Moving to Australia: a comprehensive guide

More than 7.5 million migrants live in Australia – that’s almost 30% of the country’s population. Australia is clearly popular with expats! Its high standard of living, fulfilling lifestyle, thriving cities and beautiful beaches means there are plenty of reasons for expats from all over the globe to choose to settle in Australia.

Here’s everything you need to know about moving to Australia, from getting the right visa to finding the perfect place to live.

Visas and residence permits

Australia’s visa system is complex. There are a variety of visas that you can apply for depending on your circumstances. Thankfully, the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs offers a visa finder tool that should help you identify the correct visa for you.

What are the requirements to migrate to Australia?

The visa requirements vary depending on which visa you need. Specific requirements for each visa can be found in detail on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.

Visa application fees vary depending on which visa you apply for and when you apply. In some cases, the visa application charge is nil. However, some visas cost as much as $7,000 (AUD). Once you know which visa you’ll apply for, you can find out how much it will cost using the Visa Pricing Estimator.

Medical health requirements

Permanent and provisional visa applicants require certain medical examinations, including, at a minimum, the results of a chest x-ray and HIV test. Other medical tests depend on whether you come from a country where there are public health concerns, such as polio and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

There are certain situations in which migrants will need to undergo further testing. For example, if you’re pregnant and planning to have your baby in Australia, you’ll need to test for hepatitis B.

Immigration Points System

Australia’s Immigration Points System applies to certain visa categories (often work-related schemes). The most common points-tested system determines eligibility for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa. You will only be invited to apply for this visa if you:

• Have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
• Have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
• Satisfy the points test

Points are awarded on the following criteria:

• Age
• English-language skills
• Skilled employment experience
• Educational qualifications
• Specialist education qualification
• Australian study requirement
• Professional Year in Australia
• Credentialled community language
• Study in regional Australia
• Partner skills

For the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa, applicants must earn a minimum of 65 points. More information about the Points System can be found here.

Permanent residence visas

There are different ways to become a permanent resident in Australia. Three of the most common avenues to gaining residency include:

• A family-stream permanent visa
• A work-stream permanent visa
• A business or investor-stream permanent visa

A family-stream permanent visa is ideal for the partners, children, parents or dependent relatives of Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia and eligible New Zealand citizens. It’s also suitable for children being adopted from outside of Australia and carers who need to move to Australia to provide long-term care for a relative.

A work-stream permanent residence visa is ideal for workers who have an Australian employer sponsoring them to work in the country and those with the skills the Australian government is actively recruiting.

A business or investor-steam permanent visa is suitable for entrepreneurs, investors and business owners who want to operate in Australia.

As a permanent resident, you’ll be legally entitled to:

• Remain in the country indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Enroll in the country’s national health scheme
• Apply for bank loans to buy property
• Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence visas
• Apply for Australian citizenship (where eligible)
• Travel to and from Australia
• Attend free English language classes provided by the Adult Migrant English Program
• Visit, live, study and work in New Zealand

Language

Although English is spoken by the majority of the population, it is not Australia’s official language. The country is home to more than 300 separately identified languages and does not have a national language. In the 2016 national Census, 72.7% of Australians said they spoke English at home. After English, the next most common languages spoken at home are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, and Vietnamese. This highlights the country’s multicultural nature.

Australia is also home to more than 250 Indigenous languages that include 800 dialects. Unfortunately, 90% of these languages are feared to be endangered. That said, the number of people identifying as Aboriginal or of Torres Strait Islander origin is on the rise, increasing from 2.5% of the Australian population in 2011 to 2.8% in 2016 (that’s nearly 650,000 people).

Finding a job

If you’ve already had a job offer or if you’re relocating for your current job, then you may be interested in our guides 'Tips for working in Australia’ and ‘Australian business etiquette’. Rely on these to help you settle into your new workplace.

If you don’t have a job lined up, there are plenty of ways to find a job that suits you and your experience. As mentioned above, you can be invited to apply for a skills-related visa if you have the kinds of qualifications and skills Australia needs.

A good place to start is by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) via the Skillselect portal. It matches migrants with the skills needed in Australia. Although this is not a visa application, it is a means of registering your details so that potential employers can find you. Depending on your skills and experience, you may be invited to apply for a skills visa, or an employer may want to sponsor you based on your profile.

