Can I sponsor a vet or veterinary nurse in Australia?

The codes

Veterinary roles are regional in practice, and the 494 (five years, permanent residence through the 191 after three) is the visa most mixed and livestock practices use; a Sydney or Melbourne small-animal clinic uses the 482 or 186. Regional status by state: sponsor workers in your state.

The steps and costs

1. Labour market testing: two advertisements of at least 28 days on national-reach platforms within four months of nomination, unless the candidate is a citizen of a trade-agreement country (UK, NZ, Chile, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia). UK and Irish vets are the largest overseas source, and UK citizens are exempt from the testing: hiring from the UK, hiring from Ireland.
2. Registration for the vet (state board, with AVBC recognition or examinations); the Certificate IV or assessment for the nurse.
3. Salary of at least A$79,423 or the market rate. A veterinary nurse award rate sits below the threshold in most grades, so the offer must guarantee the threshold; a new-graduate vet is usually above it.
4. Sponsorship (A$420), nomination (A$330 plus the SAF levy of A$1,200 per visa year under A$10m turnover), visa (A$4,015 for the 482; A$6,140 for the 186 or 494).

Full costs: cost to sponsor a worker. Timeline: how long sponsorship takes. Small practices: sponsoring as a small business.

Regional agreements

Designated Area Migration Agreements are the exception to the lists. Regional agreements carry occupations the national lists omit; the Kimberley list (October 2025 version), for example, includes forklift drivers, truck drivers, retail and hospitality roles, and other regional agreements carry some of the same. The business must be in the region, endorsed by the regional body, and the worker must meet the agreement’s concessions on English, salary and age. Which agreement covers your area: sponsor workers in your state; how DAMAs compare with the other routes: PALM, labour agreement or DAMA.

The Kimberley list carries Veterinary Nurse and Animal Nurse or Veterinary Assistant alongside Veterinarian, and other regional agreements carry similar entries, which is the route for an assistant without the Certificate IV.

Who can work for you now

The role does not have to wait for a visa. Three groups can work for you today without sponsorship, and clinics already run on them:

• Working holiday makers (417 and 462): any role, six months per employer; register with the ATO for the 15 per cent rate and pay super. Employing working holiday makers.
• International students: 48 hours a fortnight in term, unlimited in breaks. Employing international students.
• Partner, graduate (485) and bridging visa holders: full work rights, a VEVO check and nothing else. Who can work for you now.

SponsorTalent lists candidates by occupation, visa and city, so you can see who can start on Monday before you make contact; search is free and a contact unlocks for A$30.

UK and Irish vets and nurses on working holiday visas are the clinic sector’s standing locum pool, with the six-month limit the constraint and sponsorship from the job the usual next step: employing working holiday makers; sponsoring an existing employee.

Do not nominate the role under an occupation it is not. A kennel hand or vet assistant nominated as a Veterinary Nurse is tested against the duties, the qualification, the award classification and the pay, and a mismatch is refused, can bar the business from sponsoring for years, and exposes the worker to cancellation. If the person genuinely does the listed job and holds its qualification, nominate that job at its rate; if not, use the routes above.

Frequently asked questions

Is veterinary nurse on the skilled occupation list? Yes. Veterinary Nurse 361311 is on the Core Skills list, so the 482 and 186 are available, with the 494 regionally. The Department expects the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or an assessed equivalent.

Can I sponsor a vet from the UK? Yes, and UK citizens are exempt from labour market testing. A UK-accredited veterinary degree is recognised by the AVBC, so the vet registers directly with the state board.

What must I pay a sponsored vet nurse? Guaranteed earnings of at least A$79,423 a year, or the market rate if higher. Most veterinary nurse award grades sit below that figure, so the offer must be structured to guarantee the threshold.

Can I sponsor a vet assistant or kennel hand? Not on the 482 or 186: Animal Attendants and Trainers nec is Short-term list only. The 494 in a regional area, state nomination and the DAMAs (the Kimberley list carries Animal Nurse or Veterinary Assistant) are the routes.