Which route fits your situation
The table maps common situations to the routes Australia actually has in this dataset. Where a row says no route is tracked, that is a statement about the 8 routes on this page, not a ruling that nothing exists. Check the official pages before you rule anything out.
| Your situation | Route that fits | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|
| You have an offer from an employer based in Australia | Can lead to PR | |
| You keep your US employer and work remotely | No dedicated remote-work permit is among the ones tracked here. Working remotely while on visitor entry is not automatically allowed, so check the official pages before you assume it is. | Not applicable |
| You are retired and living on pension or investment income | No dedicated passive-income route is among the ones tracked here. A route in another category may still fit, but it will come with its own conditions. | Not applicable |
| You are investing capital or buying into a business | No investor route is among the ones tracked here. Some countries handle business owners through a self-employment or entrepreneur permit instead. | Not applicable |
| You are enrolling at a university, college or language school |
| Not directly |
| You are the spouse or close family of a citizen or resident |
| Can lead to PR |
Routes on this page that none of those situations covers: Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601), National Innovation visa (subclass 858).
Every route at a glance
One row per route, in the order they are set out below. The costs are the official government fees recorded in the data. They exclude translations, apostilles, medicals and legal help, which together often come to more than the fee itself.
| Route | Category | Valid for | Official cost | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) | Visitor | Up to 3 months per entry, unlimited entries in 12 months | AUD 20 app service charge (about USD 14). No visa application charge. | Not directly |
| Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream | Work | Up to 4 years | AUD 4,015 for the main applicant and for each dependant aged 18 or over, AUD 1,005 per child (about USD 2,895 / 725). Your employer separately pays the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy and cannot pass those to you. | Counts toward it |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream | Work | Permanent | AUD 6,140 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,535 per child (about USD 4,427 / 2,213 / 1,107). | Counts toward it |
| Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), points-tested stream | Work | Permanent | AUD 6,135 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,540 per child (about USD 4,423 / 2,213 / 1,110), plus skills assessment, English test, police checks and medicals. | Counts toward it |
| Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) | Work | Permanent | AUD 6,140 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,535 per child (about USD 4,427 / 2,213 / 1,107). | Counts toward it |
| National Innovation visa (subclass 858) | Other | Permanent | AUD 6,235 main applicant, AUD 3,120 per adult dependant, AUD 1,560 per child (about USD 4,495 / 2,250 / 1,125). | Counts toward it |
| Partner visa (subclass 820 temporary, then 801 permanent) | Family | 820 while processing, 801 permanent, normally at least two years apart | AUD 11,710 for the combined 820/801 application, AUD 5,860 per adult dependant (about USD 8,443 / 4,225). Offshore 309/100 costs the same. | Counts toward it |
| Student visa (subclass 500) | Study | Length of your course, generally up to 5 years | AUD 2,500 main applicant, AUD 1,530 per adult dependant, AUD 500 per child (about USD 1,803 / 1,103 / 361), plus tuition and OSHC. | Not directly |
Route by route
The facts in each panel come from the Australia data and the official page beside it. The paragraph underneath describes how routes of that class usually work, wherever they are issued, so you know what the application will ask for before you open the form.
Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
- Valid for
- Up to 3 months per entry, unlimited entries in 12 months
- Official cost
- AUD 20 app service charge (about USD 14). No visa application charge.
- Permanent residence
- Not directly
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. US passport holders are on the ETA-eligible list. You must apply from outside Australia using the Australian ETA app. Tourism, visiting family, and limited business visitor activities only. No work rights for an Australian employer, no Medicare, and study capped at 3 months.
Typical of visitor routesVisitor entry is not residence. It permits a limited stay, does not permit local work, and the clock is usually enforced across a rolling period rather than per entry. Many countries also require a residence application to be filed from outside their territory, so arriving as a visitor and switching status inside the country is often not possible. In Australia this covers one route tracked here. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream
- Valid for
- Up to 4 years
- Official cost
- AUD 4,015 for the main applicant and for each dependant aged 18 or over, AUD 1,005 per child (about USD 2,895 / 725). Your employer separately pays the nomination fee and the Skilling Australians Fund levy and cannot pass those to you.
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. An approved Australian employer nominates you for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List. You need at least one year of relevant work experience, a skills assessment if your occupation requires one, minimum English, and a salary that meets both the annual market salary rate for the role and the Core Skills Income Threshold of A$79,423 for nominations lodged between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. You work only for your sponsor unless exempt.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In Australia this covers 4 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Valid for
- Permanent
- Official cost
- AUD 6,140 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,535 per child (about USD 4,427 / 2,213 / 1,107).
