How to Move to Australia: A Complete Practical Guide

Migratio Editorial · Last updated 22 July 2026

TL;DR: Moving to Australia involves choosing the right visa route (skilled independent, employer-sponsored, family/partner, or student), meeting skills and English requirements, lodging an Expression of Interest or application, then preparing for arrival. Costs for the government visa charge alone typically range from $3,000–$9,400 AUD depending on visa type, with additional outlays for skills assessments, health checks, and police certificates. Processing times vary from months to well over a year. After arriving, your first priorities are a Tax File Number, Medicare enrolment (if eligible), a local bank account, and housing.

Australia receives hundreds of thousands of permanent and long-term migrants each year, drawn by job opportunities, quality of life, and world-class education. But the process is not a single pathway — it is a system of distinct visa streams, each with its own eligibility criteria, costs, and timelines. This guide walks through the full journey in the order you will actually face it: choosing your route, working through the application sequence, budgeting the real costs, and settling in once you land. Use it as a map, not a rulebook — visa rules change regularly, and your individual circumstances will shape which options apply.

Step 1 — Work Out Which Route Applies to You

Step 2 — The Skilled Independent Route (189, 190, 491): The Sequence

Step 3 — The Employer-Sponsored Route (482 & 186) in Brief

Step 4 — The Partner & Family Route in Brief

Step 5 — What Will It Actually Cost? Budgeting Your Move

Step 6 — How Long Will It Take?

Step 7 — Before You Arrive

Step 8 — Your First Weeks After Arrival

Step 9 — The Path to Permanent Residence & Citizenship

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