Veterinary Nurse (ANZSCO 361311)

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 Veterinary Nurse 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 Veterinary Nurse comes from:

What the assessment actually involves

Veterinary Nurse is a VETASSESS Group D occupation requiring a qualification comparable to an AQF Certificate III or IV. The same four pathways apply as elsewhere in Group D, trading qualification strength for employment length, down to four years of total employment including at least one year highly relevant within the last five for applicants without a matching Certificate. VETASSESS's task description centres on caring for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assisting veterinarians with procedures and operations — evidence needs to show duties at that clinical level, not general animal-care work, supported by a Statement of Service and payment records.

Where these applications come unstuck

VETASSESS states explicitly that Veterinarian, Pet Groomer and Zookeeper are not considered under this code, and that a veterinarian performing vet-nurse duties alongside higher-level work is not considered relevant either — there is no partial credit in either direction between Veterinary Nurse and Veterinarian. Clinic-adjacent roles that look 'vet nurse-adjacent' on a résumé, such as bathing or grooming animals under veterinary supervision, need to show the actual clinical task list — holding animals for examination, assisting with anaesthetics, administering medication under a vet's direction — rather than general animal-care duties, which VETASSESS excludes.

An honest read on this pathway

Veterinary Nurse sits on STSOL and the Core Skills Occupation List, matching Dog Handler or Trainer for the widest visa reach in this family — 186, 190, 407, 482, 491, 494 — but still no 189 pathway of its own. One applicant on britishexpats was told finding an employer sponsor without real work experience is very unlikely and that the field is crowded, which matches the mechanics here: no dedicated labour agreement covers veterinary nursing, so sponsorship depends on standard CSOL employer routes, a Company Specific agreement, or an unverified regional DAMA.

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 Veterinary Nurse 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.

Compare registered agents — free

All skilled occupations · Points calculator · Skilled visa agents