/queensland-losing-aged-care-staff-immigration-age-cutoff/102758606
