How to Move to Australia in 2026: Visas, Jobs, First Steps

To move to Australia, first choose a visa: employer sponsorship through the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) if your skills are on the official list, or a Working Holiday visa if you are 18 to 30 (35 for some countries) from an eligible country. Wait for the grant before booking, then get a tax file number on arrival.

Key facts

• The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is for people aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some countries, with a passport from an eligible country; it allows a 12 month stay, costs AUD840 and must be applied for online from outside Australia. (Department of Home Affairs, Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), 2026)
• Home Affairs says average processing for most Working Holiday visa applications is expected to be around three months and advises not to book flights or make commitments until the visa is granted. (Department of Home Affairs, Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), 2026)
• The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) lets an employer sponsor a skilled worker for up to 4 years; the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423 for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. (Department of Home Affairs, Salary requirements to nominate a worker, 2026)
• To work in Australia, migrants and temporary visitors need a valid work rights visa, and those located in Australia with such a visa can apply for a tax file number; visa details can be checked with VEVO. (Australian Taxation Office, Permanent migrants and temporary visitors TFN application, Jun 2026)
• Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia. (Fair Work Ombudsman, Visa holders and migrants, 2026)

If you are researching how to move to Australia, the first and most important step is choosing the right visa. Everything else, from finding work to setting up a bank account, follows from that. Australia has many visa types, but two routes cover most people who move for work: employer sponsorship for skilled workers and the Working Holiday visa for young people from eligible countries. This guide explains both, the official 2026 figures, and the practical steps for your first weeks, using only Australian government sources.

Step 1: Choose your visa route

Employer sponsorship

If you have skills in demand, an Australian employer can sponsor you through the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). The Department of Home Affairs says this visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker for a role it cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian, for a stay of up to 4 years. Your occupation must be on the right list for the stream, you usually need at least 1 year of relevant experience and English at the required level, and your pay must meet the market rate and an income threshold. For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the Core Skills Income Threshold is AUD79,423.

Working Holiday visa

If you are young and from an eligible country, the Working Holiday visa is often the simplest way to move to Australia for a while. Home Affairs says the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is for people aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some countries, with a passport from an eligible country, who are not accompanied by dependent children. It lets you stay for 12 months, costs AUD840 and must be applied for online from outside Australia. You can work while you are there, and you may apply for a second Working Holiday visa if you complete 3 months of specified work and meet the other rules.

Home Affairs warns that average processing for most Working Holiday applications is expected to be around three months, and advises not to book flights or make travel, work or study commitments until the visa is granted.

Other routes

Australia also has skilled independent and state-nominated visas, regional visas, student visas and family visas. Each has its own rules. Use the official visa list on the Home Affairs website to compare them, or the visa guide for a quick overview.

How to move to Australia from US and other countries

Which visas you can use depends on your passport. The countries eligible for the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and for the related Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) are listed separately by Home Affairs, and the age limits and conditions differ. If you are moving to Australia from the US or any other country, check your country against the official lists before you plan. Employer sponsorship is open to most nationalities if you meet the skills, experience and English requirements.

Step 2: Find work

If you need a sponsor, focus on occupations on the current list and employers with a history of sponsoring. If you hold a Working Holiday visa, you can look for many kinds of work once you arrive, including hospitality, farm, retail and office roles. On Dev Global Jobs you can browse jobs in Australia and filter by city. Australian CVs are usually two to three pages, start with a short profile and list experience in reverse order. The CV builder has an Australian format.

Step 3: Budget for the move

Moving to another country costs money before your first pay arrives. Plan for the visa fee, flights, health insurance where needed, temporary accommodation, a rental bond, transport and living costs for at least the first few weeks. Rents vary widely between cities, so look at real listings for the area where you plan to live. Keep a buffer for surprises.

Step 4: Your first weeks

Tax file number

To work in Australia you need a valid work rights visa. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) explains that permanent migrants and temporary visitors located in Australia with a valid work rights visa can apply for a tax file number, or TFN, and that working holiday makers on subclass 417 and 462 visas are among the eligible visa holders. You can check your visa details and conditions using the government's VEVO service. Apply for your TFN soon after you arrive so your employer can pay you correctly.

Bank account and phone

Open a bank account and get a local phone number early, because employers, landlords and services will ask for them. Bring your passport and visa details.

Housing

Start with short-term accommodation while you look for a longer-term rental. View places in person where possible, read the lease carefully and keep records of any bond you pay.

Health cover

Check what health cover your visa requires and whether your country has an arrangement with Australia for public health care. Many temporary visa holders need private health insurance.

Before you leave home

A few weeks before you fly, put your affairs in order. Make copies of your passport, visa grant, qualifications and references, and store them both on paper and online. Tell your bank you are moving and check what cards will work abroad. Sort out any phone contract, rental or insurance at home. Get any medical or dental checks you need, and bring enough of any regular medicine for the first weeks, with a copy of the prescription. If you plan to drive, find out how long you can use your overseas licence and what you need to switch to a local one.

Your first job search on the ground

If you arrive on a Working Holiday visa without a job, start your search right away. Update your CV to Australian style, with a short profile at the top and your local phone number. Apply online, visit businesses in person during quiet hours and tell people you meet that you are looking for work. Many first jobs come through other travellers, housemates and local contacts. Keep a list of where you applied and follow up after a week. Be ready for short trial shifts in hospitality, which are common, but make sure any trial follows the rules on pay.

Managing money in the first months

Track your spending closely at first, because new costs appear quickly. Rent is often quoted per week, and landlords usually ask for a bond before you move in; check the amount and how it is held before you pay. Groceries, transport and phone plans vary by city. Compare a few options before you sign up for long contracts. Once you have regular pay, set a simple budget and try to save a little from each payslip, so you have a cushion for the unexpected and for the next stage of your plan.

