ANZSCO 361112 · MLTSSL
Horse Trainer
No 189 invitations in any round since Aug 2022.
Path to permanent residence
The steps for the points-tested visas, with this occupation’s own assessing body, lists, cut-offs, fees and processing times.
Skills assessment
Get a positive assessment from Trades Recognition Australia. It must still be valid when you’re invited: usually 3 years, or less if the assessment says so.
English
Show at least Competent English (IELTS 6 in each band, or an equivalent PTE, TOEFL, OET or Cambridge score). Proficient adds 10 points and Superior adds 20.
Points
Score at least 65 on the federal points test, counting nomination points for the 190 (+5) or 491 (+15). Horse Trainer had no 189 invitations in the latest round (Jun 2026). Work out your points · see when they change.
Expression of Interest
Submit a free EOI in SkillSelect for the visas this occupation allows: 189 (independent), 190 (state nominated), 491 (regional, nominated). It stays active for 2 years, and your points and date of effect decide your place.
State nomination (190 / 491)
1 of 8 list Horse Trainer: Victoria. None of the states that list it is open right now. Also open, with no published occupation list: Tasmania (check its criteria). Each state ranks applicants its own way. See every state.
Invitation and visa application
When invited, lodge within 60 days. Base fee for the main applicant: AUD 6,135 for the 189, AUD 6,140 for the 190, AUD 6,140 for the 491; family members pay extra. You’ll also need health checks and police certificates.
Decision and PR
Home Affairs decides 90% of applications within 189: 8 months · 190: 16 months · 491: 18 months. The 189 and 190 are permanent visas. The 491 is a 5-year provisional visa; after at least 3 years living and working in regional Australia you can apply for permanent residence (191) if you meet its requirements, including income.
Employer-sponsored route
✓On the Core Skills Occupation List
An Australian employer can sponsor Horse Trainer on a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, Core Skills stream (base fee AUD 4,015). The Employer Nomination Scheme (186) is the usual next step to permanent residence for 482 holders who meet its requirements.
What a Horse Trainer does
Official description and tasks from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ANZSCO 2022).
Prepares horses for riding, breeding, racing, work, show or competitions. Registration or licensing may be required.
Qualifications and experience: The occupations Dog Handler or Trainer, Horse Trainer, Zookeeper and Track Rider in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with the qualifications and experience outlined below.
- SpecialisationsHorse Breaker
- ANZSCO skill level3 of 5 (1 is highest)
- Unit group3611 Animal Attendants and Trainers
Tasks
ABS lists tasks for the whole unit group, Animal Attendants and Trainers. Skills assessments and employer nominations compare the duties you’ve done with the ANZSCO description and tasks, so check yours match.
- Teaching animals to obey verbal and non-verbal commands and addressing behavioural problems
- Training animals to accept riders and pull vehicles
- Training animals and conditioning horses to perform in competitions
- Reporting to trainers on horses’ progress and performance
- 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
Visa processing priority
Direction 122, in force from 19 September 2026.
Horse Trainer isn’t in Direction 122’s priority sectors, so its order depends on where you are when you apply: in Australia comes before outside Australia.
- Primary applicants in a construction, healthcare, teaching, agriculture, aquaculture, fishing or resources occupation, or one related to Australia's law enforcement or defence interests, whether in or outside Australia.
- All other primary applicants who were in Australia when they applied.
- Primary applicants outside Australia when they applied, whose application isn't combined with anyone else's.
- All other applications.
This sets the order Home Affairs works through applications, not who is eligible or who gets invited. Check your processing group →
SkillSelect queue
Expressions of interest waiting for Horse Trainer, from the official SkillSelect EOI dashboard.
| Visa | EOIs waiting | Invited |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (189) | under 40 | 0 |
| Skilled Nominated (190) | fewer than 20 | 0 |
| Skilled Work Regional (491), state | under 40 | 0 |
SkillSelect EOIs as at September 2026. Counts are EOIs, not people; 190 and 491 scores include nomination points. See how many are ahead of your points →
State and territory nomination
Whether Horse Trainer is on each state’s current list, and where each program stands.
| State or territory | 190 | 491 | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | – | – | See site |
| New South Waleslisted by unit group | – | – | Inviting |
| Northern Territory | No list | No list | Closed |
| Queensland2025–26 list | – | – | Not open yet |
| South Australia | No list | No list | Not open yet |
| Tasmania | No list | No list | Open |
| Victoria | ✓ | ✓ | Not open yet |
| Western Australia | No list | No list | Not open yet |
Program status is for 2026–27. Being listed doesn’t mean a state is inviting now, and each state has its own criteria. “Nominated so far”: 190 / 491 nominations this program year (Home Affairs).
Shortage rating
Shortage nationally, and the same in every state and territory.
Jobs and Skills Australia’s rating of the labour market. Invitations also depend on planning levels, ceilings and how many EOIs are waiting, so the two don’t always line up.
After an invitation
Home Affairs’ current processing times for the points-tested visas.
| Visa | Half decided within | 90% decided within |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Independent (189) | 61 days | 8 months |
| Skilled Nominated (190) | 4 months | 16 months |
| Work Regional (491), state nominated | 5 months | 18 months |
| Work Regional (491), family sponsored | 4 months | 7 months |
Home Affairs, decisions to 31 August 2026. Clock starts when you lodge, which you must do within 60 days of an invitation.
Plan with this occupation
Sources and method
- 189 rounds: Home Affairs invitation rounds and previous rounds. 2022–23 rounds reported offshore and onshore separately; we show the lower score.
- State lists: each state’s official site, checked 15 October 2026. Queensland shows its 2025–26 lists until 2026–27 is announced; NSW lists by ANZSCO unit group; Victoria accepts any occupation on the federal lists.
- Shortage: Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 codes).
- Processing times: Home Affairs processing times guide.
- Skilled lists and assessing authorities: LIN 19/051, checked 14 October 2026.
- Occupation description, titles and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022, used under CC BY 4.0.
- Employer route: Core Skills Occupation List, LIN 24/089 (compilation 2025-11-07). Fees: Home Affairs visa pages, checked 14 October 2026.
- Agents: embed this occupation on your website.