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. You hold a subclass 457, 482 or eligible bridging visa, have normally worked full time in the nominated occupation for at least two years while holding that visa, and your employer has an approved nomination lodged in the six months before you apply. This is the standard permanent-residence exit from a sponsored work visa.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In Australia this covers 4 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), points-tested stream
- Valid for
- Permanent
- Official cost
- AUD 6,135 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,540 per child (about USD 4,423 / 2,213 / 1,110), plus skills assessment, English test, police checks and medicals.
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. No employer or state sponsor needed. Your occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list, you need a positive skills assessment from the designated assessing authority, you must be under 45 when invited, and you must score at least 65 points on the age, English, qualifications and skilled-experience test. You submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect and wait for an invitation; competitive scores usually sit well above the 65-point floor.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In Australia this covers 4 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- Valid for
- Permanent
- Official cost
- AUD 6,140 main applicant, AUD 3,070 per adult dependant, AUD 1,535 per child (about USD 4,427 / 2,213 / 1,107).
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. Same structure as the 189 but a state or territory government nominates you, which adds five points and normally commits you to living and working in that state for two years. Each state runs its own occupation list and its own selection criteria, and lists change through the year.
Typical of work routesEmployer-sponsored routes normally start with a signed offer, not with you. The employer usually has to prove the role was advertised or that it sits on a shortage list, and the permit is tied to that job, so changing employer generally means notifying the immigration authority or filing again. Time held on a work permit is the kind that most often counts toward permanent residence. In Australia this covers 4 of the routes tracked here. All of them build toward permanent residence.
National Innovation visa (subclass 858)
- Valid for
- Permanent
- Official cost
- AUD 6,235 main applicant, AUD 3,120 per adult dependant, AUD 1,560 per child (about USD 4,495 / 2,250 / 1,125).
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. Replaced the Global Talent visa in December 2024. You need an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts, or academia and research, plus an Australian nominator with a national reputation in your field. You submit an Expression of Interest and must lodge within 60 days of being invited. Processing priority is set by Ministerial Direction No. 120.
Typical of other routesRoutes outside the standard categories carry their own conditions and are the most likely to change between one application cycle and the next. Read the official page in full before you build a plan around this one. In Australia this covers one route tracked here. It is one of the routes here that builds toward permanent residence.
Partner visa (subclass 820 temporary, then 801 permanent)
- Valid for
- 820 while processing, 801 permanent, normally at least two years apart
- Official cost
- AUD 11,710 for the combined 820/801 application, AUD 5,860 per adult dependant (about USD 8,443 / 4,225). Offshore 309/100 costs the same.
- Permanent residence
- Yes, time on this permit counts
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. You are the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, your partner sponsors you, and the relationship is genuine and continuing. De facto partners generally need 12 months of cohabitation or registered relationship status. You must be in Australia when you lodge the 820.
Typical of family routesFamily routes turn on the sponsor’s status rather than yours, so the sponsor usually has to meet an income or housing standard. The bottleneck is civil documents: marriage, birth and sometimes divorce certificates, apostilled and translated by an approved translator. Relationships that are genuine but poorly documented fail more often than relationships that are questioned. In Australia this covers one route tracked here. It is one of the routes here that builds toward permanent residence.
Student visa (subclass 500)
- Valid for
- Length of your course, generally up to 5 years
- Official cost
- AUD 2,500 main applicant, AUD 1,530 per adult dependant, AUD 500 per child (about USD 1,803 / 1,103 / 361), plus tuition and OSHC.
- Permanent residence
- Not directly
- Government page
- Official requirements →
Who qualifies. Enrolment confirmed by a Confirmation of Enrolment from a registered provider, genuine student requirement, English test, financial capacity evidence and Overseas Student Health Cover for the whole stay. Limited work rights apply. It is a common first step for Americans who then move to a Temporary Graduate visa and on to skilled migration.
Typical of study routesStudy permits are tied to an accredited institution and an unconditional acceptance letter. Alongside tuition you normally have to show living funds for the year, accommodation and health cover. Work rights are capped at a set number of hours, and the permit ends when the course does, though many countries offer a post-study period to look for work. In Australia this covers one route tracked here. It does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
Which routes actually go somewhere
Whether a permit renews forever or accumulates toward settlement decides what a decade in Australia is worth at the end of it. These are the routes on each side of that line.