To help you find work before you relocate, you can use major national job sites and career portals such as Workforce Australia, a government-sponsored directory for job seekers. You can also turn to Adzuna, Seek and Indeed Australia, to name a few.

There are plenty of in-demand jobs in Australia, most of which are found on the government’s occupational skill shortages list. Some of Australia’s key industries include tourism, healthcare, finance, media and entertainment, mining, trade, energy and agriculture.

Opening a bank account

You don’t need to be in Australia to open a bank account there. Many banks give residents and non-residents the option to open a bank account online while abroad.

Some banks offer migration programs to help those arriving in the future ways to organise their finances before relocating. Banks with migration programs include ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Bankwest, NAB, Citibank and Westpac.

To open a bank account from abroad, you will usually need to provide the following documents and information:

• Date you plan to arrive in Australia
• Valid visa
• Employment details
• Passport
• Government-issued ID

Once you arrive in Australia, you will need to visit a local branch of the bank you've chosen with specific documentation. This documentation is used to award you the 100 points you need to access the full privileges associated with your bank account. This system is simpler than it sounds. In Australian banking, specific documents are assigned points. You’ll need to present documents to achieve the required points.

These documents include:

• Birth certificate, passport or citizenship certificate = 70 points
• Drivers’ licence, shooters’ licence, public service employee ID card or a Commonwealth or State Government financial entitlement card = 40 points
• Land rates (homeowners only) = 35 points
• A card with your name on it (this could be a credit card or even a library card) = 25 points
• A utility bill or bank statement with your name on it = 25 points

It's clear from this list that achieving 100 points shouldn’t be too difficult.

Note, until you do so, you will not be permitted to make withdrawals from your account (though you can make deposits).

Relocating pets

Moving to Australia with pets is a complex process, so it’s worth starting the process at least seven months before your pets are due to arrive in the country.

If you’re moving pets to Australia from the US, note that the US is classed as a Group 3 country. Group 3 countries are described as approved countries and territories in which rabies is absent or well-controlled. Animals from these countries require an import permit to be eligible for admittance to Australia.

When you’re moving to Australia with a dog or cat, you will need to get them vaccinated against rabies at least seven months before they travel. 30 days, or approximately four weeks after the rabies vaccination, your pet(s) will need a Rabies Neutralising Antibody Titre Test (RNATT).

The RNATT determines if your dog or cat has made enough antibodies to keep them safe from picking up rabies. It can only be conducted at an approved veterinarian or laboratory, like a government veterinary service.

Once the RNATT has been administered, the veterinarian will need to fill out an official RNATT declaration. It must be submitted when you apply for an import permit.

Your pet also needs to have a microchip that can be read by an ISO compatible reader. If your pet is already microchipped, you should check if the microchip is ISO compatible. Should it not be compatible, you will need to get your pet microchipped with the appropriate microchip.

At least 42 days before the proposed date of export, you can apply for the import permit. When applying, you will need to provide the following documents and information:

• Full name
• Home address in country of current residence
• Home address in Australia
• Australian phone number
• Your pet’s name and date of birth
• Your pet’s microchip details
• A copy of the RNATT certificate and the RNATT declaration

Once your pet arrives in Australia, they will be quarantined for a minimum of ten days in the Australian Government Post-Entry Quarantine Facility in Melbourne. It is advisable to book well in advance as spaces can be limited. More information about the quarantine period is available online.

To find out more about moving pets to Australia, visit the Department of Agriculture website.

Where to live

Thanks to its colourful cities and charming coastal towns, deciding where to live in Australia can be a challenge. Read an overview of some of the country’s best expat locations below.

Melbourne

Ranked by The Economist as the second most liveable city in the world, Melbourne is a truly desirable place for expats.

With around 4.9 million people, Melbourne is Australia’s second-largest city. It’s also home to a hugely varied local population, with 58% of residents coming from at least one parent born overseas.

The city’s cultural diversity is expressed through its food scene. You’ll find an array of cuisines from all over the globe, from Italian and Greek to Japanese and Chinese.

One quirk about Melbourne is its unique café culture. The city is known for having the best cafés in the world and world-class coffee. Everyone is drawn to Melbourne’s cafe culture, from families and friends meeting up to co-workers meeting off-site to remote workers doing business. 

Outdoorsy and sporty expats are sure to adore Melbourne’s love of sport and leisure. From Australian “Aussie” Rules Football and Gravity Enduro to golf, tennis, surfing, soccer, speedway, horse racing, sailing, trail running, park runs, cricket and cycling, Melbourne does it, hosts it and loves it.

As well as sports and leisure, culture and creativity is something Melbourne prides itself on. It hosts the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF)and a range of independent art galleries, theatre and dance venues and fashion events. There is always something going on.

In terms of employment, there are opportunities for expats with backgrounds in finance and insurance, education, construction and manufacturing, retail, health care, media, and more.

Travelling around Melbourne is one benefit of living there. It’s easy, with trains and trams, buses, taxis and organised ride sharing schemes. When travelling within the central area of Melbourne, expats benefit from free tram journeys. The City Circle Tram is a free service that surrounds central Melbourne. It allows people to spend as much time as they want at no cost.

Sydney

Another Australian city that makes a bold appearance in The Economist’s top three most liveable cities is Sydney. The friendly metropolis is the capital of New South Wales (NSW) and home to around 4.8 million people – many of whom were born overseas. In fact, around 40% of those living in Sydney are expats from countries including China, England, India, New Zealand and Vietnam, to name a few.

The cultural diversity in Sydney is not only reflected by the residents, but by the cuisine, the arts and global events too. The city’s food scene is bursting with international delights, including Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Thai, Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, Thai, Lebanese and Italian. 

The city is also home to the famous Sydney Opera House, the astounding New Year fireworks, the Vivid festival and Mardi Gras. You’ll also find museums and galleries dedicated to celebrating the country’s rich Aboriginal culture.

Sydney’s top employment sectors include agriculture, mining, manufacturing, energy, retail, hospitality, education, health care, arts and recreation.

Getting around in Sydney is simple, whether it’s by train, metro, bus, ferry or light rail system which operates through popular shopping and entertainment districts.

Perth

Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is home to almost 2 million people. In Perth, more than 40% of people were born overseas, with high numbers of people from England, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Malaysia.

Perth is also home to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A few ways the community celebrates Aboriginal culture, specifically the Noongar Aboriginal people – the original inhabitants of the land Perth sits on – is through dedicated public educational events, exhibitions and tours.

Perth is another hotspot for culture and creativity. Here, expats can experience the city’s thriving performing arts scene, with a variety of venues for live music, comedy, and dance. Expats will also enjoy the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), which features Australian and international contemporary visual, performing, new media and hybrid arts.

When it comes to finding work, some of the city’s major sectors have their hubs in Perth, including professional, scientific and technical services, public administration and safety, and mining.

As well as offering many forms of transport, Perth’s Central Area Transit buses are free to use on four major routes crisscrossing every part of the city. For expats that love to cycle, Perth has a great network of dedicated and split-use pathways.

Adelaide

Adelaide is home to almost 1.3 million people. 30% of people living in the city were born overseas, including residents from England, India, China, Italy and Vietnam.

Adelaide is another city known for its theatrical and cultural life. It hosts Australia’s largest open-access arts festival, the Adelaide Fringe, which is internationally renowned. Here, local, national and international artists perform in venues across the city, including theatres, of course, but also galleries, parks, warehouses and abandoned buildings.

In terms of job opportunities, Adelaide’s leading industries include manufacturing, bio-science, aerospace and aviation, education, energy, food and wine, IT and more.

Not only does Adelaide offer numerous cycling routes, but there are also more than 500 bikes that can be hired for free from Adelaide Free Bikes. This is great for expats who enjoy cycling but who may not have a bike of their own. As well as many other modes of transport, including trams, coaches and buses, ferries run from the mainland to Kangaroo Island, a wonderful wildlife sanctuary just off the coast.

Health care and insurance

Australia’s health care system is one of the best in the world. It offers an even split between high-quality public and private hospitals. The health care system is run jointly at all levels of the Australian government, reaching right across federal, state and local networks.

The country’s universal health care scheme, Medicare, is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and people from countries with reciprocal agreements. It covers all of the cost of public hospital services and some or all of the costs of other health services such as visits to general practitioners and medical specialists.