As Australia faces persistent workforce shortages in sectors such as healthcare, trades and aged care, investing in global talent has become a viable solution now more than ever.
Building reliable talent mobility pathways delivers the benefits of workforce stability, reduced turnover and easier long-term planning.
By building global talent pipelines now, employers can improve resource planning, expand talent pools and ensure adequate headcount ot meet the demands of the future. The challenge can be knowing where to start, but this is where The Migration Agency (TMA) comes in.
How to source talent from overseas in 2026 and beyond
A holistic approach matters when it comes to building a talent pipeline for your business. It needs to start with a strategic approach, understanding and forecasting your workforce needs, and identifying where those skills can be sourced from. There should be clarity around the skills testing and training required for your business, and how these can be accommodated into your deployment program. The early part of the process should also clarify how your business will ensure returns on investment into international recruitment eventuate in the form of long-term retention.
From there, employers looking to attract workers from overseas have several levers available.
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Tap into ‘ready-and-waiting’ talent pools
Our Kerala Australia Skills Partnership (KASP) is a new initiative helping employers fast-track the recruitment of qualified overseas aged care workers, nurses, tradespeople and childcare professionals from Kerala, India who are motivated to relocate to Australia. This program focuses on building a pool of skilled workers with qualifications and experience to make them job-ready in Australia. We deliver training and upskilling in areas such as English, clinical assessments, trades testing and other bespoke training as required by an employer. The result of this is a ready-to-go pool of talent to meet the future needs of Australian employers.
Another market, the Philippines, offers similar potential. This country is globally known for its talent pool of skilled nurses, allied‑health professionals, aged care workers and skilled tradespeople. Many candidates already have worked in other countries away from home before choosing Australia, and are open to long-term migration via sponsorship. They are usually graduates of the Philippines’ excellent education system, are fluent in English and have a strong disposition for caregiving.
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Leverage high potential, locally based talent
The Migration Agency is proud of our work with the Skilled Refugee Pilot Program. This allows Australian employers to sponsor refugees and displaced persons with skills applicable to the engineering, healthcare, aged care, trade, professional services and software industries (to name a few), often with concessions compared with standard migration streams. This inclusionary approach fills critical skill gaps while helping businesses to tap into an under-utilised talent market whilst at the same time demonstrating genuine social responsibility, improving diversity and building stable long‑term teams.
The pilot covers hundreds of eligible occupations, giving employers access to a vast and often under‑utilised pool of talent. It was recently extended, and 500 visa places are available until 30 June 2026. As at mid-2025, this program had approximately 1,200 healthcare workers available for deploying into nursing and care support roles, providing an excellent pool of talent with diverse backgrounds, language skills and experience.
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Consider retention from the get-go
High turnover is costly and vacant positions have an impact on delivery and revenue, which is why attraction and retention fall under risk management for almost every business.
Retention multiplies the return on investment of attracting and recruiting international talent. Developing pathways which support permanent residency as well as professional development deliver a win/win for employers and incoming team members.
How The Migration Agency supports international talent strategies
At The Migration Agency, we specialise in immigration services and sourcing qualified, job-ready skilled international talent.
For businesses planning growth between 2026 and 2030, a strategic investment in global talent can create a competitive advantage. TMA helps companies of all sizes, from a range of industries, by coordinating compliance, skills assessment, visa documentation and more.
Do you need help to plan your global talent strategy in 2026? Book a consultation with The Migration Agency today.
