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Move to Australia from Ireland

Move to Australia from Ireland

A person can move to Australia from Ireland by completing specific immigration steps, which can vary based on the particularities of the relocation of that person (age, the intended duration of stay, the purpose of arrival and so on).

It must be noted that an Australian visa for Irish nationals is mandatory regardless of the purpose of the arrival and the duration, as there are no exemptions from visa formalities in Australia, except for New Zealand nationals. You can learn more on the visa application process from our Australia migration lawyer.


What are the visa options for temporary stays in Australia?


The law on immigration in Australia prescribes that foreigners can arrive here for temporary stays for a wide range of reasons, from tourism to business or employment. However, visa formalities must be conducted in all cases, including for temporary arrivals.

When we refer to tourism, Australia provides several types of visas, such as the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) – Subclass 601 or the eVisitor visa – Subclass 651. Both of them can be used as an Australia visa for Irish provided that the person meets the following:

  1. the person is the holder of an Irish passport;
  2. arrives here for tourism (as many people who move to Australia from Ireland do);
  3. arrives for visiting friends or family;
  4. arrives as a business visitor.

Please note that both visas grant the right to residency in Australia for a limited amount of time and they can’t be used as a pathway to permanent residency. These visas offer the right of staying here for maximum 3 months at a time.

There is also the possibility of arriving here for a longer period of time under an Australia visa for Irish issued as a tourist visa and this can be the case of the Subclass 600 visa, which can be issued for 3, 6 or 12 months. Prior to initiating any visa formalities it is recommended that you verify the latest information with the Australian Embassy in Ireland.

Of course, our immigration lawyer in Australia can offer the necessary assistance and can help you with in-depth advice on other visas for temporary residency, such as:

  • Subclass 417 – Working Holiday Visa;
  • Subclass 500 – Student Visa;
  • Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage Visa;
  • Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa;
  • Subclass 188 – Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) Visa.

Visa options for permanent relocation to Australia


Foreigners can migrate to Australia for permanent residency as well. Becoming a permanent resident offers more advantages, as the rights foreigners will obtain are similar with the ones of Australian citizens, and, more importantly, it can grant the right to apply for Australian citizenship.

Of course, foreigners can move to Australia from Ireland on a permanent basis, as long as they qualify for one of the visas created for this purpose. In general, such visas are granted for skilled employment, for family reunification, research or investment.

Besides these, an Australian visa for Irish can be issued as a permanent visa on the following grounds:

  1. retirement of foreigners wishing to relocate to Australia;
  2. permanent residency for persons who used to be Australian residents;
  3. relocation for humanitarian reasons or for refugees;
  4. relocation under the Global Talent visa, available only for persons with outstanding talents/skills.

What are the basic costs of living in Australia?


When relocating from one country to another, foreigners are very interested in knowing the costs associated with living in that country. For those who move to Australia from Ireland, the costs of living are rather similar, as the 2 countries have similar economies and standard of living, but Australia tends to be somewhat more expensive.

For instance, the monthly rent can be around EUR 1,400 for a 1 bedroom apartment, while the monthly transportation pass can cost EUR 100 and the internet services, around EUR 50. If you want to move to Australia from Ireland, we invite you to contact us for more details.