Half of aged care workers immigrated here, as sector calls for 'one-stop' visa

Key points

• Aged care providers and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia want a dedicated essential skills visa for care workers. They say overseas workers are central to the sector as the population ages.
• Ageing Australia says 51 per cent of the residential aged care workforce was born overseas. A regional Orange centre reports that 104 of its 179 staff are from Nepal.
• Major parties have proposed competing cuts to net overseas migration, and the Coalition says aged care would remain a priority workforce.