Moving from the UK to Australia involves two separate processes: getting permission to live and work in Australia, and physically moving your household belongings there.
At 1st Move International, we specialise in the second part. We have been arranging international removals from the UK since 1997, and we know your immigration route can have a major influence on when you should arrange collection, shipping and delivery of your belongings.
That is why we have put together this practical guide to the main Australian visa routes British citizens are likely to encounter when planning a move Down Under.
It does not replace professional immigration advice. Instead, it explains the principal options at a practical level, uses official Australian Government information as its factual basis and helps you understand how the visa process fits into your wider relocation plans.
Important: Australian immigration rules, occupation lists, salary thresholds and state nomination requirements can change. The Australian Government has also announced a reform of the permanent skilled migration points test. As at 14 October 2026, the current Home Affairs visa pages still use the existing points-test settings, including the 65-point eligibility threshold. Always check the latest position with the Australian Department of Home Affairs or a registered Australian migration agent before making decisions based on your individual circumstances.
Can a British Citizen Move Permanently to Australia?
Yes. British citizens can move permanently to Australia if they qualify for an Australian visa that grants permanent residence or provides a pathway towards it.
British citizenship itself does not give you an automatic right to live or work in Australia.
For most people moving from the UK, the main routes are skilled migration, employer sponsorship or a partner visa. Younger British citizens also have particularly favourable Working Holiday arrangements, although the Working Holiday visa itself is temporary.
Australian Visa Routes at a Glance
| Visa route | Who might consider it | Status | What it means for planning your move |
| Skilled Independent – 189 | Skilled workers with enough points | Permanent | Once granted, you can plan a permanent household move without employer or state sponsorship. |
| Skilled Nominated – 190 | Skilled workers nominated by a state or territory | Permanent | Your nominating state becomes an important part of your relocation planning. |
| Skilled Work Regional – 491 | Skilled workers prepared to live regionally | 5-year provisional | Your destination must meet regional requirements; a permanent pathway may follow. |
| Skills in Demand – 482 | People with an Australian employer sponsor | Temporary, up to 4 years | Your job start date often becomes the anchor for your removal timetable. |
| Employer Nomination Scheme – 186 | Employer-sponsored skilled workers | Permanent | Suitable for a full permanent relocation once granted. |
| Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional – 494 | Skilled workers sponsored by a regional employer | 5-year provisional | Your job and household move need to be centred on an eligible regional area. |
| Partner – 309/100 | Partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen | Temporary -> permanent | Keep shipping dates flexible until your immigration and travel timetable is clear. |
| Prospective Marriage – 300 | People intending to marry an eligible Australian-based partner | Temporary | Usually followed by a Partner visa application. |
| Working Holiday – 417 | UK passport holders aged 18-35 | Temporary | Useful for testing life in Australia before committing to a full household move. |
| National Innovation – 858 | Exceptionally accomplished applicants | Permanent | A specialist invitation-only route rather than a mainstream migration option. |
Can I Move to Australia on an eVisitor Visa?
No.
British Citizen passport holders can apply for an eVisitor visa (subclass 651), which is valid for travel for 12 months and allows visits of up to three months at a time.
It can be useful if you want to visit Australia to explore areas, see family, make general business or employment enquiries, or prepare for a future move.
But an eVisitor is a visitor visa, not a migration route. You cannot use it to move permanently to Australia or undertake normal paid employment for an Australian employer.
Visiting Sydney, Perth or Brisbane to decide where you want to live is very different from having the immigration status that allows you to relocate there.
Skilled Migration to Australia: 189, 190 and 491 Visas
For many British professionals and tradespeople, Australia’s points-tested skilled migration system is one of the first places to investigate. The three principal routes are below.
Skilled Independent Visa – Subclass 189
The Skilled Independent visa is a permanent visa for invited skilled workers. You do not need an Australian employer or state government to sponsor you.
For the points-tested stream, you generally need to:
- be under 45 when invited;
- have an eligible occupation;
- obtain a suitable skills assessment;
- have at least Competent English;
- submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect;
- score at least 65 points; and
- receive an invitation to apply.
Importantly, 65 points is the eligibility threshold, not a guarantee of an invitation. The invitation may require a higher score depending on your claims and the demand for places.
For someone granted a subclass 189 visa, relocation planning is relatively straightforward because the visa gives permanent residence and does not tie you to a particular employer or state.
Skilled Nominated Visa – Subclass 190
The subclass 190 is also a permanent visa, but you need nomination from an Australian state or territory.
