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Moving to Los Angeles from Australia: visas, first weeks and where to live
LA looks easy on Instagram. In real life it's a giant, car-shaped city where your visa, your health cover and your postcode decide how good the first year feels.
The short version
- An ESTA lets you visit for under 90 days, but it does not allow any work, paid or unpaid, including volunteering or house-sitting [3].
- Most Australians who move for a job use the E-3 visa, which needs a US job offer in a specialty occupation and a Labor Condition Application from your employer [1].
- US medical costs are far higher than at home and Medicare doesn't apply, so sort health cover before your first day [3].
- Moving to California from overseas opens a 60-day window to buy cover through Covered California [6].
- LA Metro's base fare is US$1.75 with a US$5 daily cap, but most people still end up wanting a car [7].
Step one: get the right visa (an ESTA isn't a work permit)
Australians are in the Visa Waiver Program, so a holiday is simple. Living and working is a different game. Smartraveller is blunt about it: the ESTA covers stays under 90 days, and work of any kind isn't allowed on it [3]. Denials usually come without a reason and can't be appealed [3].
| Route | Who it suits | Key facts (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| E-3 visa | Graduates with a US job offer in a specialty occupation | Australians only, needs a Labor Condition Application, US$315 application fee [1]; two years at a time, renewable [2] |
| E-3 dependant | Married spouses and unmarried children under 21 | Don't need to be Australian; de facto relationships aren't recognised for US immigration [1] |
| Change of status inside the US | People already in the US in another lawful status | USCIS can approve a change to E-3 without a new visa stamp [1] |
| ESTA visit | Scouting trips, flat hunting, interviews | Under 90 days, no work [3] |
Our E-3 visa guide goes through the paperwork in detail. Two things are worth knowing now. First, the US doesn't recognise de facto couples for immigration, so a partner will need a marriage certificate to come as your dependant [1]. Second, Smartraveller notes that since September 2025, non-immigrant visa interviews must be booked in your country of nationality or residence [3]. In practice, plan to get your visa in Australia before you fly.
Before you leave Australia
The admin on the Aussie side is easier from your couch in Brisbane than at 3am Pacific time. Work through it in this order:
- Lock in the job and visa. No visa, no move. Your employer files the Labor Condition Application, then you book a consular appointment [1].
- Gather your documents. Degree certificates, transcripts, a job offer letter and, for a spouse, your marriage certificate [1]. Get certified copies while you're still near the issuing institutions.
- Think about tax and super. Leaving can change your Australian tax residency. Our leaving Australia checklist covers what to sort before you board.
- Get an International Driving Permit. Smartraveller recommends getting one before you leave, as some states and rental companies require it [3].
- Arrange temporary housing. A furnished short-term rental near your workplace gives you a base while you learn the city.
Your first month in LA: the order of play
Social Security number first
Almost everything in the US hangs off your Social Security number (SSN): payroll, credit checks, phone contracts and many rental applications. As a work-authorised foreign worker, you start online at ssa.gov, then book an in-person appointment at a Social Security office [4]. Bring two original documents covering identity, age and work-authorised status, such as your passport and I-94; photocopies aren't accepted [4]. The good news is you can start your job before the number arrives, because your immigration documents prove you can work [4].
Health cover from day one
Smartraveller warns that even a minor doctor's visit in the US can cost thousands of dollars, providers may ask for proof of insurance before treating you, and there's no reciprocal health agreement with Australia [3]. Most E-3 workers get cover through their employer, so check the start date in your contract. If there's a gap, or you're self-funding a partner, Covered California treats a move from another country as a qualifying event, with 60 days from your move to apply [6].
A California driver's licence
The DMV counts you as a resident if you intend to live in California for six months or more in a year, and residents who drive need a California licence [5]. Bringing a car from elsewhere? It must be registered within 20 days of you becoming a resident [5]. Book the DMV early; appointments go fast.
A bank account and a phone
Opening a bank account is easier with an SSN and a US address. Until you have both, keep your Australian accounts running. Our guide to keeping your Australian bank, number and accounts while abroad explains what to hang on to. You'll also be starting with no US credit history, which affects phone plans and leases. Our guide to building a US credit history from scratch was written for New York, but it applies just as much in California.
Car or no car?
LA Metro is better than its reputation. The base fare is US$1.75, and fare capping means you never pay more than US$5 a day or US$18 over seven days [7]. If you live and work near the B or D Line in Koreatown, Downtown or Hollywood, or along the E Line towards Santa Monica, you can get by.
For most people, though, a car is how LA works. Groceries, beach trips, the dentist in another valley: it adds up. Our advice is to wait a few weeks before buying. Rent or use rideshare while you work out your actual commute, then decide.
Where to live: neighbourhoods for new arrivals
LA isn't one city so much as dozens of towns joined by freeways. Pick your area around your commute first and your lifestyle second. Traffic will punish the reverse.
- Santa Monica and Venice. Beach, bikes and a lot of Aussie accents. Expensive, and a long drive if you work east of the 405.
- Culver City and Mar Vista. Westside without the beachfront prices. Handy for the studios and tech offices in the area, with E Line access.
- Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz. Cafes, bars and creative types. Hilly, older buildings, close to Downtown and Hollywood.
- Koreatown. Dense, central, on the Metro, and great food. Often better value for a one-bedroom.
- Pasadena. Leafy, calmer and family-friendly, with its own downtown. A good pick if you work in the San Gabriel Valley.
- Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach. The South Bay beach towns. Relaxed and close to LAX, but you'll be driving.
Our renting in Los Angeles guide explains rent control, deposits and how to get approved without a US credit score.
Keep the consulate details handy
The Australian Consulate-General is on the 31st floor of 2029 Century Park East in Century City, phone +1 310 229 2300 [8]. Save that number before you need it. For fire, ambulance or police anywhere in the US, call 911 [3].
Find your people
LA is spread out, so making friends takes effort. Join Cooee USA, our Facebook group for Australians in the USA, to ask about suburbs, compare health plans and find someone to watch the AFL Grand Final with at an ungodly hour. Our Aussie life in Los Angeles guide has the rest.
Sources
- Treaty Trader & Treaty Investor and Australians in Specialty Occupations – US Department of State
- E-3 Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia – US Citizenship and Immigration Services
- USA travel advice and safety – Smartraveller (DFAT)
- Foreign workers and Social Security numbers – Social Security Administration
- New California resident portal – California DMV
- Moving and health insurance: what Californians need to know – Covered California
- Fare capping – LA Metro
- Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade