Skilled workers and families still look to Australia as one of the more attractive places to relocate, though its migration and housing policies have tightened in some specific and important ways recently. Here’s a practical overview of what moving to Australia actually involves right now.

Skilled Migration: The Skills in Demand Visa

Australia’s employer-sponsored skilled migration system now centers on the Skills in Demand visa, which replaced several older sponsored visa streams and organizes occupations into tiers based on skill level and salary. Sponsoring employers must meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT), which rose to AUD $79,423 as of July 2026, the minimum salary an employer must offer to sponsor a skilled worker. For permanent, points-tested skilled migration outside employer sponsorship, candidates are assessed under the General Skilled Migration points test, which factors in age, English proficiency, skilled employment experience, and qualifications, with reform to the points test itself under active discussion as part of recent budget announcements, worth checking for the latest status given how frequently this system has been adjusted. Processing times for several skilled visa streams have extended considerably, some now running 18 to 24 months, making early, well-documented applications more important than in faster-processing years.

Points Test and Occupation Lists

Whether your occupation qualifies for a points-tested or employer-sponsored pathway depends on current skilled occupation lists, which are reviewed and updated periodically to reflect labor market needs, so confirm your specific occupation’s current status directly rather than relying on older lists. Points test assessments now require more rigorous documentation, including direct employer verification of work experience on company letterhead in many cases, reflecting a broader tightening of evidentiary standards across the skilled migration system.

Housing: Australia’s Foreign Buyer Ban

Australia’s ban on foreign persons and temporary residents purchasing established (existing) residential dwellings, originally running April 2025 to March 2027, was extended in the 2026-27 Federal Budget through June 30, 2029. Permanent residents and New Zealand citizens are exempt from the ban. Foreign buyers can still purchase new or near-new dwellings, off-the-plan property, vacant land, and established homes intended for redevelopment, generally with Foreign Investment Review Board approval. This means most newly arrived skilled migrants and temporary visa holders who aren’t yet permanent residents should plan to rent, or specifically look at new-build options, rather than buying an existing home, at least until they qualify for permanent residency.

Cost of Living by City

Sydney and Melbourne remain Australia’s most expensive major cities for rent and general living costs, while Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and regional centers typically offer meaningfully lower housing costs. Several regional visa and points-test incentives exist specifically to encourage skilled migrants to settle outside the largest cities, worth investigating if location flexibility works for your situation, since regional sponsorship can sometimes offer a faster or more accessible pathway than a major-city equivalent.

Banking and Building Credit

Australia’s major banks (Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, and ANZ) let newcomers open an account online before they even land, usually within three months of the planned arrival date, using just a passport; a follow-up branch visit with identification is typically required within six weeks of arrival to fully verify the account. A Tax File Number (TFN), applied for after arrival, is needed to avoid being taxed at the highest emergency rate on any income. As with most countries, credit history doesn’t carry over from abroad, so a low-limit credit card or similar starter product is the usual way to begin building an Australian credit record.

Healthcare and Settling In Australia

Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare system, is generally available to permanent residents and citizens, with some reciprocal arrangements for visitors from countries with healthcare agreements with Australia, but most temporary visa holders need private health insurance, which is often a visa condition in the first place. Opening a bank account, applying for a Tax File Number (required for employment and tax purposes), and researching school enrollment if relocating with children are typically the first practical steps after arrival, and several banks offer accounts specifically designed for new arrivals with limited Australian financial history.

Starting Strong in a New Market

Relocating to Australia currently means navigating a skilled migration system with rising income thresholds, longer processing times, and ongoing points test reform discussions, alongside a foreign property buyer ban on established homes now extended through mid-2029. Confirm current TSMIT figures, occupation list status, and points test rules directly through official Australian government immigration sources before planning a move, since all three have changed meaningfully in recent years and are likely to keep evolving.