Thinking about swapping Irish drizzle for Australian sunshine? You're in good company. Irish people have been making the move for generations, and today you'll hear a Cork or Donegal accent on almost every building site, hospital ward and pub in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.
But a successful move takes more than a one-way ticket. You need the right visa, a realistic idea of what you'll earn and spend, and a sense of what daily life really looks like. This guide covers the essentials, with figures current for the 2026–27 financial year.
This article is general information only, not migration advice. Visa rules change often, so speak to a registered migration agent about your own situation.
Visas: your options as an Irish citizen
There's no free movement between Ireland and Australia, so everyone needs a visa. The good news is that Irish citizens have more options than most. Here are the main pathways.
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
This is how most Irish people start. Ireland is one of a small group of countries whose citizens can apply up to age 35 (inclusive), not the standard 30.
Length: 12 months, with a second and third year possible if you complete "specified work" (such as farm, construction or tourism work in regional areas).
Cost (from 1 July 2026): A$840 for a first visa and A$1,000 for a second or third.
Watch out: You can generally only work for one employer for up to six months, and the fee is not refunded if your application is refused.
Employer sponsorship: Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
If an Australian employer wants to keep you, they can sponsor you. The Skills in Demand visa replaced the old TSS visa in December 2024 and runs for up to four years.
Salary floor: For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold is A$79,423 a year (or the market rate, if higher).
Occupation: Your job must be on the Core Skills Occupation List, and you'll usually need at least one year of relevant experience.
Pathway to PR: Many 482 holders move on to permanent residency through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186).
Regional options: In places like the Pilbara and the Goldfields here in WA, a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) can open sponsorship to more occupations, older workers and lower English scores.
Skilled independent and state-nominated visas (189, 190, 491)
These points-tested visas don't need an employer. You'll need a positive skills assessment for an occupation on the relevant list, and you must be under 45 when invited.
189: Permanent, no sponsor needed. Highly competitive.
190: Permanent, but a state or territory must nominate you.
491: Five-year regional visa, nominated by a state or sponsored by an eligible relative, with a pathway to permanent residency.
Irish passport holders are treated as having "competent English" without a test. However, sitting a test and scoring higher can earn valuable extra points.
Partner visas
If you're married to, or in a de facto relationship with, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, a partner visa may be your route. Applications from 1 July 2026 cost A$11,710, and strong relationship evidence is essential.
Student visa (subclass 500)
Studying can be a way to upskill or retrain, with limited work rights while you study. The base charge is now A$2,500.
Visa fees (from 1 July 2026)
Working Holiday (417), first: for ages 18–35 wanting flexibility. A$840
Working Holiday (417), second or third: after completing specified work. A$1,000
Skills in Demand (482): with a job offer from a sponsoring employer. A$4,015
Skilled Independent (189): strong points score, no sponsor. A$6,135
Skilled Nominated (190) / Regional (491): state or regional nomination. A$6,140
Partner (820/801 or 309/100): partner of an Australian. A$11,710
Student (500): study or retraining. A$2,500
Weather: yes, it’s as sunny as they say
The seasons are flipped, so summer runs from December to February and Christmas dinner might be a barbecue on the beach. How hot it gets depends a lot on where you land.
Dublin (for comparison): 8°C in January, 19°C in July. You know the drill.
Perth: 31°C in January, 19°C in July. Dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters, with roughly twice Dublin’s sunshine.
Brisbane: 30°C in January, 22°C in July. Humid and subtropical, with summer storms.
Sydney: 26°C in January, 17°C in July. Warm and humid, with mild winters.
Melbourne: 26°C in January, 14°C in July. Changeable: “four seasons in one day”.
Darwin: 32°C in January, 31°C in July. Tropical, with a wet season from November to April.
Approximate long-term averages of daily maximum temperatures, rounded.
A few things catch new arrivals out. The UV index is extreme for much of the year, so sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses are daily essentials, not holiday extras. Summer also brings bushfire season in many areas, and heatwaves of 40°C or more are common in Perth and inland regions. On the plus side, winter in Perth is about as warm as a good Irish summer.
Wages: what you can expect to earn
Australia has one of the highest minimum wages in the world, and skilled trades and professionals are well paid, especially in mining states like WA. All figures are in Australian dollars.
A$26.44
National Minimum Wage per hour (A$1,004.90 a week)
A$33.05
Minimum casual rate per hour, including 25% loading
~A$108k
Average full-time earnings a year (A$2,083.70 a week, May 2026)
12%
Superannuation your employer pays on top of your wages
Most workers are covered by an industry award, which usually pays more than the minimum wage. Mining is the top-paying industry, averaging over A$3,200 a week.
Tax
If you’re an Australian tax resident (generally the case on a skilled or sponsored visa), you pay no tax on the first A$18,200. From 1 July 2026 the lowest rate falls to 15%.
Most residents also pay a 2% Medicare levy. Working holiday makers are taxed differently: 15% from the first dollar up to A$45,000, with no tax-free threshold. Make sure your employer is registered as a working holiday maker employer, or you may be overtaxed. When you leave for good, you can claim your super back, though it’s taxed heavily for working holiday makers.
Tax rates 2026–27
A$0 – A$18,200: Nil
A$18,201 – A$45,000: 15%
A$45,001 – A$135,000: 30%
A$135,001 – A$190,000: 37%
Over A$190,000: 45%
Cost of living and healthcare
Rent
Higher wages come with higher costs, and housing is the big one. Rents have hit record highs, and in Perth and Brisbane fewer than 1 in 100 rentals sat empty earlier this year.
Median weekly rent (June quarter 2026):
Sydney: A$841
Perth: A$784 (up 7.8% in a year)
Brisbane: A$734
Melbourne: A$641
All capital cities: A$739
Rents are usually quoted per week, and you’ll typically pay four weeks’ rent as a bond. Many new arrivals start in a house share to keep costs down. Budget for a car, too: outside the inner suburbs, public transport can be limited.
Healthcare
Ireland and Australia have a reciprocal health care agreement. While you’re a temporary visitor, it covers medically necessary treatment as a public patient in public hospitals, plus some subsidised prescription medicines.
It does not cover GP visits, so private cover is still a good idea.
Many temporary visas, including the 482, require you to hold adequate health insurance for your whole stay. Once you become a permanent resident, you can enrol in Medicare in full.
Your moving checklist
Pick your visa first. Everything else, from job hunting to timing, follows from it. Check age limits and occupation lists early.
Get your paperwork in order. Passport, police certificates, qualifications, references and payslips. Skilled visas often need a skills assessment, which can take months.
Save a buffer. Aim to cover a bond, two months’ rent and living costs before your first pay arrives.
Sort health cover. Know what the reciprocal agreement does and doesn’t cover, and meet your visa’s insurance condition.
Set up the basics on arrival. A Tax File Number, an Australian bank account, a super fund and a local phone number.
Plan your long game. If you’d like to stay for good, think about your permanent residency pathway from day one, not in your final months.
Thinking about the move?
Every situation is different, and visa rules change often. Shamrock Migration Services is a Perth-based consultancy with Irish roots. We help Irish people work out the right pathway, from working holiday visas to employer sponsorship and permanent residency.
Harry Parsons, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2418538), Shamrock Migration Services
Sources: Fair Work Ombudsman · ABS average weekly earnings · Visa fee increases 2026 · Income thresholds 2026 · Services Australia · Canstar / Cotality rents · H&R Block tax rates
