Feeds, provides water for and monitors the health of animals in zoos, aquaria and wildlife parks, cleans, fixes and maintains animal cages, and informs visitors about animals.
Broad state reach across 8 jurisdictions.
Run a free EOI assessment against current DHA cut-offs.
“ANIMAL ATTENDANTS AND TRAINERS train, feed, groom and care for animals.”
Used for skilled visa lists lodged with the Department of Home Affairs.
The occupations Dog Trainer or Handler, Horse Trainer and Zookeeper in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with the qualifications and experience outlined below. In Australia: AQF Certificate III including at least two years of on-the-job training, or AQF Certificate IV or at least three years of relevant experience (ANZSCO Skill Level 3)
1 direct PR route, 2 provisional regional routes (convert via 191), and 1 temporary work visa.
Pathways that lead directly to Australian permanent residency
Provisional visa for regional employer sponsorship. 3-year commitment with a clear pathway to permanent residence via 191.
Live, work, and study in a regional area — lead to PR via 191
Provisional regional visa via state/territory or family sponsorship. Live, work and study regionally for 3 years; pathway to PR via 191.
Closed to new applications. Pathway to subclass 887 permanent residence for existing 489 holders.
Closed to new applications since 16 Nov 2019. Existing holders retain a pathway to subclass 887 PR.
Short to medium-term visas — some offer a PR pathway
Workplace-based training visa. Up to 2 years for occupational training, professional development or registration requirements.
A snapshot of how many people are competing for this occupation right now. Tap “View full EOI insights” for wait-time estimates, state-by-state difficulty, peer comparisons and cohort tracking.
Choose a state to view nomination criteria, place allocations, and recent invitation rounds.
Your employment history should align with these ANZSCO-defined tasks. The assessing authority looks for demonstrable experience in at least five.
teaching animals to obey verbal and non-verbal commands and addressing behavioural problems
training animals to accept riders and pull vehicles
training animals to perform in competitions
bathing, cutting, combing, blow-drying and styling pets' coats, clipping their nails and cleaning their ears
inspecting, preparing, cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining comfortable animal cages and enclosures
transporting food, filling water troughs and feeding animals according to their individual needs
maintaining animal health records, treating minor injuries and reporting serious conditions to Veterinarians
exercising and playing with animals, answering visitor questions, and transferring animals between enclosures by leading or carrying them
dusting and spraying insecticides on animals and immersing them in insecticide baths, to control insect pests
The headline workforce, pay, shortage and demographic indicators for this occupation, sourced from Jobs and Skills Australia.
Our OMARA-registered agents will audit your points, cross-check Zookeeper nuances against the latest DHA bulletins, and map a step-by-step case file — in one free 30-minute consultation.
