This is a worked case study for an Animal Attendants and Trainers nec professional migrating to Australia under ANZSCO 361199. 361199 is on STSOL only — eligible visas are Subclass 190 State-Nominated, Subclass 491 Regional Provisional → 191, Subclass 494 Regional Employer → 191, and Subclass 407 Training. 361199 is not eligible for Subclass 189 Independent or Subclass 186 Direct Entry.
For visa-by-visa context see the 361199 pathway guide. For VETASSESS evidence pack see the skills assessment guide. For state-by-state breakdown see the state nomination comparison. For invitation round patterns see the invitation rounds trends.
The case profile
Anonymised composite. 28-year-old Senior Research Animal Technician, UK BSc Animal Behaviour + UK NVQ Level 3 in Animal Care + 6 years experience: 2 years junior research animal technician at UK university biomedical research facility (transgenic mouse colony management), 4 years senior technician at UK pharma CRO (Cambridge — rodent / rabbit colony plus IVF / cryopreservation), most recently 1-year acting team lead. Proficient English (UK native). Family: spouse, no children.
Strategic note: candidate is targeting Sydney / Melbourne for 491 sponsorship with university research animal facility — University of Sydney Animal House, Garvan Institute, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute — or with CSIRO / pharma CRO. Backup target: Tas 491 with Tassal aquaculture stockperson role (different segment but eligible for 361199 same code).
Pathway A — Subclass 190 State-Nominated (NSW)
Federal-side fees plus state nomination fee:
| Item | AUD |
|---|---|
| VETASSESS skills assessment | 1,210 |
| 190 visa fees (couple) | 4,640 |
| NSW state nomination fee | 330 |
| Health, police, English (PTE) | 900 |
| Total applicant-side | ~7,080 |
Federal-side wall-clock: 12 to 18 months once invited. State nomination ROI processing typically 4-8 weeks before invitation. Total end-to-end: 14 to 22 months from VETASSESS lodgement.
PR straight away with 190 — no regional residence obligation (though strong moral commitment to NSW for 2 years).
Pathway B — Subclass 491 Regional Provisional (Tasmania)
Substantially lower threshold than NSW 190; full state of Tasmania qualifies as regional.
| Item | AUD |
|---|---|
| VETASSESS skills assessment | 1,210 |
| 491 visa fees (couple) | 4,640 |
| Tas state nomination fee | 500 |
| Health, police, English (PTE) | 900 |
| Total applicant-side | ~7,250 |
491 wall-clock: 12 to 18 months once invited; then 3+ years regional residence + earnings threshold (currently ~AUD 53,900 taxable income for at least 3 years) before transitioning to Subclass 191 PR for another ~6-12 months. Total to PR: approximately 60 months / 5 years.
Pathway C — Subclass 494 Regional Employer-Sponsored
Requires a sponsoring employer in a designated regional area. For 361199, realistic sponsors include regional zoos / wildlife sanctuaries, regional aquaculture (Tas / SA / WA), regional university research animal facilities (UTas, Monash Clayton — regional 491 / 494 for many postcodes, Griffith — Gold Coast regional).
| Item | AUD |
|---|---|
| VETASSESS skills assessment | 1,210 |
| 494 visa fees (couple) | 5,030 |
| Health, police, English (PTE) | 900 |
| Total applicant-side | ~7,140 |
Employer SAF levy + nomination fees: AUD 5,000 SAF (large business, turnover ≥ AUD 10M) or AUD 3,000 SAF (small business) + AUD 540 nomination fee.
494 wall-clock: 6 to 12 months from sponsor selection to grant. Then 3+ years regional employment + earnings threshold for 191 PR transition.
Pathway D — Subclass 407 Training Visa
Short-term training visa for structured workplace training at approved Australian sponsor. Not a PR pathway, but valuable for gaining Australian experience that supports later 190 / 491.
| Item | AUD |
|---|---|
| 407 visa fees | 425 |
| Health, police | 700 |
| Total applicant-side | ~1,125 |
Maximum 24 months on 407. After training completion, transition to 190 / 491 with Australian experience boost.
Side-by-side
| Path | Applicant cost | Employer cost | Wall-clock to PR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189 (Independent) | N/A | N/A | Not eligible |
| 190 (NSW / Vic / QLD / NT / ACT / Tas) | AUD ~7,000 | AUD 0 | 14-22 months |
| 491 (any eligible state) → 191 | AUD ~7,200 | AUD 0 | ~60 months |
| 494 regional employer → 191 | AUD ~7,100 | AUD 3,540 - 5,540 | ~60 months |
| 407 Training → 491 | AUD ~1,100 + 491 path | AUD 0 - 5,540 | ~60+ months including 407 stage |
| 186 Direct Entry | N/A | N/A | Not eligible |
Things that frequently surprise people
361199 is not 189-eligible — this is the single biggest planning surprise. Many candidates discover too late that the residual "nec" code limits them to state-nominated pathways. Plan around 190 / 491 / 494 from the start.
491 is genuinely a long road. The 491 → 191 transition is 3+ years regional residence with sustained earnings threshold. If you can't commit to regional living for 3 years, target 190 (PR straight away) even though points threshold is higher.
Animal-care wage in regional Australia is below the FY 2025–26 SAF Annual Earnings Threshold (AUD 70,000) for many roles. This affects 482 / 494 sponsorship — employer must pay at or above the threshold to sponsor under Core Skills / regional sponsorship. Regional zoo / wildlife sanctuary attendants may earn AUD 50-65k base. Check the offer carefully.
State-list shifts mid-cycle. State Skills Lists are reviewed annually but adjusted mid-cycle when nomination caps are reached or shortages shift. Verify 361199 inclusion in your target state's current list before lodging ROI.
Research animal technicians have niche reference letter needs. Reference letters must explicitly cite Animal Ethics Committee oversight, regulated procedures performed under licence, biosecurity protocols, and species worked with. Generic "animal care" wording fails. See the skills assessment guide for specific wording.
Aquaculture stockperson is borderline 361199 vs 841416. If your work is heavily manual / labour without husbandry / breeding / disease management value-add, you may be 841416 Aquaculture Worker (semi-skilled) rather than 361199 (skilled). VETASSESS will assess based on detailed reference letters.
Tasmania is the easiest state for 361199. Tas runs the entire state as regional (491-eligible) and has substantial aquaculture industry demand. Points threshold around 75. Tassal Group, Huon Aquaculture, Petuna all routinely sponsor.
Health examinations expire after 12 months. If your visa takes longer than 12 months to grant, expect to redo them.
Tax residency starts on arrival. The Australian tax year runs 1 July to 30 June. See ATO residency rules before signing.
MARA registration is mandatory for paid migration assistance. Verify any agent at the MARA register.
Tools
- Visa fee calculator
- Points calculator
- Document checklist
- Eligibility wizard
- Invitation rounds tracker
- Skilled Occupation List
- Occupation Shortage List
Where to verify the numbers
- Home Affairs visa pricing page
- VETASSESS
- Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA)
- RSPCA Australia
- Jobs and Skills Australia
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Office of MARA
- ATO
Next step
Want to model 190 vs 491 vs 494 vs 407 against your specific 361199 profile? Book a 30-minute free strategy call with a MARA-registered agent at Global Select.