Moving to Australia From Canada in 2026: Visa Guide
Canadians can visit Australia with an electronic authority that costs AUD20, and Canadians aged 18 to 35 can live and work there for a year on a Working Holiday visa. Staying longer takes an employer-sponsored visa, a points-tested skilled visa, a student visa or a partner visa. The move also has a Canadian side, because leaving Canada can make you an emigrant for tax purposes. This guide covers both from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and the Government of Canada, as read on 13 October 2026.
Quick answer
Canadian passport holders can visit on an Electronic Travel Authority for up to 3 months at a time, for a service charge of AUD20. The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is open to Canadians aged 18 to 35, costs AUD840.00, lasts 12 months and needs about AUD5,000 in funds. A Skills in Demand visa costs AUD4,015.00 and requires a salary of at least AUD79,423. A Skilled Independent visa costs AUD6,135.00. On leaving, Canada may treat you as having sold certain property.
Step 1: Visiting
Canada's travel advice for Australia sets out the position: no tourist visa for stays up to 90 days, but Canadians entering without a visa need an electronic travel authority, and a business or student visa is required for those purposes. Travel with the same passport you used to apply.
Canada is on Australia's list of ETA-eligible passports. You apply through the Australian ETA app for a service charge of AUD20, with no other charge, and in most cases you are told the result immediately. An ETA allows stays of up to 3 months each time you enter.
Step 2: The Working Holiday visa
| Feature | Subclass 417, first visa |
|---|---|
| Age for Canadian passport holders | 18 to 35 years |
| Stay | 12 months |
| Cost | AUD840.00 |
| Funds | Usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare onward |
| Where you apply | Online, from outside Australia, on your own. Family members cannot be included |
| Children | You must not be accompanied by dependent children |
| Work and study | Short-term work to help pay for your holiday, and study for up to 4 months |
| Processing | 50% of applications in 2 Days, 90% in 58 Days |
Doing 3 months of specified work makes you eligible for a second Working Holiday visa, which costs AUD1,000.00. Home Affairs says it is normalising processing times for the programme, with an average expected to be around three months, and advises against booking flights until the visa is granted.
Step 3: Longer-term routes
| Visa | Main condition | Charge, main applicant | Processing, 50% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482), Core Skills | An employer nominates you for an occupation on the Core Skills Occupation List, with at least 1 year of relevant work experience | AUD4,015.00 | 4 Months | 9 Months |
| Skilled Independent (subclass 189) | Points tested stream | AUD6,135.00 | 61 Days | 8 Months |
| Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) | A suitable skills assessment, an invitation to apply and the points test | AUD6,140.00 | 4 Months | 16 Months |
| Student (subclass 500) | Enrolment in a course of study in Australia, and health cover | AUD2,500.00 | — |
| Partner (subclass 309/100 or 820/801) | The spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen | AUD11,710.00 | — |
Sponsored workers in the Core Skills stream must be paid the annual market salary rate and no less than AUD79,423, for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The year before, the threshold was AUD76,515.
Step 4: Leaving Canada for tax purposes
The Canada Revenue Agency treats you as an emigrant if you leave Canada to live in another country and sever your residential ties. If you keep residential ties, you are usually considered a factual resident instead.
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| When you become a non-resident | Usually the latest of the date you leave, the date your spouse and dependants leave, and the date you become resident in your new country |
| Departure tax | You are considered to have sold certain types of property at fair market value and reacquired them, and may have to report a capital gain |
| Form T1161 | Required if the total fair market value of the property you owned when you left was more than $25,000 |
| Income in the year you leave | World income for the part of the year you were resident, then Canadian tax only on Canadian source income |
| Banks and payers | You must tell Canadian payers and financial institutions that you are no longer resident |
Whether you become an emigrant depends on the residential ties you keep, so settle the question before you go.
Step 5: Shipping your belongings
- Arrange the shipment before you arrive. Goods qualify for the unaccompanied personal effects concession only if transport was arranged before your arrival.
- 12 months of ownership and use is required for furniture, household goods and personal effects. Clothing and footwear have no such requirement.
- Lodge the B534 form with a packing list and shipping documents.
- Biosecurity: every shipment is assessed. Items made from plants or animals, such as wooden furniture, and items that have touched soil get particular attention. Cleaning, treatment, export or destruction is at your expense.
Step 6: First weeks in Australia
- Tax file number: your employer will ask for it, with your bank account details.
- Medicare: the federal health service. Home Affairs says you may be eligible to join it.
- Pay: the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour from 1 July 2026, and average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults were $2,083.70 in May 2026.
- Rent benchmark: the median weekly rent in metropolitan Melbourne was $580 in the September quarter of 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Canadian move to Australia?
Yes, with a visa. Canadians aged 18 to 35 can use the Working Holiday visa, and longer routes include employer sponsorship, points-tested skilled visas, study and partner visas.
Do Canadians need a visa to visit Australia?
No tourist visa is required for stays up to 90 days, but Canadians need an Electronic Travel Authority, with a AUD20 service charge.
What is the age limit for the Australian working holiday visa for Canadians?
Canadian passport holders must be 18 to 35 years old at the time of application.
How much does the working holiday visa cost?
AUD840.00 for a first visa, with funds of usually about AUD5,000 plus the onward fare.
What salary do I need for an Australian work visa?
At least AUD79,423 in the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa, for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Do I pay tax when I leave Canada?
Possibly. If you become an emigrant, you are considered to have sold certain property at fair market value and may have to report a capital gain.
Can I ship my furniture to Australia?
Yes. Furniture and household goods owned and used for 12 months can qualify for the unaccompanied personal effects concession, if the shipment was arranged before you arrived.
Official sources
- Department of Home Affairs — First Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
- Department of Home Affairs — Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601)
- Department of Home Affairs — Current visa pricing table
- Department of Home Affairs — Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
- Department of Home Affairs — Visa processing times
- Government of Canada — Travel advice: Australia
- Canada Revenue Agency — Leaving Canada (emigrants)
- Australian Border Force — Unaccompanied personal effects
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Minimum wages
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Average weekly earnings
- Victorian Government — Rental report
All figures verified against the official pages above on 13 October 2026. Processing times are readings from the Home Affairs tool on that date and are a guide only. Information, not legal or tax advice.