Moving from Australia to United States
A long Pacific haul and one of the harder visa puzzles for an English speaking move. Sort the work visa first, ship by sea to a US coast that fits your destination, then file a clean customs declaration. Here is the honest brief for this corridor.
The shipping on this corridor is routine. What catches Australians out is the visa. The United States does not offer Australians an easy long stay route, so almost everything depends on lining up the right status before you go. The good news is that Australia has its own visa class, the E3 specialty occupation visa, which is faster and cheaper than the better known work routes and exists only for Australian nationals. It still needs a graduate level job offer in a specialty occupation, so the job comes first and the container comes second.
On the freight side, choose the US coast that matches where you are settling. A move to California, Washington, or Texas usually sails across the Pacific to Los Angeles or Long Beach. A move to New York, Boston, or the South East often routes through the Panama Canal to an East Coast port, which adds weeks. Get the work visa moving early, because it is the long pole, then book the sailing and prepare your customs file so they arrive together.
What it costs to move from Australia to United States.
What it really costs to ship a household from Australia to the United States in 2026, shown as indicative ranges by home size and method. East Coast destinations cost more because the vessel routes the long way through the Panama Canal.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in Australian dollars, before full packing, premium insurance, and inland delivery beyond the arrival port. Air freight costs far more and suits only urgent essentials. These are not binding figures.
Four levers move the number on this route. Volume is the biggest, because a shared container is priced by the space you fill, so a hard declutter before the survey saves the most. US coast matters a great deal: a Pacific crossing to Los Angeles or Long Beach is shorter and cheaper than an East Coast shipment that sails through the Panama Canal to New York or Savannah. Season brings a clear premium across the southern winter and the northern summer, roughly May to August, the busy window for international moves, so a shoulder season sailing trims the bill. And final delivery changes the price: trucking a container inland to Denver, Chicago, or a walk up apartment costs more than a ground floor delivery near the port.
A realistic schedule, working back from the sailing.
Work back from the sailing. On this corridor the US work visa is the long pole, so begin it first, then book surveys and prepare the customs paperwork.
Secure the visa
Lock in your US status before anything ships. For most Australians that means an E3 specialty occupation visa with a graduate level job offer, where the employer files a Labor Condition Application and you interview at a US consulate. Other routes include the L1 intracompany transfer and family based options.
Get binding surveys
Have movers run video or in home surveys for an accurate volume, then compare shared container and sole use quotes on a like for like basis. Confirm the sailing and the US arrival port that fits your destination, Pacific or via Panama.
Build the customs file
Prepare your packing inventory with values, your passport and visa, and the CBP forms your agent will lodge. Arrange pet paperwork early, since dogs and cats need a microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and a CDC and USDA compliant health certificate.
Pack and load
The packing crew arrives one to two days before collection. Goods are inventoried, sealed, and trucked to the Australian departure port for loading onto the vessel.
Clear customs and deliver
Your goods clear US customs against your declaration, then are trucked inland, delivered, and unpacked. Apply for a Social Security number once you are settled, since it unlocks banking and most services.
Clearing your goods into United States.
The United States sits outside any customs union with Australia, so your household goods are declared to U.S. Customs and Border Protection on arrival. People moving to the United States can normally bring used household and personal effects free of duty, provided the goods were owned and used abroad and are for your continued personal use rather than for sale.
The paperwork your agent lodges centres on the CBP declaration for unaccompanied articles, supported by your packing inventory with values, your passport, and your visa. Goods you have owned and used for at least a year are the cleanest case. New items, or anything bought shortly before the move, can attract duty, so keep receipts and declare honestly. Your shipping agent usually files the entry, but you assemble the inventory and supporting papers.
Some categories sit outside the relief. Alcohol and tobacco face limits and federal and state rules, firearms need permits and are tightly controlled, and food, plants, and certain woods are restricted or prohibited under agriculture rules. Vehicles must meet US safety and emissions standards, which most Australian cars do not, so importing is rarely worthwhile and buying locally is usually simpler. Pets enter under CDC and USDA rules with a microchip, a current rabies vaccination, and the required health certificate.
How Australians actually move to United States.
Australian citizens can visit the United States visa free under the Visa Waiver Program for short trips, but living and working there needs a visa arranged before you go. These are the routes most Australian movers use.
A visa class reserved for Australian nationals with a graduate level job offer in a specialty occupation. It is faster and cheaper than the broader work visas and renews in two year increments.
- Basis
- US job offer
- Degree
- Bachelor or higher
- Term
- Two years, renewable
- Family
- Spouse can work
For employees of a company with US and Australian operations who transfer to the US arm in a managerial or specialised role. The employer petitions on your behalf.
- Basis
- Internal transfer
- Employer
- Petitions
- Role
- Manager or specialist
- Path
- Can lead to a green card
For spouses, children, and certain relatives of US citizens or permanent residents. Timelines vary widely by category and country, so check where your category stands before planning.
- Basis
- Family ties
- Sponsor
- US citizen or resident
- Wait
- Category dependent
- Result
- Often residence
Employment based permanent residence sponsored by a US employer through a multi step labor and petition process. It is slower but ends in a green card.
- Basis
- Employer sponsorship
- Steps
- Labor, petition, visa
- Time
- Often long
- Result
- Permanent residence
How to choose a mover for this route, with no names attached.
This site never names, ranks, or recommends a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that separates a safe international mover from a risky one. Apply it to every quote you receive.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Australia to the United States?
As indicative ranges for 2026, a 2 to 3 bedroom move runs roughly 8,000 to 13,000 Australian dollars by shared container and up to 18,000 for a sole use 40ft container, before packing, insurance, and inland delivery. East Coast destinations cost more because the vessel routes through the Panama Canal. Get a binding quote from a survey.
How long does shipping from Australia to the United States take?
Plan on eight to fourteen weeks door to door. A Pacific crossing to Los Angeles or Long Beach is at the shorter end, while an East Coast arrival through the Panama Canal sits at the longer end. Add customs clearance and inland delivery. Summer is the busy season, so book early to protect your dates.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to the United States?
Usually not. Used household goods that you have owned and used abroad and are bringing for your own continued use are commonly admitted free of duty by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You lodge a declaration for unaccompanied articles with an inventory. New items can attract duty, so keep receipts and verify the current rules first.
What visa do Australians need to move to the United States?
You need a US visa arranged before you go. The signature Australian route is the E3 specialty occupation visa, which needs a graduate level job offer and is reserved for Australian nationals. Other routes include the L1 intracompany transfer, family based visas, and employer sponsored green cards. This is not immigration advice, so confirm current requirements officially.
Can I bring my car from Australia to the United States?
It is rarely worthwhile. US safety and emissions standards are strict, and most Australian market vehicles do not meet them without expensive modification, plus the steering side differs. Importing also triggers compliance paperwork and possible duty. Most movers sell up and buy locally.
Do I need a Social Security number in the United States?
Yes, for most of daily life. Once you arrive on a work visa you apply for a Social Security number through the Social Security Administration, and it unlocks payroll, banking, credit, and tax. Apply soon after arrival, since many services stall without it.