Zookeeper (ANZSCO 361114)

On the Regional 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 Zookeeper on?

ROL — Regional Occupation List. Occupations on the ROL are limited to the regional provisional visas — mainly the Skilled Work Regional 491 and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional 494.

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).

Processing priority

Zookeeper isn't in any of the ANZSCO groups that Directions 121 and 122 list for the priority sectors. Some of the first group is defined by the job rather than the code: a nominated position directly involved in agriculture, aquaculture or fishing, one that directly supports mining, oil and gas or coal production, or one related to defence. Otherwise the application is processed after the priority sectors. For the permanent and provisional skilled visas, applicants who were in Australia when they applied come next, then those who applied from outside Australia. For the 482, Specialist Skills stream applications come before both.

Priority changes the order in which lodged applications are looked at, not whether they are granted. Who is invited to apply through SkillSelect is decided separately. See all 202 occupations in the priority sectors.

Skills assessment

A positive skills assessment for Zookeeper comes from:

What the assessment actually involves

Zookeeper is a VETASSESS Group D occupation, requiring a qualification comparable to an AQF Certificate III or higher. VETASSESS treats Aquarist as a suitable alternate title under the same code, so applicants working with aquatic rather than terrestrial animals in a zoo or aquarium setting are assessed the same way. The usual four-pathway structure applies, trading a highly relevant qualification against a shorter employment history, down to four years of total employment including at least one year highly relevant within the last five for applicants without a matching Certificate. A Statement of Service plus two independent forms of payment evidence support the employment claim.

Where these applications come unstuck

Veterinarian and Pet Groomer are explicitly excluded from the neighbouring Veterinary Nurse code, and general zoo animal-care work with no clinical component should not be presented as veterinary-nursing experience if the applicant later considers that code — the two are separately assessed and do not transfer. Because Aquarist is accepted under the same code, an applicant working at a public aquarium should confirm their duties match VETASSESS's actual task description for Zookeeper rather than assuming the job title alone settles the question, particularly if the role leans more toward general animal husbandry than direct animal care.

An honest read on this pathway

Zookeeper sits on the Regional Occupation List, reaching 407, 491 and 494 — no 186, 482, or state nomination pathway, and the narrowest permanent-residence prospects in the Group D tier of this family. No dedicated labour agreement covers zoo or wildlife work; a 407 training visa, a regional employer under 494, or a regional DAMA are the practical routes, and this dossier could not verify which, if any, DAMA lists the code, so it should not be assumed to be an open door.

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 Zookeeper 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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