New Zealand vs Australia: which should you move to?

Many skilled migrants weighing up a move to Australia are, at the same time, weighing up New Zealand. Both countries offer a broadly similar lifestyle, share a Trans-Tasman travel arrangement for their own citizens, and run points based skilled migration systems, but the visa settings, wage structures and cost of living differ enough that the right choice depends heavily on your occupation, your family circumstances, and how quickly you want permanent residence.

Visa pathways compared

Australia’s main skilled pathways are the points tested Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated) and 491 (Skilled Work Regional), plus employer sponsorship through the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa leading to permanent residence via the Subclass 186. The points test currently requires a minimum of 65 points to be considered, though invitation rounds in practice have often required a higher score.

New Zealand’s equivalent is the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC), a points based residence pathway, alongside the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) as the main temporary work route and a Green List of occupations that can lead straight to residence without the standard points test.

Cost and wage thresholds

Australian employers sponsoring a skilled worker must meet the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold, which rose to approximately AUD 79,423 a year plus superannuation for nominations lodged from 1 July 2026. New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa instead uses a median wage threshold, currently set at NZD $35 per hour, as the benchmark most AEWV roles must meet or exceed.

Job markets and industries

• Australia: a much larger economy of over 27 million people, with strong ongoing demand in mining, engineering, healthcare and construction, and considerably more regional variation in where opportunities sit
• New Zealand: a smaller economy of around 5 million people, with strength in agriculture, dairy, tourism, construction and healthcare, and a Green List that can offer a notably faster route to residence for nurses, doctors, some engineers, ICT specialists and select trades

Cost of living and lifestyle

New Zealand has historically offered lower salaries alongside lower housing costs, though that gap has narrowed in recent years, particularly in Auckland. Australia’s larger economy generally supports higher wages and a wider range of cities to choose from, from capital cities to regional centres offering their own visa incentives.

The Trans-Tasman route: New Zealand as a stepping stone

New Zealand citizens can live and work in Australia under the Subclass 444 Special Category Visa granted on arrival, which is a genuinely distinctive feature of the relationship between the two countries. It is not a shortcut to Australian permanent residence in itself, since that still generally requires several years of residence in Australia and, in most cases, a separate application under the dedicated New Zealand stream of the Subclass 189 visa. For some migrants, particularly those with an occupation on New Zealand’s Green List, becoming a New Zealand citizen first and considering Australia later is nonetheless a legitimate long term strategy worth discussing with an adviser.

Which is right for you?

• If your occupation is on New Zealand’s Green List, New Zealand often offers a faster and less expensive path to residence
• If you want the larger long term job market, more regional choice, and are not in a hurry, Australia may suit you better
• Family circumstances, your partner’s occupation, and where you already have support networks or family ties matter as much as the visa settings themselves

How we can help

Australian Shores focuses on Australian migration pathways: skills assessments, points test scoring, employer sponsorship, and the full visa application process. Our sister company, New Zealand Shores, provides the same service for New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category, Green List and Accredited Employer Work Visa. Between the two, we can help you compare your realistic options in both countries before committing to either.