Like the 189, applicants are points tested, generally need to be under 45 at invitation and must reach the required points threshold. State nomination adds points, but each state and territory sets its own nomination requirements and priorities.
From a moving perspective, your nominating state may already decide where you will settle. Someone nominated by Western Australia will plan their household move differently from someone heading to New South Wales or Victoria.
Skilled Work Regional Visa – Subclass 491
The subclass 491 is a five-year provisional visa for skilled workers prepared to live and work in designated regional Australia.
You normally need either state or territory nomination or sponsorship from an eligible family member, as well as an eligible occupation, a suitable skills assessment and sufficient points. Applicants must generally be under 45 when invited.
Eligible 491 holders can later apply for permanent residence through the subclass 191 route after holding an eligible visa for at least three years and meeting the other requirements. There is currently no minimum income threshold for the subclass 191, although applicants must provide Australian Taxation Office notices of assessment for three income years out of the five years of their eligible visa.
Regional Australia is much broader than many British movers assume. For migration purposes, large areas outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are treated as designated regional areas, including major centres such as Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and the Gold Coast.
How Does Australia’s Skilled Migration Points System Work?
Before applying for the 189, 190 or 491 routes, applicants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect.
Points can be awarded for factors including age, English ability, skilled employment experience, educational qualifications, Australian study and partner circumstances.
The current eligibility threshold for these points-tested routes is 65 points, but meeting 65 does not guarantee an invitation.
There is a useful advantage for British applicants: a UK citizen holding a valid UK passport can use that passport as evidence of Competent English.
However, Competent English earns zero English-language points under the points test. To claim the additional points available for Proficient or Superior English, you normally need qualifying English test results. Being British does not, on its own, earn you the maximum English points.
Points test reform announced:
The Australian Government has announced reforms to the permanent migration points test to place greater emphasis on education, skill level, age and high-demand skills. As at 14 October 2026, the current Home Affairs visa pages still use the existing points settings. Check the latest settings before submitting an EOI.
Employer-Sponsored Visas for Australia
If you already have an Australian employer willing to sponsor you, the employer-sponsored system may be more relevant than points-tested migration.
Skills in Demand Visa – Subclass 482
The Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa framework in December 2024.
It allows an approved Australian employer to sponsor a suitably skilled overseas worker where the role cannot be filled locally.
The Core Skills stream currently requires an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, pay that meets the applicable salary requirements, relevant skills and at least one year of relevant work experience in the nominated occupation or a related field.
The visa can allow a stay of up to four years and, depending on your circumstances, can provide a pathway towards permanent residence.
For someone moving from Britain on a 482, the employer’s intended start date is often the most important date in the relocation timetable. Once your visa and employment arrangements are clear, you can coordinate flights, temporary accommodation, household collection and shipping.
Employer Nomination Scheme – Subclass 186
The subclass 186 is a permanent employer-sponsored visa.
A common route is the Temporary Residence Transition stream for eligible 457 or 482 visa holders. Applicants usually need at least two years of eligible sponsored full-time employment in the three years before applying through this stream.
Applicants are also usually required to be under 45, although specific exemptions exist.
Because this is permanent residence, someone granted a subclass 186 visa can normally plan a long-term relocation rather than a temporary assignment.
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa – Subclass 494
The subclass 494 is for employers in regional Australia who need skilled workers.
The employer-sponsored stream is a five-year provisional visa and usually requires employer nomination, an occupation on the relevant skilled list, a suitable skills assessment, at least three years of relevant work experience and an applicant under 45 unless an exemption applies.
Eligible visa holders may later apply for permanent residence through the subclass 191 route after holding the eligible visa for at least three years and meeting the other requirements.
Again, this matters for your removal because your visa conditions influence where in Australia your belongings should actually go.
Moving to Australia Through a Partner
If your husband, wife or de facto partner is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, a Partner visa may be the right route.
For people applying from outside Australia, the main route is generally the Partner (Provisional) visa – subclass 309, followed by the Partner (Migrant) visa – subclass 100. The temporary and permanent applications are normally lodged together, with the 309 as the first stage towards permanent residence.
Partner applications can involve substantial supporting evidence and depend heavily on individual circumstances, so specialist migration advice can be particularly useful here.
From a removals perspective, there is no need to leave everything until the last minute. You can research removals, get quotations and decide what to ship while your application is being processed. We would simply avoid committing to fixed collection and shipping dates until your immigration and travel timetable is clear.
Prospective Marriage Visa – Subclass 300
The Prospective Marriage visa is for someone intending to travel to Australia to marry their prospective spouse.
