American Moving to Australia Checklist

Most of the questions I get from Americans are the same five, asked in a panic the week before they fly. So here it is as a checklist you can work through in order, without the essays.

The full detail lives in my moving to Australia from the US guide. This page is the order to do things in.

Before You Apply

• Check your age against the visa. The working holiday route (subclass 462) closes at 30 inclusive, and there is no way around that.
• Decide which visa matches your situation: 462, student 500, sponsored 482, points-based 189 or 190, or a partner visa.
• Read the exact requirements on the Department of Home Affairs site, not on a blog, because fees and rules move.
• Save the money for the visa fee plus the flight plus your first month, as three separate pots. The visa is the smallest of them.
• If you are going the points route, run the points test yourself before you pay an agent.

Documents to Gather

• Passport, with at least two years left on it. Renewals go through the US State Department, and the visa follows your passport details.
• Birth certificate and any name change paperwork.
• Police checks. A US state clearance is not the same as an FBI check, so check which one your visa asks for.
• Qualifications and transcripts, plus employment references on letterhead.
• Evidence of funds, in the form your visa specifies.
• Passport photos, digital and printed.
• Certified copies of your passport details page, at least two.

Health Cover, Before You Book the Flight

• Price Overseas Visitor Cover or a working holiday policy. The US is not in Australia's reciprocal healthcare agreement list, so there is no Medicare for temporary visa holders.
• Read what the policy actually covers: hospital, GP, ambulance, and whether it excludes anything you care about.
• Buy it before you fly. The visa condition expects cover for your whole stay.

Money Setup

• Open an Australian bank account if you can do it before you land, or set up Wise or a similar multi-currency account for the first month.
• Tell your US bank and card providers you are moving, so nothing gets frozen on day one.
• Get a rough number for rent in the suburb you actually want, not the one in the video you watched.
• Keep three months of expenses accessible. The first month always costs more than the plan.

The First Week in Australia

• Get a TFN. You cannot be paid properly without one, and it is free.
• Open or activate your Australian bank account, with your passport and visa ready for the ID checks.
• Get a local SIM and a phone number. Almost every form asks for one.
• Get a transport card for your city and use it once so you know how it works.
• Find a GP and register, so you are not doing it while sick.
• Save your visa grant letter and passport photo offline, not just in your email.
• Save the US Embassy in Canberra details, and register with STEP before you travel.

The First Month

• Pick a super fund deliberately rather than accepting the default from your first employer, and check the fees.
• Talk to a US tax consultant who handles expat returns. Not a blog, not a forum, and not me. The IRS international taxpayers page is the official starting point.
• Set up a routine: a run club, a class, a sports team, or one regular event a week. It matters more than any app.
• Keep every payslip and bank statement. You will want them at tax time.

The Things People Forget

• Your US credit history does not follow you. Expect to start a local credit file from zero.
• Your US driving licence is exchanged state by state, so check your state's deadline after you become a resident.
• Cards carry a surcharge here, and tipping is optional.
• Dates are day first. 03/04 is 3 April.
• The sun will burn you faster than anywhere in the US. Buy SPF 50 in your first shop.

So, What Is on the American Moving to Australia Checklist?

Visa first, insurance second, documents third, then money, then the boring admin week. Do it in that order and the move stops feeling like a leap.

For the why and the how behind each line, read the full guide to moving to Australia from the US, then the 462 visa guide for US citizens if you are under 31.

Keep reading:

• Moving to Australia From the US
• Sydney vs Los Angeles and Melbourne vs Dallas
• Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Australia
• How Much Money Do You Need to Move to Australia?