Can a US citizen just move to Australia?

No, US citizens cannot just move to Australia. A US passport allows visa-free tourism for up to 90 days through the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), but long-term residence requires a visa. The main routes are: employer-sponsored work visas (subclass 482 or 186), the skilled independent visa (subclass 189) for high-demand occupations, partner visas if you marry an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and student visas with limited work rights. Investor and business visas exist but require substantial capital (typically AUD 1.5 million plus). Processing times run six to eighteen months for most routes. Once landed, settling costs run AUD 15,000 to 25,000 for a single person in their first few months. CostLiving’s moderate benchmark for Australia is $3,125 per person per month at country average, with Sydney and Melbourne meaningfully higher. For the full cost picture, see our Australia cost of living page.