Job hunting in Toronto: making your Australian experience count

Toronto employers rate Australians. They just need your experience translated into a language they read.

The short version

• Rewrite your CV as a Canadian resume: two pages, no photo, no date of birth, achievements over duties.
• Since 1 January 2026, Ontario employers with more than 25 staff can't require "Canadian experience" in public job postings, and must show a pay range [1].
• Nurses, teachers, engineers and tradies are regulated. Start licensing before you land, because it takes months [2].
• Use LinkedIn and recruiters hard. Toronto hiring runs on networks and informational coffees.
• Negotiate the whole package: base salary, benefits plan, RRSP matching and vacation. There's no compulsory super here.

Why Australian experience gets undersold

On paper, an Australian looks like an easy hire: English speaker, Commonwealth legal system, similar professions. In practice, two things trip people up.

First, Canadian recruiters scan for familiar names. They know Deloitte and the Big Four banks. They may not know your Brisbane firm, your state health service or what a "Band 6" means. Second, many Toronto hiring managers have long leaned on "Canadian experience" as shorthand for "someone who already knows how things work here".

Ontario has moved against that. Since the start of 2026, the Employment Standards Act stops employers with more than 25 employees in Ontario from listing Canadian experience as a requirement in publicly advertised postings or application forms [1][3]. The same rules require:

• an expected pay or pay range (unless the job pays over CA$200,000), with a range no wider than CA$50,000 [1]
• a statement if AI is used to screen applicants [1]
• whether the posting is for an existing vacancy [1]
• a reply to interviewed candidates within 45 days of the last interview [1]

The rule covers the posting. It doesn't stop a manager preferring local experience in their head. Your job is to make your Australian experience feel local.

The Canadian resume: what to change

Canadians say "resume", not "CV". Here's how the Australian version usually needs to shift.

Translate your context

Add one line under each employer explaining what it is: "Queensland's largest regional hospital, 700 beds" or "ASX 200 retailer with 300 stores". A Toronto reader then sees the scale you worked at. If your role maps to a Canadian occupation code (the NOC, used by immigration and government), use the matching title. That helps later too, because the NOC drives permanent residence eligibility.

Your address and status

Put "Toronto, ON" at the top once you're here. If you hold an open work permit, say so: "Open work permit, valid until May 2028". Employers often assume foreigners need sponsorship and screen them out. Telling them up front avoids that.

Regulated professions: get licensed early

Ontario regulates more than 100 professions and trades. In those, you need a licence or certificate and registration with the regulator before you can work or use the protected title [2]. Being registered in Australia doesn't transfer automatically.

Tips for the licensing slog

1. Start from Australia. Order transcripts, course outlines and employer letters while you still have easy access to your old uni and workplace.
2. Get your Australian regulator to send verification directly when asked. AHPRA, your state teachers' registration board and Engineers Australia records all help.
3. Check for help programs. Ontario's Bridge Training Program offers training and licensing support for skilled newcomers. HealthForceOntario's Access Centre helps internationally educated health professionals, and Global Experience Ontario advises on non-health professions and trades [2].
4. Work adjacent while you wait. A nurse can sometimes work in a non-regulated health role. An engineer can work under a licensed engineer. A sparky can work as an apprentice-level helper. Check the scope carefully before you take the job.
5. For trades, confirm the trade has a certifying exam before paying for a TEA. The assessment only runs in trades with one [6].

Where the jobs are found

LinkedIn is the main event

More than in most Australian cities, Toronto professionals live on LinkedIn. Set your location to Toronto, add "Open work permit" to your headline if it helps, and turn on recruiter visibility. Ask for recommendations from Australian managers. They carry weight.

Recruiters

Agency recruiters are active in finance, tech, accounting, construction and admin. They're paid by the employer, so you shouldn't pay a fee. Ask them which clients actually hire people on work permits.

Informational interviews

Torontonians are used to the "coffee chat": a 20-minute conversation with someone in your field, with no job on the table. It's how many roles are filled before they're advertised. Ask politely, keep it short and follow up with a thank-you note.

Fast first income

If you're on a working holiday, hospitality and retail jobs are plentiful, especially downtown and along King Street West. Ontario's minimum wage is CA$17.95 an hour from 1 October 2026 [7]. Keep applying for skilled roles at the same time. Only skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) counts toward the Canadian Experience Class later, so it pays to get into your field early [8].

Talking money: salary and the package

Pay talk works differently from home in a few ways.

• Salaries are quoted annually in CAD, before tax. There's no 12% super on top. Instead you'll see CPP and EI deductions on your payslip, and possibly an RRSP or pension match.
• Use the posted range. Thanks to the 2026 pay transparency rule, most postings from larger employers now show a range [1]. Aim for the middle or top, and justify it with your scale and results.
• Ask about benefits. A workplace health and dental plan matters a lot because OHIP doesn't cover prescriptions or dentists. See our OHIP guide.
• Ask about vacation. Ontario's legal minimum is well below the four weeks Australians are used to, and there's no long service leave. Negotiate extra weeks at offer stage, when it's easiest.
• Get it in writing. A written offer should list salary, benefits, vacation, start date and probation period.

The Australian side

Once you're working in Canada, think about your Australian tax residency, your super and any HECS-HELP debt. Australia and Canada have a tax treaty and a social security agreement, so you shouldn't be taxed twice. Read our guides on tax residency after moving and super while you're overseas.

A 30-day plan for your first month

1. Week 1: get your SIN, open a bank account and set your LinkedIn location to Toronto.
2. Week 1: rewrite your resume in Canadian format and get a Canadian friend to read it.
3. Week 2: start any licensing application with your regulator.
4. Weeks 2–4: book five informational coffees a week and register with two or three recruiters in your field.
5. Week 4: review which applications got replies and adjust your resume for what's working.

Need someone to check your resume or tell you which recruiters actually call back? Ask in Cooee Canada, our Facebook group for Australians in Canada. Plenty of members have made the same switch.

Sources

1. What Ontario employers need to know about job posting obligations for 2026 – Fasken
2. Work in your profession or trade – Government of Ontario
3. New Ontario labour laws to remove barriers for newcomers seeking jobs – CIC News
4. National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) – College of Nurses of Ontario
5. Canadian work experience requirement removed for engineers in Ontario – CIC News
6. Trade Equivalency Assessment – Skilled Trades Ontario
7. Minimum wage – Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, Government of Ontario
8. Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class – IRCC

Keep reading

• From IEC to PR in Canada: Express Entry for Australians
• Working holiday and work permits in Canada for Australians
• OHIP in Toronto: health cover for Australians, gaps and all
• Super while living overseas