GlobeQuest

Australia visas and residency

Who can visit Australia without a visa, and the 5 long-stay routes that let you actually live there.

Short stay

Visiting Australia, by passport

How the 198 passports we track get in. A visitor entry is never permission to work, study or settle — that is what the routes further down are for.

United StatesTravel authorisationUnited KingdomTravel authorisationIndiae-VisaCanadaTravel authorisationGermanyTravel authorisationFranceTravel authorisationNetherlandsTravel authorisationIrelandTravel authorisationSpainTravel authorisationItalyTravel authorisationPortugalTravel authorisationPolandTravel authorisationSwedenTravel authorisationSwitzerlandTravel authorisationSouth Africae-Visa
No visa at all

Who can simply move to Australia

Trans-Tasman travel arrangement

Citizens covered by Trans-Tasman travel arrangement need none of the routes below

New Zealand citizens are granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444) on arrival in Australia, which lets them live and work there indefinitely.

It is a temporary visa, not permanent residence, so some support open to permanent residents is not open to you. After four years living in Australia you can apply directly for citizenship.

Verified November 2026:Department of Home Affairs — New Zealand citizens
Long stay

How you actually move to Australia

Work / sponsoredHigh confidenceVerified July 2026

Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) — Core Skills stream

Sponsored workers with an Australian employer. Replaced the old TSS/457 route and is the main employer-sponsored path.

What you need
  • Nomination by an approved sponsor for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List
  • Salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold — AUD 79,499 from 1 July 2026, up from AUD 76,515 — *and* at the market rate for the role
  • At least 1 year of relevant work experience
  • English at the required level, plus skills assessment for some occupations
  • Health and character checks
How long it lasts
Up to 4 years, renewable, with full mobility to change sponsors within 180 days if employment ends.
Path to permanent residence
Permanent residence via the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) after 2 years with the sponsor, or by switching to a points-tested route. Citizenship needs 4 years of lawful residence including 1 year as a permanent resident.
Cost
Home Affairs publishes charges through its dynamic pricing table rather than a fixed schedule, and secondary sources disagree — use the official Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact amount. The employer separately pays the Skilling Australians Fund levy.
Processing time
Highly variable by stream and occupation; check the current published processing times.
Worth knowing
  • The CSIT is a floor, not a target: you must also be paid the market rate, so in high-paying occupations the market-rate test binds instead.
  • The threshold is indexed every 1 July under regulation 5.42A, against ABS average earnings. A nomination lodged before the increase is assessed against the old figure, which makes timing matter around June — and makes any bare number, including this one, a snapshot.
  • The Core Skills stream is one of three. The Specialist Skills stream needs no occupation list at all — eligibility turns purely on a guaranteed salary at or above the Specialist Skills Income Threshold, AUD 146,717 from 1 July 2026. If your offer clears that, the Core Skills Occupation List stops being your problem, and a great many senior hires never check.
  • The 180-day window to find a new sponsor is a real improvement over the old 60 days — it makes this visa far less precarious than its predecessor.
  • Superannuation is compulsory and you can claim it back when you leave, but not intact. The Departing Australia Superannuation Payment is taxed at 35% on the taxed element, 45% on any untaxed element, and a flat 65% if you have EVER held a 417 or 462 working holiday visa — including for years spent on a 482. Budget against the net, not the balance on the statement.
Sources:Department of Home Affairs — Visa finderHome Affairs — Visa Pricing EstimatorATO — Departing Australia superannuation payment tax rates
Work / sponsoredHigh confidenceVerified July 2026

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

Skilled workers with no employer and no state nomination. Permanent residence granted directly, on points.

What you need
  • An occupation on the relevant skilled list, plus a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority
  • At least 65 points on the points test — age, English, experience, qualifications, partner skills, study in Australia
  • Under 45 at the time of invitation
  • Competent English at minimum; higher scores earn more points
  • An Expression of Interest in SkillSelect, then an invitation
How long it lasts
Permanent from grant — a five-year travel facility on a permanent visa.
Path to permanent residence
It *is* permanent residence. Citizenship follows the 4-year rule.
Cost
Use the official Visa Pricing Estimator; skills assessment and English tests are additional and non-trivial.
Processing time
Invitation rounds govern the front end; grant processing follows published service standards.
Worth knowing
  • 65 points makes you eligible, not competitive. Actual invitation cut-offs for popular occupations have run far higher, and eligibility without an invitation is worth nothing.
  • The age cut-off at 45 is hard, and points decline from 33 onward — this route rewards applying early.
  • A skills assessment is a separate, slow, paid process with its own authority per occupation. Start it before anything else.
Sources:Home Affairs — SkillSelectDepartment of Home Affairs — Visa finder
Work / sponsoredMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

Points-tested applicants willing to commit to a particular state or territory, which nominates them.