Builds toward permanent residence
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream · Up to 4 years
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream · Permanent
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), points-tested stream · Permanent
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) · Permanent
- National Innovation visa (subclass 858) · Permanent
- Partner visa (subclass 820 temporary, then 801 permanent) · 820 while processing, 801 permanent, normally at least two years apart
Temporary or renewable only
- Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) · Up to 3 months per entry, unlimited entries in 12 months
- Student visa (subclass 500) · Length of your course, generally up to 5 years
A residence permit and tax residence are decided by separate tests, and it is common to trip the second without intending to. Australia sets its own rule for when you become taxable there, and the US carries on taxing its citizens wherever they live. How US citizens are taxed in Australia →
Most residence applications require proof of health cover from the day the permit starts, before you are inside the local system. What healthcare access looks like in Australia →
How the Australia route mix compares
Australia has 8 tracked routes, 6 of which build toward permanent residence. Across the 15 countries on this site the median is 7 tracked routes and 4 that lead to settlement. The table counts routes by category, so if one specific door is the one you need, you can see which destinations have it.
| Category | Australia | New Zealand | Portugal | Spain | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor | 1 | 1 | 1 | None | 1 |
| Work | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Digital nomad | None | 1 | 1 | 1 | None |
| Retirement | None | None | 1 | 1 | None |
| Investment | None | 1 | 1 | None | 1 |
| Study | 1 | None | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Family | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ancestry | None | None | None | None | None |
| Other | 1 | 1 | None | 1 | None |
A category with no tracked route is a gap in this dataset for that country, not proof that no such permit exists. Each count is only as complete as the government pages listed on that country's own guide.
How the process usually sequences
The order below is typical rather than specific: it holds for most residence routes in most countries, and the official page for your route governs wherever the two differ. What varies between countries is the length of each stage, not usually its existence.
Where Australia sits in this
Of the 8 routes tracked for Australia, 2 need an employer or sponsor to start the process and 6 you can begin yourself. 6 of them build toward permanent residence.
Pick the route and read its official page end to end
Nearly every rejected application was filed under the wrong category or against last year’s requirements. The route decides the document list, the fee and where you file, so it is the only decision that is expensive to get wrong.
Order civil documents early
Birth and marriage certificates, a criminal record check and, where relevant, degree certificates usually need an apostille and a certified translation. This step is administrative and typically the longest one, because it depends on record offices rather than on you.
Assemble the money and cover evidence
Most residence routes want bank statements covering several consecutive months, a signed employment or income document, and proof of health cover valid from the day you arrive. Statements that skip a month or arrive as screenshots are a common reason files are sent back.
File the application, usually from outside the country
Residence applications are commonly lodged at the consulate covering your US address, or through a government portal that still ends in a consular appointment. Slots can be the binding constraint on your timeline, so book before the file is perfect rather than after.
Attend the appointment and give biometrics
Fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the appointment or shortly after, and the original documents are checked against the copies you submitted. Fees are normally paid at this point and are rarely refundable if the application fails.
Wait for the decision, then collect the entry visa
The decision arrives as a visa sticker or approval letter that lets you travel. It usually carries its own window in which you must enter, which is why booking flights before approval is a gamble rather than a plan.
Arrive and register locally
Most countries expect a local registration within days or weeks of arrival: an address registration, a tax or social security number, and often a local bank account. Several of these steps depend on each other, so the order they are done in matters more than the effort each one takes.
Collect the residence card and diarise the renewal
The physical permit is issued after registration, sometimes at a separate appointment. Renewal windows open before expiry and close on the day, and continuous lawful residence is what later counts toward permanent residence or naturalisation, so a lapsed permit can reset a clock you have been building for years.
Nothing in that sequence is a substitute for the instructions on the official page for your route. Treat it as a checklist for planning your months, not as the requirements themselves.
Residency questions about Australia
Can I move to Australia from the US without a job offer?
Yes, but only through the points-tested Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) or a state-nominated 190. You need an occupation on the skilled list, a positive skills assessment, to be under 45 when invited, and at least 65 points. In practice invitation rounds clear well above 65, so strong English scores and years of skilled experience matter. There is no route based on savings or remote income alone.
Can Americans get an Australian working holiday visa?
