Relocation Glossary
Moving between Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK comes with its own vocabulary, visa subclass numbers, regulator names, banking terms, that most general advice never actually explains. This glossary defines them in plain English, and every entry is checked against a primary source (a government page, an official regulator, or similar) rather than written from memory.
Spot one of these terms highlighted with a dotted underline anywhere on the site? Hover it on desktop, or tap it on mobile, for the same definition inline.
A
- Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
- ACC is the New Zealand government scheme that covers the cost of treatment and a portion of lost income for anyone, residents and visitors alike, injured in an accident in New Zealand, regardless of fault. In exchange, people generally cannot sue for personal injury in New Zealand.
- New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- The ATO is the Australian Government agency that administers the tax and superannuation systems, similar in role to Canada's CRA or the UK's HMRC.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
B
- Bulk billing
- Bulk billing means a doctor charges Medicare directly for a visit and accepts the Medicare rebate as full payment, so the patient pays nothing out of pocket.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
C
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- The CRA is the Canadian government agency that administers federal (and most provincial or territorial) tax law and delivers related benefit payments, equivalent in role to Australia's ATO or the UK's HMRC.
- CanadaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Council Tax
- Council Tax is a local UK property-based charge that funds local council services (bin collection, roads, libraries, police and similar), paid by most householders, owners and tenants alike, on top of rent or a mortgage. It doesn't exist in Australia, Canada or New Zealand, which is why it consistently catches newcomers off guard.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
D
- Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP)
- DASP lets some former temporary visa holders claim back the superannuation they built up while working in Australia, after they've left the country and their visa has ended. It is not available to Australian or NZ citizens or to permanent residents, whose super stays locked until preservation age regardless of where they live.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
E
- Expression of Interest (EOI)
- An EOI is a formal statement of interest in a points-based skilled migration system (used by Australia's SkillSelect and New Zealand's immigration system), submitted before an actual visa application. Submitting one doesn't guarantee an invitation to apply; it just puts you in the pool to be assessed.
- Australia, New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
G
- GST/HST
- GST (Goods and Services Tax) is a federal sales tax that applies to most goods and services sold in Canada. In provinces that have combined it with their own provincial sales tax, it's called HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) instead.
- CanadaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
H
- HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- HMRC is the UK government department responsible for collecting taxes and administering some benefit payments, equivalent in role to Australia's ATO or Canada's CRA.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
I
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
- The IHS is a fee most people applying for a UK visa of more than 6 months must pay upfront, on top of the visa fee itself. Paying it gives access to NHS care on broadly the same basis as a UK resident for the length of the visa.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
- Indefinite Leave to Remain, also called "settlement," removes any time limit on how long you can stay in the UK. It lets you live, work and claim eligible benefits with no expiry, and is generally the step before applying for British citizenship.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- International Experience Canada (IEC)
- IEC is the Canadian government program, covering Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op categories, that lets young people (generally 18 to 35, depending on nationality) from partner countries get a work permit to live and work in Canada for up to two years.
- CanadaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- IRD number
- An IRD number is your unique identifier with Inland Revenue for all tax-related purposes in New Zealand, similar in purpose to an Australian TFN or a Canadian SIN. It's free to apply for and stays the same for life.
- New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
K
- KiwiSaver
- KiwiSaver is New Zealand's voluntary retirement savings scheme. Members and, for employees, their employer contribute regularly, and the savings are generally locked in until age 65, with limited early-withdrawal exceptions such as a first-home deposit.
