This is the 2026 pathway guide for migrating to Australia under ANZSCO 393113 — Sail Maker. 393113 sits on ROL only, with only one eligible visa: Subclass 494 Regional Employer-Sponsored. All other pathways (189, 190, 491, 186, 482) are unavailable per current source data.
For skills assessment, invitation patterns, state-by-state breakdown, and cost / timeline, see the linked cluster.
Who fits ANZSCO 393113
Sail Maker covers tradespeople who design, cut, sew, finish, and repair sails for sailing vessels. Typical scope:
Cruising sails
- Mainsails (full-batten / partial-batten / loose-foot / classic).
- Furling headsails (genoas, jibs, self-tacking jibs).
- Code sails (Code 0, Code D, asymmetric reaching sails).
- Storm sails (trysails, storm jibs).
- Mizzens, staysails (multi-mast cruising rigs).
Racing sails
- Class-association racing sails (Etchells, Dragon, J/24, J/70, Farr 40, TP52, IRC).
- Olympic-class sails (Laser / ILCA, 470, Finn legacy, 49er, Nacra 17).
- Grand prix sails for IRC / ORC racing fleets.
- High-modulus laminate construction (Kevlar, Carbon, Vectran, Dyneema reinforcements).
Superyacht sails
- Large cruising / racing yacht sails (24m+).
- Custom mainsails, A-sails, J-sails for superyacht clients.
Production / one-design
- Production sail manufacturing for class associations and fleet customers.
Sail repair
- Sail re-stitching, panel replacement, batten pocket repair, UV-cover repair on furling headsails, leech / luff tape replacement, hardware re-installation.
Other sail-loft scope
- Boat covers, bimini covers, dodger covers (overlap with 393111 Canvas Goods Fabricator).
- Rigging covers, deck covers, winch covers.
- Sailbag manufacture.
Where it does NOT fit:
- Marine canvas / awnings / boat-cover manufacture (without sail construction): 393111 Canvas Goods Fabricator.
- Leather goods / saddlery: 393112 Leather Goods Maker.
- Yacht rigging / rope splicing without sail construction: typically 312911 Maintenance Planner or marine trades.
If your work crosses sail + canvas (typical at marine canvas / sail lofts), dominant trade time determines code allocation. Most sail makers do some canvas work; if 65%+ of post-trade time is sail construction / repair, 393113 fits.
Skills lists and visas — narrow eligibility
393113 is listed on:
- ROL (Regional Occupation List) — supports 494 only.
- NOT on MLTSSL, STSOL, or CSOL.
Per current source data, eligible visas:
| Visa | Status |
|---|---|
| 494 Regional Employer-Sponsored | ✓ |
| 189 Independent | ✗ |
| 190 State-Nominated | ✗ |
| 491 Regional Provisional | ✗ |
| 186 Direct Entry | ✗ |
| 482 Core Skills | ✗ |
State nomination: no state currently nominates 393113 for 190 / 491 per federal visa-eligibility. ACT historically appeared in source state tables but the federal row closes the channel.
Pathway A — Subclass 494 Regional Employer-Sponsored (only path)
Mechanics:
- Find a regional Australian sail-loft sponsor — sail loft based outside Sydney metro, Melbourne metro, Brisbane metro.
- TRA OSAP skills assessment — Cert III equivalent textile / sail-making trade qualification + 3 years post-qualification.
- Competent English — IELTS 6.0 each band, PTE 50 each, OET B, or equivalent.
- Sponsor lodges nomination — Labour Market Testing + SAF.
- 494 visa application — fees + medicals + police checks.
- 5 years provisional — live and work for nominating sail loft (or in nominated occupation) in regional Australia.
- 3 years cumulative regional residence + income threshold → Subclass 191 PR.
Wall-clock to PR: ~5 years.
Where regional sail-loft sponsorship realistically exists
Australian sail-loft geography is concentrated around major sailing centres:
Tasmania — the strongest regional sail-loft cluster
- Hobart — strong sail-loft tradition; finish line of Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race; Constitution Dock and Sandy Bay marinas. Sail lofts: North Sails Hobart, Doyle Sails Hobart, Bourke Sails (smaller specialist).
- Launceston — Tamar River yachting; some sail-repair operations.
All of TAS counts as regional for 494 / 191.
Sunshine Coast / Whitsundays QLD — regional
- Mooloolaba — North Sails Sunshine Coast, Doyle Sails Sunshine Coast. Strong cruising and racing market.
