Visa routes to Australia

You can’t just move to Australia on a British passport. You need a visa, and the route you choose decides how long you can stay, who can come with you and what it costs.

The main routes at a glance

Skills in Demand (482): the employer route

This replaced the old Temporary Skill Shortage visa. An approved employer nominates you for a job, and you can stay up to 4 years. It has three streams:

The pay thresholds rise each 1 July. The figures above apply to nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Your employer also pays nomination fees and a training levy that they can’t pass on to you. See Understanding an Australian job offer.

The 482 can lead to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) if your employer nominates you.

Points-tested permanent visas (189, 190 and 491)

• You need a positive skills assessment for your occupation, an English test and health and character checks
• You score at least 65 points on the points test (age, English, experience, qualifications and more). Most invitations go to people with much higher scores
• You must be under 45 when you are invited to apply. If you turn 45 after the invitation, you can still apply
• You first lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect, the online system, and wait to be invited
• A 189 or 190 gives permanent residence from day one. A 491 is for 5 years in a regional area, with a path to permanent residence after 3 years

Working Holiday (417) for UK citizens

• UK passport holders can apply between ages 18 and 35 inclusive
• Each visa lasts 12 months. You can have up to three, so up to 3 years in total
• Since 1 July 2024, UK citizens don’t need to do “specified work” (such as farm work) to get a second or third visa
• From 1 July 2026 the first visa costs A$840 (about £440); a second or third costs A$1,000 (about £530)
• The age limit is about when you apply: you can lodge up to the day before your 36th birthday

Fees from 1 July 2026

These are the base charges in the Home Affairs visa pricing table from 1 July 2026. Health checks, police certificates, skills assessments and English tests cost extra. For a 189, family members aged 18 or over without functional English pay a second instalment of A$4,885 each. Use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for your exact cost before you apply.

Family, and if your job ends

Most skilled and employer visas let you include your partner and dependent children in the same application. They can get schooling, healthcare and work rights. See The partner at home.

If you hold a 482 (or 494) and your job ends, you have up to 180 days in a row, and no more than 365 days in total across the visa, to find a new sponsor, get another visa or leave. Since 1 July 2024 you can work for other employers during that time.

Parents, partners and business owners

• Partner visas are for partners of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealanders. They now cost A$11,710
• Parent visas exist, but places are limited and waits are long. Contributory parent visas cost much more and move faster. Take advice before planning around one
• The Business Innovation and Investment Program (including the subclass 188 visa) closed on 31 July 2024. The National Innovation visa (subclass 858) is for people with exceptional, internationally recognised talent