No. Australia's Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) programs run on bilateral arrangements, and the United States is not a partner country in either. Young Americans who want to work in Australia need a sponsored Skills in Demand visa, a student visa with limited work rights, or a partner visa. There is no under-30 shortcut equivalent to the one Australians get in the US.
Can I buy a house in Australia on a temporary visa?
Not an existing one. From 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029 foreign persons, which includes temporary visa holders, are generally banned from buying established dwellings. You can still buy new-build or off-the-plan stock with Foreign Investment Review Board approval and pay the application fee. Once you hold a permanent visa you are no longer a foreign person and can buy freely.
How long does it take to go from a 482 visa to permanent residence?
Normally just over two years. The Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream requires roughly two years of full-time work in the nominated occupation while holding a 457 or 482, plus an employer nomination approved in the six months before you apply. The visa charge is A$6,140 for the main applicant, and processing time is on top of the two-year work requirement.
Official pages and sources
Every route on this page was read from a government source. These are the pages behind them, unduplicated, so you can check the current fee and document list yourself.
- Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601): official requirements
- Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream: official requirements
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition stream: official requirements
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), points-tested stream: official requirements
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190): official requirements
- National Innovation visa (subclass 858): official requirements
- Partner visa (subclass 820 temporary, then 801 permanent): official requirements
- Student visa (subclass 500): official requirements
Wider sources for this country
What these numbers are. The headline figures were re-derived from primary sources during review. Some category indices could not be matched to a published statistic and are reasoned estimates, marked as such in the list below. Where a source entry says a value is derived, estimated or crowd-sourced, that is exactly what it is: no international body publishes a like-for-like index for every category, and private insurance premiums are not published at all in most countries. Rent figures are national market averages, so a capital city will run above them. How the dataset is built.
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Exchange rates: 1 AUD = 0.7210 USD on 4 September 2026 (rate used for every AUD to USD conversion on this page). The RBA renders its daily rate table in JavaScript and blocks automated download of the F11 CSV, so the value was cross-checked against the US Federal Reserve H.10 release below. — accessed September 4, 2026
- US Federal Reserve, H.10 Foreign Exchange Rates weekly release dated 31 August 2026: the Australian dollar, quoted in US dollars per unit, at 0.7151, 0.7160, 0.7169, 0.7198 and 0.7166 for 24 to 28 August 2026. Cross-check on the 0.7210 rate used for AUD to USD conversion throughout this page. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Table: the Department's index of current visa application charges. The amounts on this page are rendered by the Visa Pricing Estimator service rather than served as static text, so the figures used here were read from that service directly - see the next entry. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Estimator - the Department's own pricing service, queried 4 September 2026 for a lodgement date of 4 September 2026 with one main applicant, one dependant aged 18 or over and one child. Base application charge / additional applicant 18+ / additional applicant under 18: subclass 189 points-tested A$6,135 / A$3,070 / A$1,540; subclass 190 A$6,140 / A$3,070 / A$1,535; subclass 186 A$6,140 / A$3,070 / A$1,535; subclass 482 Core Skills A$4,015 / A$4,015 / A$1,005; subclass 858 A$6,235 / A$3,120 / A$1,560; subclass 820/801 partner A$11,710 / A$5,860 / A$2,935, with offshore 309/100 returning identical amounts; subclass 500 higher education sector A$2,500 / A$1,530 / A$500; subclass 601 ETA nil visa application charge. This is the source for every visa fee quoted on this page. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Core Skills stream: up to 4 years, CSOL occupation, 1 year relevant experience, pathway to permanent residence — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) points-tested stream: under 45 at invitation, minimum 65 points, skills assessment and SkillSelect invitation required — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, National Innovation visa (subclass 858): permanent visa, invitation-only, nominator required, processed under Ministerial Direction No. 120 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601): United States of America listed as an ETA-eligible passport, AUD 20 app service charge, up to 3 months per entry — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Taxation Office, Your tax residency (last updated 3 June 2026). Sets out the four residency tests used in taxes.residency_rule - the resides test as the primary test, plus the domicile, 183-day and Commonwealth superannuation statutory tests - and states that the ATO does not use Department of Home Affairs rules, so you can be an Australian resident for tax purposes without being a citizen or permanent resident. The ATO is Australia's tax authority and this is the page behind taxes.official_url. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Foreign Investment Review Board (foreigninvestment.gov.au), Residential land guidance: from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029 foreign investors are generally prohibited from purchasing established dwellings; annual vacancy fee applies to under-occupied foreign-owned property — accessed September 4, 2026
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