- Airlie Beach / Whitsundays — charter fleet and racing (Hamilton Island Race Week); sail-repair operations.
- Townsville / Cairns — limited sail-loft presence but functional.
Regional NSW coast
- Newcastle / Port Stephens / Lake Macquarie — regional sailing centres; sail-repair operations.
- Wollongong / Illawarra — regional.
- Forster / Tuncurry, Coffs Harbour, Lismore (Ballina) — small cruising / racing fleets.
Regional WA
- Bunbury / Geraldton / Albany / Margaret River — regional sailing centres. Smaller sail-loft presence.
NOT regional (494 not viable)
- Sydney CBD / metro — Pittwater / Rushcutters Bay / Botany Bay sail lofts (North Sails Sydney, Quantum Sails Sydney). NOT regional.
- Melbourne metro — Port Phillip Bay sail lofts (North Sails Melbourne, Doyle Sails Melbourne). Sandringham, Williamstown not classified regional.
- Brisbane metro / Manly area — NOT regional.
- Fremantle WA — NOT regional.
If you want to work at a Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane / Fremantle sail loft, 393113 doesn't work — because 494 requires regional sponsorship. Consider whether broader 393111 Canvas Goods Fabricator overlap matters, or career-broaden into roles potentially covered by other codes.
Pathway B — does not exist for 393113
Per source data, there is no points-tested, state-nominated, or 186/482 path. Three alternative considerations:
- Canvas Goods Fabricator (393111) — same Unit Group, same narrow ROL eligibility. If your work crosses substantially into marine canvas / boat covers / awnings, 393111 also fits but offers no broader eligibility.
- Sole trader / family sail-loft sponsor models — many sail lofts are family operations. Sponsorship requires structural integrity (sponsor employer accreditation, arms-length relationship for TRA / Home Affairs scrutiny).
- Wait for skills list updates — periodically reviewed. Not advised to plan around speculative changes.
Practical 12-month sequence
| Month | Action |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Confirm 393113 fit (vs 393111). Pull TRA OSAP requirements. |
| 2-4 | Cert III + 3-year work history evidence + photographic portfolio assembly. English test sit. |
| 3-7 | Lodge TRA OSAP. 4-6 months turnaround. |
| 4-10 | Regional sail-loft outreach — Hobart (North Sails / Doyle / Bourke), Sunshine Coast (North Sails / Doyle Mooloolaba), Whitsundays charter fleet sail lofts, regional NSW coast. |
| 10-15 | Sponsor offer + LMT + nomination + visa lodged. |
| 14-22 | 494 visa grant. Relocate. |
Then 3 years regional residence + earnings → 191 PR. Total ~5 years.
Australian sail-making industry reality in 2026
The Australian sail-making industry is small but sustained:
- Yacht ownership — Australia has one of the highest per-capita yacht ownership rates globally; sustained sail-repair demand.
- Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race — annual flagship event drives Tasmanian sail-loft visibility and racing-sail orders.
- Hamilton Island Race Week — major Whitsundays racing event.
- Sail GP Sydney — recent introduction; high-end racing-sail demand.
- Olympic / class racing — domestic class fleets (Etchells, Dragon, J/24, J/70, Farr 40) drive racing-sail orders.
- Charter fleet — Whitsundays bareboat charter fleet (Sunsail, Dream Yacht Charter) drives volume sail-repair work.
- Superyacht refit — Sydney, Gold Coast (Boatworks), Hobart (Domain Slipway) superyacht refit drives premium sail-loft work.
Skills that travel well: 3D design software (Sailpack, SMAR-Azure, FastShape Sail Design, North Sails Design Engineering), sail panel layout, broad-seam shaping theory, lockstitch / zigzag industrial sewing (Pfaff 1245, Adler 367, Juki LU-2810, Singer 144W), laminate construction (3Di, Nordac, North Sails 3Di Endurance), sail-finish (luff tape, leech-line installation, batten pocket reinforcement, telltale placement), hardware (sail slides, hanks, headboards, headfoils, furling-luff tapes).
Tools
Authoritative sources
- Home Affairs — visa fees and charges
- Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)
- Subclass 494 details
- Subclass 191 details
- Australian Sailing
Next step
Need a MARA agent to plan a 494 regional sail-loft sponsor strategy? Book a 30-minute free strategy call with Global Select.