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Country guide · Australia
Living and working in Australia
A guide for international candidates
Unless you're an Australian or New Zealand citizen or already hold a visa with work rights, you'll need a visa that lets you work. The main employer-sponsored route is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills stream needs pay of at least A$79,423 and the Specialist Skills stream at least A$146,576.
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Australian dollar
Currency
A$, AUD · source
Canberra
Capital
Three main zones
Time zone
AWST (UTC+8), ACST (UTC+9:30) and AEST (UTC+10) · source
000
Emergency number
Triple Zero · source
Type I
Plug
230 V (Australian standard AS/NZS 3112) · source
Last checked 12 October 2026. Estimates are labelled.
Where the jobs are
All regions lets you pick a place and see rent, jobs and the sectors in this guide. Choose a sector to see that industry in every place.
Cyan is the region you picked. Navy is everywhere else.
Region
New South Wales
Pay A$2,108.80.
- Employed
- 4,499
- Strongest sector
- Finance
Sector strength vs average for Australia
- Tech1.30×
- Healthcaren/a
- Engineeringn/a
- Finance1.46×
- Hospitalityn/a
Job links open all Australia roles for now.
View the map as a table
| State or territory | Population, 31 Mar 2026 | Employed (thousands) | Sectors above average (LQ 1.05 or more) | Average full-time weekly earnings, May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 8,670,105 | 4,499 | Finance 1.46, Tech 1.30 | A$2,108.80 |
| Victoria | 7,154,221 | 3,814 | Tech 1.23, Manufacturing 1.15, Finance 1.13 | A$2,041.10 |
| Queensland | 5,739,461 | 3,008 | Mining 1.32, Hospitality 1.10, Healthcare 1.08 | A$2,039.70 |
| South Australia | 1,916,836 | 988 | Healthcare 1.19, Manufacturing 1.16 | A$1,970.20 |
| Western Australia | 3,096,222 | 1,661 | Mining 4.25 | A$2,227.40 |
| Tasmania | 580,691 | 284 | Manufacturing 1.12, Healthcare 1.08, Hospitality 1.05 | A$1,846.30 |
| Northern Territory | 268,899 | 145 | Mining 1.46, Healthcare 1.16 | A$1,984.10 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 489,668 | 273 | Tech 1.16 (public administration and safety 3.86, professional services 1.51) | A$2,290.20 |
Cities
Pay, rent and the share of pay that rent takes. Estimates stay labelled.
Australia
Sydney
- Rent
- A$800 a week
- Pay
- A$2
- Rent share
- 38%
January 27.7°C, July 17.7°C; 993 mm rain; about 2,640 sunshine hours a year (Sydney Airport)
See jobs in SydneyAustralia
Melbourne
- Rent
- A$600 a week
- Pay
- A$2
- Rent share
- 29%
January 27.0°C, July 13.4°C; 516 mm rain; about 2,380 sunshine hours a year
See jobs in MelbourneAustralia
Brisbane
- Rent
- A$700 a week
- Pay
- A$2
- Rent share
- 34%
January 30.4°C, July 22.0°C; 1,074 mm rain; about 2,990 sunshine hours a year
Tools
Step 1 of 2
Visa route finder
A route to read about, not a decision on your application. Figures are the ones in this guide.
Rent and pay
The pay and rent figures already in this guide. This is not a tax calculation.
Rent a month in Sydney
A$800 a week
- Pay
- A$2
- Rent share of pay
- 38%
Take-home pay
The Australian Taxation Office works out the tax withheld from a pay packet. This guide does not.
Open the tax withheld calculatorVisa routes to read about
These describe the route. They do not say whether you qualify.
- Source
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Core Skills stream
Workers sponsored by an approved employer, in an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List. Pay at least A$79,423 (CSIT) and at least the annual market salary rate, nominations lodged from 1 July 2026.
- Source
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Specialist Skills stream
Highly paid specialists sponsored by an approved employer; no occupation list, but trades workers, machinery operators and drivers, and labourers are excluded (excludes ANZSCO Major Groups 3, 7 and 8: Technicians and Trades Workers, Machinery Operators and Drivers, and Labourers; Migration Amendment (2024 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2024, explanatory statement, , official).
- Source
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), Labour Agreement stream
Workers sponsored under a labour agreement between an employer and the government. Terms set by the agreement.
Little-known facts
Daily life
- Schooldistances between cities, strong sun and sun safety, seasons the other way round, barbecues and outdoor sport, superannuation on top of pay, different rules in each state (renting, driving, schools).
Family, school and pets
- Schoolschooling is run by each state and territory; ages and year names differ.
- SchoolQual, sourced to each state education department.
- Schoolsome states charge government school fees to children of some temporary visa holders.
From job offer to settled in
1
employer sponsorship and nomination, visa grant
Travel, Tax File Number, bank account, super fund, Medicare (if eligible), rental bond, driver licence, schools
2
passport, visa grant notice
Qualifications and references, driving record, prescriptions, plug adaptors (Type I)
3
Tax File Number from the ATO
, bank account, super fund choice (the employer pays 12% on top)
Source
Questions
Is the Skills in Demand visa the same as the TSS visa?
The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024. It keeps the subclass number 482 but has new streams (Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement) and income thresholds. Start date 7 December 2024: Migration Amendment (2024 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2024, explanatory statement, F2024L01620 (official).
How much does my employer need to pay me?
For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, at least A$79,423 a year in the Core Skills stream and at least A$146,576 in the Specialist Skills stream, and never less than an Australian worker would get for the same job in the same place (the annual market salary rate). The thresholds rise each 1 July.
Can I bring my family?
Partners and dependent children can usually be included in a 482 application as secondary applicants, with their own charges. A registered migration agent can look at your family's situation; find one in /specialists.
Do I get Medicare?
Medicare is mainly for citizens and permanent residents. People from countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement get some cover, and 482 visa holders must keep adequate health insurance. Check Services Australia before you arrive.
How much tax will I pay?
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