It allows a stay of between 9 and 15 months from the date of grant, during which you marry and can then apply for the appropriate Partner visa. It is not itself permanent residence.
Working Holiday Visas for British Citizens
This is one area where UK passport holders have particularly favourable arrangements.
Under the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement arrangements, UK passport holders can apply for a Working Holiday visa between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive. An application can be lodged until midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time on the day before the applicant turns 36.
For applications lodged on or after 1 July 2024, eligible UK passport holders can be granted up to three separate Working Holiday visas without meeting the specified work requirements normally associated with second and third Working Holiday visas.
That can allow up to three separate 12-month Working Holiday visas, provided the eligibility requirements are met.
For a younger person, a Working Holiday visa can provide a way to live and work in Australia before deciding whether to pursue a longer-term skilled, employer-sponsored or partner route.
For that reason, people travelling initially on a Working Holiday visa may choose to take only part of their belongings rather than arranging a full household move straight away.
What About Business and Investment Visas?
This is an area where older online guides can now be misleading.
Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment Program, including the subclass 188 route, closed permanently to new applications on 31 July 2024. Applications lodged before closure continue to be processed, but the route should not now be presented as a normal option for someone beginning their plans in 2026.
Australia does have the National Innovation visa – subclass 858, but this is a highly selective permanent route for people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement.
Applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest and receive an invitation before they can apply.
For most people moving from the UK, the skilled, employer-sponsored, partner or Working Holiday routes will be much more relevant.
Health, Character and Supporting Documents
Most Australian visa applications involve much more than completing an online form.
Depending on the route, you may need evidence of qualifications, employment history, skills assessments, English ability, relationships, health and character.
Applicants and accompanying family members may need health examinations depending on the visa and their circumstances. Australia also applies character requirements, and applicants may be asked to provide police certificates and other supporting information.
For points-tested skilled migration, the skills assessment is particularly important. You need a suitable skills assessment for the relevant occupation before invitation for the applicable skilled routes.
How Long Does an Australian Visa Take?
There is no reliable single answer.
Processing times vary with the visa subclass, whether your application is complete, health and character checks, government processing priorities and the number of places available.
The Department of Home Affairs publishes a visa processing times guide, and individual visa pages show current indications based on recently decided applications.
For a household move, the safest approach is therefore to treat the immigration timetable as variable rather than fixed.
What Does That Mean for Your Removal?
You do not need to wait until your visa is granted before doing anything about your move. While the immigration process is under way you can:
- research removal companies;
- work out roughly how much you intend to take;
- get quotations;
- decide which furniture is worth shipping;
- start decluttering; and
- look at likely sailing schedules.
What we would avoid is fixing collection, accommodation and travel arrangements around an assumed visa date before your immigration position is sufficiently certain.
Which Australian Visa Route Might Fit Your Move?
| Your circumstances | Route worth investigating |
| Skilled, under 45 and no employer sponsor | 189 Skilled Independent |
| Skilled and open to state nomination | 190 Skilled Nominated |
| Skilled and happy to live regionally | 491 Skilled Work Regional |
| You have an Australian employer offering sponsorship | 482 Skills in Demand |
| Employer is nominating you permanently | 186 Employer Nomination Scheme |
| Employer and job are in regional Australia | 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional |
| Partner is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen | 309/100 Partner visa |
| Engaged to an eligible Australian-based partner | 300 Prospective Marriage |
| UK passport holder aged 18-35 wanting a temporary Australian experience | 417 Working Holiday |
| Internationally recognised exceptional achievement | 858 National Innovation |
This table is a starting point only. Visa eligibility depends on factors that a general guide cannot assess.
Need Expert Australian Immigration Advice?
Australian Shores
Australian immigration rules can be complex, and the right visa depends on your age, occupation, qualifications, work experience, family circumstances and long-term plans.
For personalised Australian visa advice, 1st Move International works with Australian Shores, a specialist immigration advisory firm whose team includes registered Australian migration agents.
Australian Shores can assess your circumstances and advise on skilled migration, employer sponsorship, partner visas and other Australian immigration pathways.
When Should I Start Planning My Removal to Australia?
Earlier than many people think. You do not need a visa grant before requesting a removals quotation.
An early idea of your likely shipping volume and cost helps you decide:
- what furniture is worth taking;
- what to sell or replace;
- whether you need storage;
- whether a shared container or sole-use container suits you; and
- how the shipping timetable fits around your expected arrival.
Once your visa, employment and travel plans become clearer, your removal can move from planning to booking.
1st Move runs regular shared-container services from the UK to Australia and can arrange professional export packing, collection and door-to-door delivery.
