At VJ Consulting and Education, we help clients move beyond the excitement of a potential new life in Australia and focus on what truly matters: whether their skills, lifestyle priorities, and long-term goals are a genuine match for what the country offers.
Is it really worth moving to Australia?
Yes — but only if your personal priorities align with what Australia actually offers, rather than with the idealised version many applicants carry into the process.
Australia offers a combination of high median wages, a robust public healthcare system through Medicare, strong worker protections, and a relatively stable political environment. The national minimum wage sits at AUD $24.10 per hourAs of July 2025 · fairwork.gov.au, and annual leave entitlement is a legislated 4 weeksAs of current · fairwork.gov.au for full-time employees. For skilled workers in engineering, healthcare, technology, and construction, Australian salaries are materially higher than equivalent roles in most source countries, and the tax-free threshold of AUD $18,200As of FY2024-25 · ato.gov.au means low-to-mid income earners retain more of their pay than in many comparable OECD nations.
The honest counterweight is housing. Sydney and Melbourne median house prices remain among the highest in the world relative to income, and rental markets in major cities are tight. An applicant relocating from a lower cost-of-living country may find that a salary increase in absolute terms is partially absorbed by housing, childcare, and private schooling costs if public options are not suitable.
The 'worth it' calculation is therefore not binary. Apply the framework: post-tax income minus fixed housing minus essentials equals discretionary income. If that discretionary number exceeds what you'd have at home — and if the quality-of-life variables (climate, safety, education, healthcare) matter to you — the answer is yes. If the wage premium is modest and your social and family ties are strong, the calculus is more complicated than immigration advocates typically acknowledge.
Is it a good idea to migrate to Australia?
For skilled workers in shortage occupations, migrating to Australia is a well-supported decision backed by structural demand, clear visa pathways, and a track record of high migrant employment outcomes. For everyone else, 'good idea' depends on three conditions being met simultaneously: occupational eligibility, realistic points competitiveness, and a financial buffer sufficient to cover the transition period. In VJCE's experience handling skilled migration cases, applicants who research their target occupation's demand early — rather than after lodging an expression of interest — are far better positioned to make a realistic and timely decision.
Australia's skilled migration programme is deliberately employer- and skills-shortage-driven. The government publishes occupation lists that are updated periodically to reflect labour market conditions, and invitations through the General Skilled Migration programme are issued only to those who lodge an Expression of Interest and receive a points-based invitation. This means the system rewards preparation over optimism.
In practice, migration to Australia works well for applicants who treat it as a medium-term project — typically two to four years from initial planning to permanent residency — rather than a short-term relocation. Applicants who move on temporary visas first, build Australian work experience, and then apply for permanency consistently report better outcomes than those who try to fast-track permanent residency from offshore without Australian credentials or employer relationships.
The idea is sound; the execution requires rigour. Applicants who underestimate the skills assessment process, the English language benchmarks (typically 7.0 in each bandAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au for most skilled visa streams), or the realistic points competition tend to experience longer timelines and higher costs than anticipated.
What are the disadvantages of migrating to Australia?
No — the disadvantages are not trivial, and they deserve the same analytical weight as the benefits. There are four structural disadvantages that applicants consistently underestimate.
First, geographic isolation. Australia is distant from most source countries — flights from Europe take approximately 20–24 hours, from South Asia 10–14 hours, and from the Americas 17–20 hours. The psychological and financial cost of maintaining family ties across these distances is ongoing and cumulative.
Second, housing affordability. The median house price in Sydney is AUD $1.47 millionAs of Q1 2025 · domain.com.au, and Melbourne is AUD $940,000As of Q1 2025 · domain.com.au. Even with strong Australian wages, saving a deposit while paying rent in major cities is a multi-year undertaking for most migrants.
Third, credential recognition delays. Many internationally trained professionals — particularly doctors, engineers, and accountants — face a skills assessment process that takes 4–12 monthsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au and may require bridging courses or supervised practice periods before they can work in their full professional capacity. Income during this transition period is often lower than expected.
Fourth, visa uncertainty on the pathway to permanency. Applicants on temporary visas — particularly the 482 visa stream — are subject to legislative changes that can affect their transition to permanent residency. The pathway to permanency has been revised multiple times in the past decade, and applicants who began under one set of rules have found the goalposts moved before they could lodge their permanent visa application.
What benefits do immigrants get when they come to Australia?