Your rights at work

The Fair Work Ombudsman says visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia, including pay, leave and other entitlements. It also says your visa will not be cancelled if you contact it for information or help. Keep your payslips and contract, and get advice if anything seems wrong.

Choosing where to live

Australia is a big country, and where you live shapes your whole experience. The large cities offer the most jobs and the widest choice of work, along with busy social lives and good public transport. They also have the highest rents. Smaller cities and regional towns can offer lower costs, a slower pace and strong demand in fields such as health, trades, farming and hospitality. Think about climate too: the north is tropical, while the south has cooler winters. Look at real job adverts and rental listings for each place before you decide.

Getting your qualifications recognised

Many jobs in Australia are regulated. Nurses, doctors, teachers, engineers, electricians and many other trades need their qualifications assessed or need to register with an Australian body before they can work. For sponsored visas, some occupations need a formal skills assessment as part of the visa process. Find the official assessing or registration body for your job early and follow its steps. This can take months and may need documents from your home country, so start well before you plan to move.

Example: a sponsored engineer

Ana is a civil engineer with six years of experience. Her occupation is on the official list for sponsorship. She completes her skills assessment and English test at home. She applies to large Australian firms that mention sponsorship in their adverts. One firm offers her a role with a salary above the current income threshold. The firm runs its local advertising, lodges the nomination, and Ana then applies for her Skills in Demand visa. She waits for the grant before booking her flight. On arrival she applies for her tax file number, opens a bank account and moves from short-term housing into a rental near her office.

Example: a working holiday maker

Tom is 24 and his passport is on the Working Holiday list. He applies online from home, pays the fee and waits for the grant. He saves enough to cover several weeks of living costs. In Australia, he applies for his tax file number, finds work in a cafe and later spends time on a farm, which can count toward the specified work needed for a second Working Holiday visa if he meets the rules. He keeps his payslips and records of his work, because he may need them later.

Moving with family

If you plan to move with a partner or children, check how your visa treats family members. Some visas let you include family in the application, while others do not, and the Working Holiday visa is for people not accompanied by dependent children. Think about schools, childcare, health cover and a home large enough for everyone. Moving a family takes more planning and money, but many families make the move successfully every year.

Settling in

The first months can feel busy and strange, even in an English-speaking country. Join local groups, sports clubs or community organisations to meet people. Learn the basics of the local way of working, such as how people use first names at work and how meetings run. Be patient with yourself; most people find that daily life starts to feel normal after a few months.

Thinking about the long term

Some people move to Australia for a year, and others hope to stay for good. If you want to stay longer, learn early which visas can lead to permanent residence for your situation, and plan your work history and paperwork with that in mind. Keep records of your jobs, pay and visa conditions. Rules change, so check the official Home Affairs pages regularly rather than relying on old advice.

A move to Australia can be one of the best decisions of your life, but it works best when it is planned step by step. Choose the right visa, prepare your documents, budget carefully and give yourself time to settle. With those foundations in place, you can focus on the parts that make the move worthwhile: new work, new people and a new place to call home. Take it one step at a time, and keep the official pages close as your guide throughout the whole move and beyond.

Common mistakes

• Booking flights before the visa is granted.
• Choosing a visa that does not allow the work you plan to do.
• Arriving without enough savings for the first weeks.
• Working before getting a TFN, which can mean more tax taken from your pay.
• Accepting cash-in-hand work below legal pay rates.
• Paying anyone for a guaranteed job or visa.

Avoiding scams

People planning a move abroad are a common target for scams. Be careful if someone offers a guaranteed job or visa for a fee, asks you to pay a bond for a rental you have not seen, or tells you to use a visa that does not allow work. Pay visa fees only through the official Home Affairs system, and check any migration agent on the official register before you pay them. Real employers do not sell jobs, and real landlords let you see a property or a verified listing before you pay.

Staying on the right side of your visa

Every visa has conditions, such as limits on the type of work, the employer you can work for or how long you can stay. Read your visa grant letter carefully and check your conditions in VEVO. Keep within them at all times. If your situation changes, for example you lose your job on a sponsored visa or want to switch employers, check the official rules straight away, because some time limits are short. Staying within your conditions protects your current visa and your chances of future ones.

A realistic timeline

For a Working Holiday visa, allow for processing of around three months, then a few weeks to settle and find work after you arrive. For employer sponsorship, allow for the employer's local advertising, the nomination and your visa application, which together can take several months. Start early and keep your documents ready.

Checklist

1. Choose your visa route and check eligibility on the official site.
2. Gather documents: passport, qualifications, references and any skills assessment.
3. Apply from outside Australia and wait for the grant.
4. Budget for the first months and book temporary housing.
5. On arrival: TFN, bank account, phone and health cover.
6. Start your job search or begin your sponsored role.

Live on Dev Global Jobs

Right now there are 114,490 open jobs on Dev Global Jobs (live count, 7 November 2026). Browse jobs in Australia, compare routes in the visa guide and build an Australian CV in the CV builder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), Department of Home Affairs, Australia. Accessed 3 October 2026.
2. Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Department of Home Affairs, Australia. Accessed 3 October 2026.
3. Salary requirements to nominate a worker, Department of Home Affairs, Australia. Accessed 3 October 2026.
4. Permanent migrants and temporary visitors: TFN application, Australian Taxation Office. Accessed 3 October 2026.
5. Visa holders and migrants, Fair Work Ombudsman. Accessed 3 October 2026.

Source: Dev Global Jobs, updated 7 November 2026.