In short: Australia is easier to get into and safer to stay in. The points-tested 189 visa needs no employer and is permanent from day one, and on the 482 work visa you get 180 days to find a new sponsor if you lose your job. In the United States the main route runs through a sponsor and the H-1B lottery, and in 2025-2026 the government cancelled statuses it had already granted on a mass scale. In our ranking Australia is 2nd of 97 and the United States 91st.
If your occupation passes the points test or a local employer needs it: the 189 gives permanent residence at once, the 482 after 2 years, citizenship comes after 4 years and dual citizenship is allowed. You pay at the door: the 189 charge is AUD 6,135 per applicant, the paid skills assessment takes months, and children on a 482 in New South Wales pay AUD 5,600-6,400 a year for state school.
If a US employer is ready to sponsor you and go through the H-1B lottery: the employer pays the visa fees, only 2.1% of petitions are refused, state school is free for any child, and you can start with a new employer as soon as their petition is filed. Expect 5-8 years to a green card and 10-13 to citizenship, a spouse on an H-4 who cannot work for years, and the heaviest pressure on legal residents in our sample.
Australia is stronger in 5 of 7 areas, United States in 1, tied in 1.
One of the most predictable countries in our sample: you apply online, the department publishes real processing times, and about 7% of non-humanitarian applications are refused. A spouse may work without limits, and the 2026-27 migration programme has more places. One warning sign: a law of 20 January 2026 lets the minister cancel visas already granted for "hate-motivated conduct", in some cases on suspicion without a conviction; the known uses so far concern people before arrival.
Once you are through the selection, daily life works well: the family gets visas with the worker, school is free and a bank account opens with a passport and address. But the pressure on legal residents is now the heaviest in our sample: status was cancelled for about 900,000 people who entered through the CBP One app, more than 4,700 student records were terminated without notice, and temporary protection was ended early. Since 11 April 2025 every foreigner aged 14 or over must register and report a change of address within 10 days.
Australia: the points-tested 189 needs no employer and gives permanent residence at once. In the United States you can hardly move without a sponsor, and the H-1B work visa is drawn in a lottery with a cap of 85,000 a year.
Australia: half of 189 decisions take 6 months and 90% take 8, while the 482 takes 83 days to 10 months. In the United States the H-1B petition took 9-10.5 months in 2026, with a yearly lottery before it and a consular interview after.
For the person moving, the United States: the employer pays the H-1B fees, and a family of three pays about $6,100 at the green card stage. In Australia the 189 charge is AUD 10,745 for a family of three, plus medicals, an English test and a skills assessment.
Australia: after 4 years of lawful residence, at least 1 of them as a permanent resident. In the United States citizenship comes 5 years after the green card, 10-13 years from arrival in all. Both allow dual citizenship.
Australia: on a 482 you get 180 days in a row to find a new sponsor and may work the whole time. In the United States a grace period of up to 60 days is at the agency's discretion, not a right.
Australia is stronger in most areas of our ranking, while on family rights and settling in the two are close. The United States wins on employer-paid fees and free school for any child, but entry is a lottery and the status of people already living there became much less secure in 2025-2026.
Every fact on this page comes from the country pages, where the sources are listed. Checked 01/10/2026.