The benefits available to immigrants in Australia vary significantly by visa subclass and residency status, so the answer must be framed against that structure rather than stated as a flat list. VJ Consulting advisers commonly remind clients that access to Medicare and public education can significantly ease the financial transition for newly arrived families, though eligibility conditions vary by visa type and should be confirmed before relying on them in any budget plan.
Permanent residents and Australian citizens have full access to Medicare, the public healthcare system, which covers a substantial portion of GP visits, specialist consultations, and hospital treatment at no direct cost. Permanent residents who have lived in Australia for a qualifying period also access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and, after a 4-yearAs of current · servicesaustralia.gov.au waiting period (reduced in hardship cases), most Centrelink social support payments.
In the labour market, all visa holders who are authorised to work — including temporary skilled visa holders — are covered by the Fair Work Act. This means the same minimum wage, unfair dismissal protections, and leave entitlements apply regardless of migration status. Superannuation contributions of 11.5%As of FY2024-25 · ato.gov.au of ordinary time earnings are legally required for most workers, and these can be claimed as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) if an applicant leaves permanently.
For families, permanent residents can enrol children in public schools at no tuition cost, and the Family Tax Benefit system provides income-tested payments to families with dependent children. Temporary visa holders generally do not access Centrelink payments and pay international student fees for school-age children unless enrolled in the domestic system through specific visa conditions. The benefit gap between temporary and permanent residency is, in practical terms, significant.
How difficult is it to migrate to Australia?
It depends on three things: your occupation, your points score, and which pathway you use — and these three variables interact in ways that make 'difficult' mean very different things for different applicants. From the cases VJCE has processed, the applicants who find the pathway most manageable are those who address their skills assessment and English evidence well in advance, as last-minute preparation tends to create delays that are difficult to recover from within a competitive points-tested pool.
For the points-tested General Skilled Migration stream, the primary measure of difficulty is invitation competitiveness. The 189 visa (Skilled Independent) requires an Expression of Interest and a points-based invitation. Recent invitation rounds have demanded scores well above the minimum 65 pointsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au, with competitive applicants in popular occupations needing 85–90 pointsAs of June 2025 · homeaffairs.gov.au or higher to receive an invitation within a reasonable timeframe. Accumulating those points requires a combination of age (maximum at 25–32), English proficiency, skilled work experience, and educational qualifications — not all of which applicants can control or improve quickly.
For employer-sponsored pathways, difficulty is reframed as employer dependency. The 482 visa requires an approved employer sponsor, a nominated occupation on the eligible list, and a salary meeting the AUD $73,150As of July 2023 · homeaffairs.gov.au (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold). Finding a sponsoring employer without existing Australian work experience or professional networks is the central challenge, particularly for applicants applying from offshore.
The regional pathway — specifically the 491 visa — lowers the points threshold and offers additional points (15 pointsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au) for regional nomination, but requires genuine willingness to live and work in regional Australia for a minimum of 3 yearsAs of current · homeaffairs.gov.au before transitioning to permanency via the 191 visa.
In summary: for a well-prepared applicant in a shortage occupation with strong English and a recent qualification, the process is structured and achievable. For applicants with occupations facing assessment barriers, low points scores, or no employer pathway, migration to Australia is genuinely difficult and often takes longer than initial estimates suggest.
Next Step
The decision to migrate involves enough moving parts — occupation lists, points calculations, skills assessments, and financial planning — that a structured review of your specific profile is more useful than general research alone. VJ Consulting's migration agents can assess your points position, identify the most viable visa pathway for your occupation, and flag any credential recognition issues before you invest further in the process. If you're at the stage where you want a realistic assessment rather than a general overview, a consultation is the logical next step.
This article is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa requirements, fees, and processing times change regularly — always verify details on the relevant authority's official website before making decisions. For advice specific to your circumstances, consider consulting a MARA-registered migration agent.
References
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Migration visa subclasses, occupation lists, points test: homeaffairs.gov.au
- Fair Work Commission — National Minimum Wage Order, leave entitlements: fairwork.gov.au
- Australian Taxation Office — Income tax rates, tax-free threshold, superannuation: ato.gov.au
- Services Australia — Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period, Centrelink eligibility: servicesaustralia.gov.au
- Domain — Median house prices by capital city, Q1 2025: domain.com.au
Related reading
For a full overview of everything to consider at this decision point, explore the Should I Migrate? stage; if age is a factor in your plans, Age Limits for Migrating to Australia: What Applicants Over 35 Need to Know breaks down how cutoffs and points thresholds affect applicants at different life stages.
