Moving to Australia from the US, Canada or the UK

For skilled workers, people with an Australian job offer or partner, and young Canadians, Britons and Americans on a working holiday. How each visa works, the 2026 salary and cost figures, and what living there costs.

Australia chooses most of its long-term migrants by skill. You either pass a points test or have an employer sponsor you. Young people have an easier way to try it first. Canadians and Britons can take a working holiday up to age 35, and Americans have a Work and Holiday visa up to age 30. This guide covers the main routes, what they cost and what life there costs.

How Australian visas work

Most applications are made online with the Department of Home Affairs. Many skilled visas start with an expression of interest, and you apply only once invited. Home Affairs asks you not to book flights or make work commitments until your visa is granted.

The same rules apply to US, Canadian and UK citizens, except for the working holiday visas.

The main ways in

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189). This is permanent residence from the day it is granted, without a job offer. You must:

• be invited to apply after lodging an expression of interest in SkillSelect
• be under 45 when invited
• score at least 65 points on the points test
• have a skills assessment for an occupation on the relevant list

A pass mark does not guarantee an invitation. The visa costs from AUD 6,135 for the main applicant. State and territory governments also nominate people for related skilled visas.

Employer sponsorship: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). This fits people with a job offer from an approved Australian employer. In the Core Skills stream, your occupation must be on the Core Skills Occupation List. You need at least one year of relevant work experience. Your employer must pay the market rate and at least the Core Skills Income Threshold. That is AUD 79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. The Specialist Skills stream, for higher earners, has a threshold of AUD 146,576. The visa lasts up to four years and costs from AUD 4,015. The permanent Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) uses the same core income threshold.

Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) (Canadian and UK citizens). Canadian and UK citizens can apply from 18 to 35. You get 12 months to travel and work. The first visa costs AUD 840. You need enough money for your stay, usually about AUD 5,000, plus your fare out. You must apply online from outside Australia, on your own, without dependent children. A second and third year are possible after three and six months of “specified work”, such as farm or regional work. UK passport holders who lodge on or after 1 July 2024 do not need the specified work.

Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) (US citizens). Americans can apply from 18 to 30. You need a senior secondary certificate, such as a high school diploma, or equivalent. The visa costs AUD 840, and Home Affairs asks for the same AUD 5,000 or so in funds. It lasts 12 months.

Partner visa. If your spouse or de facto partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, you can apply for a partner visa. From inside Australia, you lodge the temporary (820) and permanent (801) visas together. The cost is from AUD 11,710 for most applicants. Our routes table does not list partner or parent visas yet, so check the Home Affairs pages for the full rules.

Student visa (subclass 500). This fits people enrolled in an Australian course. See every route below for its full rules.

What living in Australia costs

Australia is not a cheap move. We use official reference points here rather than averages we cannot source.

• The government’s living-cost figure. For student visas, Home Affairs sets 12-month living costs at AUD 29,710 for the student, AUD 10,394 for a partner and AUD 4,449 for each child. This is the minimum a student must show, not a full budget.
• The minimum wage. From 1 July 2026, the National Minimum Wage is AUD 26.44 an hour, or AUD 1,004.90 a week. Employees covered by an award are entitled to the award’s own minimum rates.
• Health care. Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with 11 countries. The UK is one of them, so UK visitors may get medically necessary care under Medicare. Canada and the US are not on the list. Check your Medicare eligibility for your visa with Services Australia, and arrange private cover if you need it.

We do not quote average rents, because we have no official source for them. Price housing in the suburb you want before you commit.

Money and tax

Visa costs are only part of the bill. Skills assessments, English tests, health checks and police certificates can each add their own fees.

How Australia taxes you depends on your visa and how long you stay. Check with the Australian Taxation Office or an adviser before you move. US citizens stay subject to US tax on worldwide income wherever they live. They must file a US return to claim the foreign earned income exclusion or foreign tax credits.

Timeline and the path to citizenship

1. Pick the route that fits. Under 30 or 35 with no job offer? A working holiday lets you try Australia first. Skilled and under 45? Check the points test. Have a job offer? Your employer leads the sponsorship.
2. Get your skills assessed. For skilled and many sponsored visas, an assessing body for your occupation must check your qualifications first.
3. Lodge and wait. Home Affairs expects working holiday applications to take about three months on average. Skilled visas are processed in priority order.
4. Become a citizen. You can usually apply after living in Australia on a valid visa for four years, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident. You cannot have been away for more than 12 months in total in those four years, or more than 90 days in the final year.

What catches people out

• Age limits are firm. The 189 needs you to be under 45 when invited. The working holiday visas close at 30 for Americans and 35 for Canadians and Britons.
• A working holiday is not a path to stay. It does not lead to permanent residence by itself. To stay longer, you need to qualify for a different visa.
• Temporary visas do not count fully toward citizenship. You need 12 months as a permanent resident before you apply.
• Americans need proof of schooling. The 462 asks for a senior secondary certificate or equivalent, so have yours ready.

This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Check each requirement with the Department of Home Affairs before you apply.