Moving to Canada from Australia
Australians have it easier than most. Two Commonwealth countries, similar legal systems, English-speaking, broadly compatible qualifications. But the immigration paperwork is its own beast and a few small things trip Australian applicants up in particular.
The fast path: IEC working holiday
If you're between 18 and 35 and hold an Australian passport, you're eligible for a two-year open work permit through the International Experience Canada (IEC)Working Holiday stream. Two years means two years — you can do anything legal, change employers freely, leave and come back. There's a quota and it usually fills, but Australia's allocation is generous and the pool reopens each year.
The catch: this is a temporary status. It doesn't give you permanent residence. It's the easiest way to land in Canada and try it on, but if you decide to stay you'll need to convert to either a work permit through an employer (with an LMIA or under another LMIA-exempt stream) or apply for PR through Express Entry while you're here.
The PR path: Express Entry
Australian degrees and work experience are recognised. Express Entrydoesn't care that you trained in Sydney — it cares that your degree is from a recognised institution and that your work experience is in a real National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.
Two things Australians often miss:
- You still need an Educational Credential Assessment. Even though Australia is broadly comparable, IRCC needs the formal ECA (WES, ICAS, or IQAS). Four to eight weeks. Start it before you submit your profile.
- Your IELTS score still expires after two years. There's no English-native exemption. You'll have to sit IELTS General Training (or CELPIP) like every other applicant. Most Australians clear CLB 9 easily, which gets you the highest language points, but you have to actually take the test.
If you're thinking about Quebec
Quebec runs its own selection program separately from federal Express Entry. If you don't speak French, Quebec is harder than the rest of Canada. PEQ and PRTQ guides here. Anglophone Australians usually find Ontario, BC, or Alberta a smoother fit.
Study permit option
If you're using study as a pathway to PR (study permit → PGWP → CEC → PR), Australian high school and Bachelor's qualifications are accepted by Canadian universities. The PAL requirementapplies to most undergraduate programs. Public Master's and PhD programs were exempted again in January 2026.
Practical things people miss
- You can't just transfer your driver's licence everywhere. Most provinces have a reciprocity agreement with Australia, but Quebec and a few others don't. Check the provincial transport authority before you arrive.
- Superannuation is portable but the tax treatment is messy. Speak to a cross-border accountant before you transfer it.
- Australian Working Holiday participants can't work in healthcare or childcare without additional clearances. The IEC permit allows it on paper, but employers will ask for province-specific certifications.
- Police certificates from Australia are issued by the AFP and take 2–4 weeks. They're only valid for IRCC purposes if dated within the last six months at the time of submission.
Recent rule changes worth knowing
- Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP) rules tightened in January 2025. If you're bringing a partner on a work permit, check eligibility before assuming.
- The IEC 2025/2026 quota allocations are out. Australia's allocation is healthy.
- Express Entry job-offer points were removed in late 2024. Having a Canadian job offer no longer adds 50 or 200 CRS points; it just gives you work-experience points.