What you need
  • The same skills assessment and points test as subclass 189, plus 5 points for state nomination
  • Nomination by a state or territory, each with its own occupation lists and criteria that change through the year
  • A commitment to live and work in the nominating state, usually for two years
How long it lasts
Permanent from grant.
Path to permanent residence
It is permanent residence.
Cost
Visa charge via the official estimator, plus any state nomination fee.
Processing time
State nomination first, then federal processing.
Worth knowing
  • The 5 nomination points are often exactly what closes the gap to an invitation, which is why 190 is the practical route for most applicants who can't clear 189 cut-offs.
  • State lists and criteria shift mid-year and some close early once allocations are used. Where you apply is a live tactical decision, not a fixed choice.
  • Regional variants (subclass 491) offer more points again but are provisional, not permanent — check which you are actually being offered.
Sources:Home Affairs — SkillSelect
InvestmentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

National Innovation visa (subclass 858)

People with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement. Replaced the Global Talent and Business Innovation programmes.

What you need
  • An invitation to apply — the visa is invitation-only
  • Evidence of exceptional achievement in a target sector, and prospective economic benefit to Australia
  • Alignment with Australia's stated national priorities
  • No points test and no age limit in the usual sense
How long it lasts
Permanent from grant.
Path to permanent residence
It is permanent residence.
Cost
Via the official estimator; the application charge is substantial.
Processing time
Case-by-case, and slow — this is a merit assessment, not a queue.
Worth knowing
  • 'Exceptional and outstanding' is applied strictly. A strong CV is not the bar; international recognition is.
  • It absorbed the former Global Talent visa, so guidance written before that consolidation is misleading about both eligibility and volume.
Sources:Department of Home Affairs — Visa finder
StudentMedium confidenceVerified July 2026

Student visa + Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)

International students, and graduates staying on to work.

What you need
  • Confirmation of Enrolment with a registered provider, plus the Genuine Student requirement
  • Evidence of funds at the current published level and English at the required score
  • For the 485 afterwards, a qualifying Australian qualification and age limits
How long it lasts
Course length, then a Temporary Graduate visa of a few years depending on qualification level.
Path to permanent residence
No direct path. The 485 buys time to gain Australian work experience and study points, then compete for 189/190 or find a sponsor for 482/186.
Cost
Student visa charge via the estimator, plus international tuition and Overseas Student Health Cover.
Processing time
Varies by provider risk level and country.
Worth knowing
  • Student visa charges and Genuine Student scrutiny both increased sharply from 2024, and funds requirements were raised. Pre-2024 guidance understates the cost and difficulty considerably.
  • Australian study earns points on the skilled routes, which is the real long-game value — but the 485 itself leads nowhere on its own.
  • Australia has no digital nomad visa; remote work for an overseas employer is not a basis for an Australian visa.
  • If you spent time on a working holiday visa (417 or 462) before or after studying, every dollar of super you later claim back on departure is taxed at 65% rather than 35% — the higher rate attaches to the person, permanently, not to the period. It is a small decision with a compounding cost.
Sources:Department of Home Affairs — Visa finderHome Affairs — Visa Pricing EstimatorATO — Departing Australia superannuation payment tax rates
On the ground

Where you'd land in Australia

Sydney

Harbour, beaches and a high-paying job market — the most liveable expensive city in the world, if you can clear the rent.

Full Sydney guide
Melbourne

Trams, laneways and four seasons in one afternoon — Australia's arts and sport capital.

Full Melbourne guide
Brisbane

Subtropical river city building toward 2032, where every public transport fare is 50 cents.

Full Brisbane guide
Perth

Mining wealth on the Indian Ocean, in a time zone closer to Jakarta than to Sydney.

Full Perth guide
Adelaide

Wine country, festivals and a half-hour time zone — the cheapest mainland capital by a clear margin.

Full Adelaide guide
Canberra

No freehold land, no foreign-buyer stamp duty, and a biggest employer that needs you to be a citizen first.

Full Canberra guide
Gold Coast

Designated regional Australia one hour south of Brisbane, where the state border runs down a suburban street and takes an hour with it.

Full Gold Coast guide
Hobart

The world's southernmost Antarctic gateway, where the whole state is designated regional and the ambulance is free — until you leave the island.

Full Hobart guide
Newcastle NSW

The world's biggest coal port turning into an offshore-wind hub — and designated regional Australia two and a half hours north of Sydney.

Full Newcastle NSW guide

Australia at a glance

Capital
Canberra
Population
27.6M
Languages
English
Currency
AUD