See our UK to Australia removals service
From Visa Approval to Moving Day
Once your immigration and travel plans are clear, the practical relocation usually takes shape quickly.
With 1st Move, that includes choosing your sailing period, confirming what you are taking, arranging UK collection and professional export packing, completing the shipping and customs paperwork and preparing your goods for Australian biosecurity requirements.
Australia has particularly strict controls on soil, plant material, untreated wood and other biosecurity risks, so items such as garden tools, bicycles, outdoor furniture, shoes and sports equipment need careful cleaning before shipment.
Our aim is to fit your physical move around your actual immigration timetable, rather than forcing you into a shipping date before you know when you can travel.
Shipping Your Household Goods to Australia
Your visa adviser and your removal company do two completely different jobs.
A migration specialist establishes the right immigration pathway and helps with the visa process.
1st Move International handles the physical move: collection, professional export packing, palletisation where appropriate, shipping, household-goods customs support and delivery in Australia.
For shared-container moves, we also photograph and measure completed shipments after packing and provide a Volume Guarantee Certificate confirming the final packed volume.
In simple terms:
Your migration adviser helps you get permission to live in Australia; your international mover gets your household there. That is why it makes sense to plan the two side by side.
Australia Visa FAQs
Can a British citizen live permanently in Australia?
Yes, provided they qualify for a visa that grants permanent residence, or a route that later allows them to apply for it.
Do British citizens need a visa for Australia?
Yes. British citizenship does not give an automatic right to enter, live or work in Australia. Even a short visit requires appropriate travel authorisation such as an eVisitor where eligible.
Can I move permanently to Australia on an eVisitor?
No. The eVisitor is for temporary visits and does not allow you to move permanently or undertake normal paid employment for an Australian employer.
Do I need a job offer to move to Australia?
Not necessarily. The Skilled Independent 189 and state-nominated 190 routes do not depend on employer sponsorship. Employer-sponsored routes such as the 482 and 186 do.
What is the minimum points score for an Australian skilled visa?
The current eligibility threshold for the 189, 190 and 491 points-tested visas is 65 points, but reaching 65 does not guarantee an invitation. The Australian Government has announced reforms to the points test, so check the current settings before applying.
Do British citizens need an English test for Australian skilled migration?
A valid UK passport can establish Competent English. To claim extra points for Proficient or Superior English, you generally need qualifying English test results.
Can I get a Working Holiday visa at 35?
Yes. UK passport holders can currently apply while aged 18 to 35 inclusive and can lodge an application until the day before their 36th birthday, provided they meet the other requirements.
Should I wait for my Australian visa before getting a removals quote?
No. An early quotation helps you budget and decide what to take. We would simply avoid committing to fixed shipping dates while your immigration timetable is uncertain.
Can 1st Move International arrange my Australian visa?
No. We specialise in international removals, export packing and household-goods shipping. For visa eligibility and applications, use official Australian Government information or speak to Australian Shores, whose team includes registered Australian migration agents.
Official Australian Immigration Resources
For the latest rules, eligibility criteria and application details, use these official Australian Government resources. The links used to check this guide are grouped here so they do not interrupt the main article.
Main visa routes
- Department of Home Affairs – Visa list
- eVisitor visa – subclass 651
- Skilled Independent visa – subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated visa – subclass 190
- Skilled Work Regional visa – subclass 491
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa – subclass 191
- Skills in Demand visa – subclass 482
- Employer Nomination Scheme – subclass 186
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa – subclass 494
- Partner visas – subclasses 309 and 100
- Prospective Marriage visa – subclass 300
- Working Holiday arrangements for UK passport holders
- National Innovation visa – subclass 858
- Business Innovation and Investment Program closure
Skilled migration and eligibility
- SkillSelect – Expression of Interest
- Competent English requirements
- Eligible regional areas
- Australian Government 2026-27 Budget – skilled migration points-test reform
Health, processing and professional advice
- Health requirements
- Character requirements
- Australian visa processing times
- Using a registered migration agent
- Check a migration agent registration – OMARA
About This Guide
This guide is written specifically for people planning a household move from the UK to Australia.
1st Move International provides international removals, professional export packing, regular shipping services and household-goods customs support for moves from the UK to destinations throughout Australia.
Immigration information on this page has been checked against current Australian Government sources. We do not provide Australian immigration or legal advice.
Last reviewed: 14 October 2026
Australian immigration policy can change, particularly occupation lists, nomination requirements, salary thresholds, points settings and processing priorities, so this page should be reviewed whenever the Department of Home Affairs makes a material change.