The Ultimate Canada-Australia Relocation Checklist

It's exciting, yes - but also genuinely overwhelming. Visas, jobs, money, housing, healthcare, what to do with your stuff, whether your cat can come, and a constant background hum of "wait, have I forgotten something important?"

You don't need to do everything today. You just need to know what's coming.

This works whether you're an Australian heading to Canada or a Canadian heading to Australia - the core process is the same, and I'll flag where things differ.

Phase 1: 6-12 Months Out

"Is this actually happening?" phase

At this stage your job isn't to have everything figured out. It's just to work out whether the move is realistic and what it might actually look like.

1. Get clear on what you're actually doing

Before anything else, ask yourself:

• Is this a 12-month adventure, or are you potentially moving for good?
• Are you going solo, with a partner, or with a family?
• Are you going to work, study, or take a break?

Your answers to these questions drive everything else - especially which visa makes sense and how much money you need.

2. Research your visa options (don't apply yet - just look)

Right now you just want to know which paths are even open to you.

Australians heading to Canada, look at:

• IEC Working Holiday
• Employer sponsored work permits
• Express Entry / Provincial Nominee Programs for longer-term plans

Canadians heading to Australia, look at:

• Working Holiday (subclass 417)
• Temporary Skill Shortage visa (TSS 482) if you have a job offer
• Skilled visas (189/190)
• Partner or family visas if that's relevant

At this stage, you just want to answer: which visas am I likely eligible for, how long does each take, and what does it cost? Make a shortlist of one or two realistic paths and move on.

3. Pick your likely first city

You're not committing to anywhere forever - you're just picking a starting point. Think about:

• Where are the jobs in your field actually concentrated?
• What kind of lifestyle are you after - big city, something smaller, beach, mountains?
• Can you realistically afford to live there on what you're likely to earn?

Common starting points:

• Aussies to Canada: Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton
• Canadians to Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, regional and coastal areas

You can always move once you're on the ground and know the lay of the land. It's a lot easier to find city number two from inside the country.

4. Build a rough budget

Very rough is fine at this stage - something is better than nothing.

For monthly costs, estimate:

• Rent (look at actual listings in likely neighbourhoods)
• Utilities and internet
• Groceries and eating out
• Transport
• Insurance and healthcare
• Phone
• Some actual fun money - don't pretend you'll never buy a coffee

Then add one-off moving costs:

• Visa and government fees
• Flights
• Temporary accommodation when you arrive
• Furniture and setup
• Pet relocation if that's a thing for you

You'll sharpen these numbers later. For now, the goal is just: do I have a rough sense of what this is going to cost?

5. Start getting your documents together

Future you will be genuinely grateful if you start this now.

Begin collecting:

• Passport(s) - check expiry dates, flag anything that needs renewing
• Birth certificate(s)
• Marriage, divorce, or name change documents if relevant
• Degrees, diplomas, trade certificates
• Work references and key payslips or contracts
• Professional licences or registrations
• Medical records you might need - immunisations, ongoing conditions

Set up two things: a physical folder for originals, and a secure cloud folder with scans of everything. Keep them updated as you go.

Phase 2: 3-6 Months Out

Turning "I'm thinking about it" into "this is actually happening"

This is where you shift from research to action.

6. Choose your visa path and start the process

Commit to one primary option and a backup if possible. Then:

• Read the official instructions carefully - not just forums, not just Reddit threads
• List out every required document and fee
• Start the application or profile process

Depending on your visa, this might mean language tests, skills assessments, police checks, or medical exams. The checklist here is visa-specific, but the principle is always the same: know the steps, know the documents, start earlier than feels necessary.

7. Tighten up your budget

Now that you've done more research, revisit your numbers:

• Update your rent and expense estimates with more accurate figures
• Work out exactly how much cash you need on arrival
• Be honest about whether you can save that before you go, or whether you need to push the timeline

Under-budgeting is one of the most common and most stressful mistakes people make with this move. Don't be optimistic here - be realistic.

8. Research housing properly

You probably won't be able to lock in a place yet, but you can:

• Identify neighbourhoods you'd actually be happy living in
• Understand what typical rent looks like for your property type
• Learn how the local rental process works - how much is the bond, do you need local references, how do applications work?

Plan for two stages: temporary accommodation when you first land, then a proper longer-term place once you're on the ground and can actually look around.

9. Sort out your job situation

Whether you're lining something up before you go or planning to job hunt once you arrive:

• Research salary ranges for your role in your target city
• Update your resume to local style - Canadian and Australian formats differ
• Start networking now: LinkedIn, industry groups, expat communities

If you already have a job offer or employer transfer lined up:

• Double-check all the details - visa conditions, start date, what relocation support (if any) looks like

10. Start tidying up your current life

These things are easy to ignore until they become urgent:

• Work out when you'll need to give notice at work
• Check your lease and how much notice you need to give
• List every subscription, direct debit, and membership you'll need to cancel or change
• Decide what you're doing with your car, your furniture, anything that needs a plan

Phase 3: 1-2 Months Out

Everything starts getting real

You're in the countdown window now.

11. Book your flights and plan your arrival

Only do this once your visa is genuinely on track - not before.

