1. InterNations worldwide
2. »
3. Guides
4. »
5. Australia Expats
6. »
7. Australia Guide
8. »
9. Moving to Australia

Australia at a Glance

Moving to Australia

Australia's nature is one reason why the country is popular among expats.

Moving to Australia has been a dream for generations of Europeans and Asians, who form a large portion of the nation’s foreign residents. Moreover, it has traditionally been the destination of choice for students and young professionals from all across the globe: They move to Australia for a couple of years on the Working Holiday visa.

The country’s natural beauty, extraordinary flora and fauna, 10,000 beaches and relaxed lifestyle are not the only reasons why so many people move to Australia. Some come for business, and many more come for a new and better life. Whatever your reasons are for moving to Australia, you will be pleased to know that all its major cities regularly rank in the worldwide top 10 for quality of life. Yet Australia manages to remain in the bottom half of all major developed countries when it comes to cost of living.

Moving to Australia: Where to Go

If you are moving to Australia on an expat assignment or already have a job offer in a specific city, please skip this section. People moving to Australia on their own face one important decision, though: Where to go? While there are no traditional expat destinations, those moving to Australia from abroad tend to go for the big cities, in particular the six state capitals and two mainland territories.

This makes sense for various reasons: Given the size of the country, if you don´t move to Australia´s major cities, you might find yourself in the middle of nowhere. For those still hunting for a job, moving to Australia’s big cities seems like the better option anyway. Below, you’ll find a few places popular among expats moving to Australia.

Move to Australia: Perth

Recent expats and immigrants have often picked Perth as their new domicile. Despite its being among the most isolated metropolitan areas in the world, Perth is increasingly attracting migrants and expatriates moving to Australia. This is probably due to its agreeable, quasi-Mediterranean climate.

With a surrounding territory rich in resources like gold, oil and iron, Perth has a very prolific mining industry employing significant numbers of workers. This, in turn, leads to a high demand for skilled professionals such as doctors, teachers, etc. Of the 23,000 British expats moving to Australia in the year 2008, for example, more than 30% went to Perth and were able to pick up a skilled job straight away.

While these numbers date at least partly from a period preceding the economic downturn caused by the worldwide financial crisis at the end of 2008, they still reflect an ongoing trend among people moving to Australia. Of course, Perth hasn´t been immune to the effects of the financial meltdown, but at least one result of the global crisis will be greeted with only partial regrets: Property prices in Perth seem to be back to normal.