Australia’s childcare sector is grappling with a growing workforce crisis.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, childcare enrolment rates have increased by 12% over the past 5 years. There’s also a growing demand for specialised educators, a shift towards sustainability practices, and a continued emphasis on mental health and wellbeing for both children and staff.
Whilst demand for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services continues to rise, providers face chronic staff shortages that threaten service delivery, compliance, and ultimately, the wellbeing of children and families.
According to the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the sector needs an additional 39,000 educators by 2026 to meet projected demand. Similarly, the 2023 Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) Skills Priority List identifies Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teachers and Child Care Workers as occupations in national shortage, with strong future demand forecasted.
Despite numerous efforts to attract and retain local talent, including fee-free TAFE courses, the workforce shortfall persists. Providers across metropolitan, regional, and remote areas report difficulties in filling vacancies, particularly for diploma-qualified educators and early childhood teachers.
In this landscape, tapping into Australia’s migration programme presents a vital, underutilised solution.
A Migration Strategy: From Training to Employment
One migration pathway that offers flexibility and long-term workforce development is the Training Visa (Subclass 407). This visa allows ECEC providers to sponsor overseas workers to undertake structured, workplace-based training in early childhood education.
The 407 visa is particularly useful for:
- Overseas diploma- or bachelor-qualified educators requiring Australian context experience;
- Bridging skill gaps where local hiring has failed; and
- Supporting regional providers who face even greater recruitment challenges.
The 407 visa can be granted for up to 2 years, during which time the visa holder gains hands-on experience under the supervision of an approved provider. It is also a strategic stepping-stone to longer-term employment.
From 407 to 482: Building a Pathway to Retention
With the introduction of the new Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482) replacing the previous Temporary Skill Shortage Visa, skilled migration becomes a sustainable retention strategy.
Under the new 482 visa framework, the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) provides coverage of key ECEC roles including:
- Child Care Worker;
- Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher; and
- Out of School Hours Care Worker.
The roles on the CSOL may be accessed under the 482 visa in the ‘Core Skills’ stream.
For occupations such as Child Care Centre Manager and Family Day Care Worker, these can be accessed within the ‘Specialist Skills’ stream which enables employers to sponsor workers in occupations which may not be listed on the CSOL but where it is listed in Major Groups 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) and where certain other requirements are met.
The key advantages of the 482 visa include:
- Ability to sponsor the overseas worker for up to 4 years; and
- Provides a pathway to permanent residency with employer support and thereby promoting talent retention.
If, during or after the 407 visa training period, an overseas worker proves suitable and meets occupational standards, then they may be eligible to transition to a 482 visa with employer support. In some cases, where candidates already hold the required qualifications and experience, employers may directly sponsor them for the 482 visa without first adopting the 407 visa.
Practical Considerations
Childcare providers experiencing skills shortages should look to migration solutions to address the talent gaps.
By engaging with an experienced immigration lawyer, they can assist you with mapping out a strategic solution which meets your specific business needs and ensuring you have the right type of sponsor approval status to access these visa options.
Looking Ahead
Australia’s vision for a universally accessible, high-quality ECEC services cannot be achieved without the people to deliver it. Migration is not a magic wand, but when used strategically, it enables providers to fill recurring vacancies, invest in long-term workforce development, and build culturally diverse, multilingual teams that reflect and enrich the communities they serve.
At Mullins Migration, we work with childcare providers to design tailored migration strategies – whether that’s sponsoring a trainee educator from overseas or guiding the transition to long-term employment. With fixed-fee services and an emphasis on practical, achievable solutions, we help providers build teams equipped for the future.