- New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
M
- Medicare (Australia)
- Medicare is Australia's universal public health scheme. It gives Australian residents, and some visitors from countries with a reciprocal agreement, free or subsidised access to GP visits, public hospital treatment and cheaper prescription medicines, funded partly through the Medicare levy.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Medicare Levy
- The Medicare levy is an extra 2% of taxable income that most Australian tax residents pay on top of their income tax, which helps fund Medicare. Some lower earners qualify for a reduction or exemption, and higher earners without private hospital cover may pay an additional Medicare Levy Surcharge.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
N
- National Health Service (NHS)
- The NHS is the UK's public healthcare system, funded mainly through general taxation and National Insurance contributions, providing most treatment free at the point of use for UK residents.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- National Insurance number (NI number)
- A National Insurance number is your personal reference number in the UK's National Insurance and tax system. You need one to work legally in the UK and to have your National Insurance contributions and tax recorded correctly, similar in purpose to an Australian TFN or Canadian SIN.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
O
- Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)
- OISC is the UK body that regulates who can legally give immigration advice, similar in role to Australia's OMARA/MARA. An "OISC-regulated adviser" is registered with them.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
P
- Pharmac
- Pharmac (Te Pataka Whaioranga) is the New Zealand Crown agency that decides which medicines and medical devices are publicly funded, similar in role to Australia's PBS.
- New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- The PBS is the Australian Government program that subsidises the cost of most prescription medicines, so patients pay a capped price rather than the full cost.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Points test / points-tested visa
- A points test is a scoring system used for some skilled migration visas, where an applicant is awarded points for factors like age, English ability, qualifications and work experience. Only applicants who clear the current invitation threshold in a given round, not just the legal minimum, are actually invited to apply.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
Q
- Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS)
- A QROPS is an overseas pension scheme that HMRC recognises as broadly equivalent to a UK registered pension scheme, meaning a UK pension can sometimes be transferred into it without the usual UK tax penalty. It's most relevant to someone leaving the UK permanently who wants to consolidate a UK pension abroad.
- United Kingdom, AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
R
- Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA)
- A Reciprocal Health Care Agreement is a government-to-government agreement that lets citizens of each country access medically necessary public healthcare while visiting or living in the other, without paying full price out of pocket. Coverage is generally narrower than what a resident gets, and it varies by the visa a visitor holds.
- Australia, Canada, United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)
- An RRSP is a retirement savings account registered with the CRA. Contributions can reduce your taxable income for the year, and the money grows tax-deferred until you withdraw it in retirement, when it's taxed as income.
- CanadaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
S
- Special Category Visa (SCV, subclass 444)
- The Special Category Visa is a temporary visa granted automatically at the border to New Zealand citizens arriving in Australia on a valid NZ passport, letting them live, work and study in Australia for as long as they hold NZ citizenship. It's the mechanism behind the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement and, since July 2023, offers a pathway to Australian permanent residency for long-term holders.
- Australia, New ZealandSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Superannuation ("super")
- Superannuation, or "super," is money paid into a fund over your working life so you have it to live on when you retire. If you're an employee in Australia, your employer must pay a minimum percentage of your ordinary earnings into a super fund on top of your salary, not deducted from your take-home pay. It's your money, but it's generally locked away until you reach preservation age.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
T
- Tax File Number (TFN)
- A Tax File Number is your personal reference number in the Australian tax and superannuation system, similar in purpose to a Canadian SIN or a UK National Insurance number. You apply for it once and keep the same number for life; without one, your employer must withhold tax from your pay at the top marginal rate.
- AustraliaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
- Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)
- A TFSA is a registered Canadian savings or investment account where contributions aren't tax-deductible, but all growth and withdrawals are completely tax-free. Contribution room is available once you're a Canadian resident aged 18 or over, regardless of income.
- CanadaSourceChecked 14 September 2026
U
- UK Ancestry visa
- The UK Ancestry visa lets a Commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over live and work in the UK for 5 years if they can show a grandparent was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. It carries full work rights and leads to settlement.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026
Y
- Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)
- The Youth Mobility Scheme is a UK visa route that lets young people (18 to 30 or 18 to 35 depending on nationality) from participating countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, live and work in the UK for up to two years, three for some nationalities, without needing a job offer or sponsor. It doesn't lead to settlement on its own.
- United KingdomSourceChecked 14 September 2026