• Book flights with dates that make sense for your visa start or activation
• Plan your first week: where you'll sleep the first few nights, how you're getting from the airport, what you're doing on day one
• If you can, aim to land mid-week rather than late on a Friday night - it just makes everything a bit easier

12. Lock in your housing plan

You probably won't have a permanent place yet, but you should:

• Have your temporary accommodation confirmed with dates, address, and check-in details
• Have a shortlist of areas and listings you want to view once you arrive
• Know what documents you'll need for rental applications
• Have mentally budgeted for bond, first rent, and basic move-in costs

13. Sort out banking and money transfers

Make sure you can actually access your money when you land:

• Decide which bank you'll use in your new country (many have newcomer accounts worth looking at)
• Start the account setup process before you arrive if possible
• Compare Wise or OFX against using your home bank - the difference in fees and exchange rates adds up more than you'd expect
• Make sure you have at least one card that will work immediately on arrival, and a mix of funds: some still at home, some ready to move

14. Sort out healthcare and insurance

Not the most exciting part of this process, but genuinely important.

For both directions, check:

• What public healthcare you'll actually be eligible for and when it kicks in
• Whether there's a waiting period before you're covered
• What your visa requires in terms of health insurance
• What interim travel or health insurance you'll have in the gap

Build into your budget: insurance for the gap period, and a buffer for out-of-pocket costs like GP visits and prescriptions.

15. Make packing decisions before you touch a suitcase

Think it through before you start throwing things into bags:

• What do you actually need to bring?
• What are you selling, donating, or storing?
• How much can you realistically move - checked luggage, extra bags, a small shipment?

Most people overestimate how much they need on day one. You can buy things when you get there. Pack for the first month, not the rest of your life.

Phase 4: Final 2-3 Weeks Before You Leave

The sprint to the finish line

16. Confirm everything

Double-check every booking:

• Flights and seat reservations
• Temporary accommodation - address, check-in instructions, contact details
• Airport transfer or how you're getting to your accommodation
• Pet transport if relevant

Keep all confirmations in an email folder and save an offline copy somewhere too, just in case.

17. Cancel, pause, or redirect everything

Work through the list:

• Phone plan
• Internet
• Utilities
• Gym membership
• Streaming and software subscriptions
• Mail - either redirect it or arrange someone you trust to check it

Let anyone who needs to know your move date and new contact details.

18. Final document check

In the last couple of weeks:

• Print or save offline copies of your visa approval, flight confirmations, and accommodation bookings
• Keep physical copies of important documents in your carry-on, not your checked luggage
• Make sure someone back home knows how to reach you and where any important remaining documents are

19. Actually say goodbye

This isn't admin, but it matters.

Make time to see the people you want to see before you go. Tie up anything that will bother you if you leave it hanging. Give yourself at least one or two days that aren't consumed by packing and forms - you don't want to arrive in a new country completely wrung out.

Phase 5: First 1-2 Weeks After You Land

Stabilise first, optimise later

You made it. Now the goal is simple: get the basics in place so everything else becomes manageable.

20. Immigration and legal basics

• Present your visa or approval letter at the border as required
• Make sure your work permit and visa conditions are correctly recorded
• Note the key details - expiry date, any work conditions

Then, in your first week:

• Get your SIN (Social Insurance Number) in Canada, or your TFN (Tax File Number) in Australia

You can't be paid properly without these. Get them early.

21. Banking and phone

Within the first few days:

• Finalise your local bank account and get your debit card
• Set up online banking
• Get a local SIM and phone plan

These three things make everything else significantly easier.

22. Healthcare

Depending on where you are:

• Register for provincial healthcare in Canada (MSP in BC, for example) or Medicare in Australia if you're eligible
• Confirm any waiting periods so you know where you stand
• Keep your interim insurance details somewhere you can find them
• Note the location of a nearby clinic, and look up emergency numbers - they're not the same everywhere

23. Housing

If you're in temporary accommodation, use the time well:

• View rentals in your shortlisted areas
• Get a feel for commute times in reality, not just on Google Maps
• Understand how local rental applications work before you need to submit one

Try not to rush into the first place you see just to be done with it. A few extra days in temporary accommodation is almost always cheaper than signing a lease you regret.

24. Work and networking

If you're already employed:

• Confirm your start date, hours, and how you'll be paid
• Ask about any onboarding support available

If you're job hunting:

• Update your resume with your new address and local phone number
• Start applying via local job boards and LinkedIn
• Join industry groups and expat communities - people are generally more helpful than you'd expect

Your goal in the first few weeks isn't a dream job. It's movement and momentum.

Phase 6: First 1-3 Months In

Turning "visit" into "life"

By now you should have the foundations in place - somewhere to live, work starting or underway, a bank account, a phone, some kind of routine.

25. Get across tax and super

Once you've had a chance to breathe:

• Understand your tax residency status in your new country
• Get across the basics of how tax works - brackets, deadlines, what to keep records of
• Work out what you're doing with your superannuation (Australia) or RRSP/TFSA (Canada) now that you've moved

For anything beyond straightforward, talk to a tax professional who actually understands cross-border moves. It's worth the cost.

26. Compare your real spending to your budget

After a month or two of actual life there:

• Compare what you're actually spending against what you planned
• See where you're over and where you have breathing room
• Adjust: habits, housing options, income plans

The goal is to stop being surprised by money every month.

27. Start actually living there

Once survival mode is behind you:

• Explore neighbourhoods beyond your commute route
• Join something - a club, a sport, a hobby, a class
• Build a social life that goes beyond the people you happen to work with

This is the part that takes the move from "I live here now" to "I actually belong here." It doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen.

What to do right now

If this checklist feels like a lot, that's because it is. Moving countries is genuinely one of the biggest things you'll ever organise.

But you don't need to hold all of it in your head. You just need a system and a starting point.

When you're ready to go deeper, the Ultimate Canada-Australia Relocation Guide walks through each phase in detail - visa paths, budget templates, resume examples, job search tips, and full arrival checklists.

For now: figure out which phase you're in, and pick two or three things from that phase to work on first.

You don't have to do everything today. You just have to keep moving forward.