Dog Handler or Trainer (ANZSCO 361111)

On the Short-term Skilled Occupation List and Core Skills Occupation List

From the official Home Affairs skilled occupation lists, as at 2026-08-12. Lists change at each government update — always confirm on the official page before acting.

Which lists is Dog Handler or Trainer on?

STSOL — Short-term Skilled Occupation List. Occupations on the STSOL can access state-nominated and regional skilled visas (190/491), but not the Skilled Independent 189.

CSOL — Core Skills Occupation List. The employer-sponsorship list — occupations on the CSOL can be nominated for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme 186.

Visas this occupation can access

Being on a list makes the occupation nominatable for these visas — each visa still has its own requirements (points, age, English, a positive skills assessment, and for sponsored visas a willing employer or state).

Skills assessment

A positive skills assessment for Dog Handler or Trainer comes from:

What the assessment actually involves

VETASSESS assesses Dog Handler or Trainer as a Group D occupation, meaning the qualification floor is an AQF Certificate III or IV in a field highly relevant to the role. Four pathways trade qualification strength against employment length: a highly relevant Certificate IV plus one year of highly relevant paid work; a non-relevant Certificate IV plus two years; a highly relevant Certificate III plus three years; or, for applicants without a matching qualification, four years of total employment at the right skill level including at least one year highly relevant within the last five. Evidence is a Statement of Service on employer letterhead plus at least two independent forms of payment evidence — payslips, tax records, bank statements, or insurance or superannuation records naming the employer.

Where these applications come unstuck

This family sits alongside a stronger-reaching sibling code, Horse Trainer (361112), which is not part of this occupation and carries a different list and visa reach. Someone whose actual work was training or handling horses, rather than dogs generally, risks under-selling their case by defaulting to Dog Handler or Trainer on the strength of a shared 'animal training' description. Employment evidence is also scrutinised for seniority: a reference from a same-level colleague rather than a supervisor is not accepted, and a Statement of Service must be signed by someone senior to the applicant on official letterhead, naming hours, dates, duties and salary.

An honest read on this pathway

Dog Handler or Trainer sits on STSOL and the Core Skills Occupation List, giving it the widest visa reach in this family — 186, 190, 407, 482, 491 and 494 — but no 189 pathway of its own; a points-tested permanent visa still needs a state nomination or an employer behind it. This occupation is not covered by any dedicated Home Affairs industry labour agreement, since none exists for animal care work, so the realistic sponsor-side routes are standard employer sponsorship on the occupation lists above, a Company Specific agreement, or a regional DAMA — narrower doors than the dedicated industry lanes some other occupations have.

VETASSESS assesses qualifications and employment separately. Both need documentation that agrees with itself. The Employment History Builder and Document Vault organise each trail before you lodge.

Talk it through with a registered agent

Whether nominating Dog Handler or Trainer is your best route depends on your points, experience evidence and timing — exactly what a MARA-registered agent works through in an initial consultation. Describe your situation once through Migratio and compare real consultation quotes from registered agents, free.

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