Arlo Stephens and his trainee Kayla Agostino provide valued farrier services to the National Zoo. Photo: Supplied.
British-born farrier Arlo Stephens, a valued member of the Bungendore community, is facing deportation. The situation has left his friends, clients and family worried about his future in Australia.
Known for his expertise in an industry with few qualified professionals, Arlo’s contributions extend from local stables to the National Zoo, where he cares for a variety of hoofed animals.
Arlo arrived in Australia with his then partner and three children in 2018 on a temporary work visa as a farrier, a job on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List, with Performance Farrier Services (PFS) in Canberra.
“I was looking forward to taking my family to a new country with new opportunities and being employed in an area in large demand for farriers,” Arlo said. “It is such a competitive industry at home. At the time I left, 90 individuals were qualifying per year. Recently, this has gone down to 30 as it is extremely difficult to complete the apprenticeship.”
The demand for Arlo’s expertise is clear. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, 1000 farriers are available to serve more than one million domestic horses across Australia. Of these, six farriers work in the ACT and 35 in NSW.
However, Arlo’s situation changed dramatically when PFS faced financial struggles, forcing him to start his own business just one year after arriving. Despite his 22 years of experience and growing reputation, all attempts to secure a permanent visa have been unsuccessful.
“Unfortunately, my children and I have been on a Bridging Visa E for three years,” Arlo said. “Eventually, I’ll need to leave the country to reapply for a new visa, but that could mean a three-year ban due to the time I’ve spent on a temporary visa.”
Bridging Visa E is meant to allow visa holders to resolve their immigration status, but Arlo’s case is complicated. Age restrictions and limited visa options have left him with few choices.
“I’m over the age limit for most visas, and waivers are rarely granted,” he said, emphasising the stark possibility of being forced to leave Australia permanently.
Kayla Agostino says her horse, once a nightmare to shoe, is now calm and relaxed with Arlo Stephens at their side. Photo: Supplied.
Arlo is especially worried about the impact on his children – daughters, aged 12 and 11, and 9-year-old son – all of whom have built lives in Bungendore.
“They mean everything to me. My girls are horse mad and my son loves anything with wheels. Uprooting them now would be devastating,” he said.
Arlo’s work has become essential to the region, particularly his contributions to the National Zoo. “I’ve worked with their Barbery sheep, zebras, llamas – it’s a big team effort. The zoo needs this work done regularly.”
His highly valued expertise would create a significant gap in the zoo’s care for its animals if he departed.
This gap would also be felt by many local horse owners who said they’d be “lost” without him.
Arlo’s commitment extends beyond his own work. He’s passionate about passing on his expertise to future farrier generations, having already trained six to completion.
He currently employs dedicated trainee Kayla Agostino, who has worked alongside him for more than three-and-a-half years. In an industry where women make up eight per cent of the workforce, Kayla said her chances of becoming a successful farrier could be significantly impacted if Arlo were to leave.
“There’s so much to learn and it can’t all be absorbed in just four years,” she said. “The thought of venturing out on my own without an experienced mentor is ludicrous. I would rather stay long-term and continue learning as much as possible.
“There’s no-one else in the area with the level of experience Arlo has, and quite frankly, there’s no-one else I’d want to train with.”
Arlo’s passion to stay in Australia is fuelled by his desire to continue contributing to a trade overwhelmed by demand.
The Bungendore community is fighting hard to keep Arlo in Australia. A petition addressed to the Minister for Immigration has gathered more than 1100 signatures but requires 10,000 to gain the attention of decision makers.
“Everyone wants to help – clients, friends, business owners – but we’re running out of options,” Arlo said.
“If all of this fails, I’ll have to return to the UK and start over. We gave up everything for a better life here. It’s heartbreaking to think this could all be for nothing.”
Support Arlo by signing the petition here.
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