Australia suits you if you rank a clearer route to permanent residency and applying without a job offer (6 of 7 routes) first. Thailand suits you if you rank the lowest entry fee (Non-B, $147) first. Which is right depends on your nationality, profession, savings, and whether you have a job offer. The free quiz scores your profile against every route in both countries.
Australia vs Thailand: how do they compare for immigration?
| Measure | Australia | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Open visa routes tracked | 7 | 5 |
| Routes by type | 5 skilled worker, 2 working holiday | 3 digital nomad, 2 skilled worker |
| Closed routes (excluded above) | SC 188A | None |
| Fastest published processing | 462, 1–2 months | LTR (WFTP), 1–3 months |
| Published processing time range | 1–18 months | 1–3 months |
| Cheapest route fee | WHM 417, $590 | Non-B, $147 |
| Government fee range | $590 to $4,313 | $147 to $19,100 |
| Published fixed permit length range | 1 year to 5 years | 1 year to 10 years |
| Path to PR | 5 routes, direct | 1 route, quickest about 3 yrs |
| No job offer needed | 6 of 7 | 2 of 5 |
| Language test required | 6 of 7 | 0 of 5 |
| Points-based option | Yes | No |
Aggregated from every Australia and Thailand visa Transita tracks. Fees are official government amounts in USD and exclude legal, translation, and relocation costs. Salary floors and points marks belong to different visa types, so read them as the lowest tracked figure, not a like-for-like score. A row is left out when either country has no published figure for it.
Key differences between Australia and Thailand
- Closed routes: Australia (SC 188A) cannot currently be applied for, so every figure on this page leaves them out.
- Fees: Thailand's cheapest tracked route (Non-B) costs $147 in government fees, against $590 for Australia's (WHM 417).
- Permanent residency: Australia has 5 tracked PR routes, Thailand has 1.
- Job offer: 6 of 7 Australia routes can start without one, against 2 of 5 for Thailand.
- Stay length: Thailand's longest published fixed term is 10 years, Australia's 5 years.
- Points: only Australia has a tracked points-based route.
Common questions
- Is it easier to get a visa for Australia or Thailand?
- Australia is generally easier to start on your own profile: 6 of its 7 routes need no job offer, versus 2 of 5 for Thailand. "Easier" still depends on your nationality, profession, and points. It is not automatically easier for everyone.
- Which country gives a faster visa, Australia or Thailand?
- They are closely matched: the quickest Australia route is the 462 (1–2 months) and the quickest Thailand route is the LTR (WFTP) (1–3 months). Neither has a decisive speed edge. File completeness matters more.
- Which has easier permanent residency, Australia or Thailand?
- Australia has 5 PR routes, including a direct-PR option, while Thailand's quickest PR route takes about 3 years (1 PR route). On paper Australia offers the clearer route to permanent residency, but eligibility for the underlying visa decides your real odds. Not every applicant qualifies for the fastest path.
- Is it cheaper to immigrate to Australia or Thailand?
- Thailand has the cheaper entry point: its Non-B costs about $147 in official fees, versus $590 for Australia's cheapest route (the WHM 417). Both are government fees only. Legal, translation, and relocation costs usually dwarf them.
- Which country is better to settle in, Australia or Thailand?
- For long-term settlement, permanent residency is the deciding factor: Australia has 5 PR routes, including a direct-PR option, and Thailand's quickest PR route takes about 3 years (1 PR route). Australia has the clearer permanent-residency pathway on paper, but the "better" country to settle in depends on your job prospects, family, language, and where you'd actually want to live. The free quiz scores your specific profile against every route in both.
- How long can you stay on a Australia or Thailand visa?
- Australia routes grant 1 year to 5 years and Thailand routes grant 1 year to 10 years, depending on the visa. Routes whose source gives no fixed length are left out of these ranges.
- Where do these Australia and Thailand figures come from?
- The headline figures named on this page (fastest, cheapest, quickest PR, salary and points marks) come from these official government pages, one per claim. Ranges and counts summarise every open route Transita tracks. Australia: 462 fastest route (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, checked 2026-05-03); WHM 417 lowest fee (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, checked 2026-10-31); SC 189 quickest PR timeline (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, checked 2026-05-02); SC 189 lowest points mark (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, checked 2026-05-02). Thailand: LTR (WFTP) fastest route (ltr.boi.go.th, checked 2026-09-18); Non-B lowest fee (mfa.go.th, checked 2026-08-06); Non-B quickest PR timeline (mfa.go.th, checked 2026-08-06); LTR (WFTP) lowest salary floor (ltr.boi.go.th, checked 2026-09-18).
Official sources
Every route named above links to the government page it was read from. The oldest check among them is 2026-05-02.
- Australia: 462 fastest route · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (checked 2026-05-03) · WHM 417 lowest fee · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (checked 2026-10-31) · SC 189 quickest PR timeline · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (checked 2026-05-02) · SC 189 lowest points mark · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (checked 2026-05-02)
- Thailand: LTR (WFTP) fastest route · ltr.boi.go.th (checked 2026-09-18) · Non-B lowest fee · mfa.go.th (checked 2026-08-06) · Non-B quickest PR timeline · mfa.go.th (checked 2026-08-06) · LTR (WFTP) lowest salary floor · ltr.boi.go.th (checked 2026-09-18)
Explore each country
Further reading
Australia Skilled Independent Visa (189) Guide 2026
Read the guide Singapore · Canada · France · Ireland · Netherlands · New Zealand · Australia · United Kingdom · Germany · Thailand · Italy · Portugal · Spain · Switzerland · United States · United Arab EmiratesThe Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship in 2026: Ranked by Years, Language Bar and Descent
Read the guide Australia · CanadaAustralia vs Canada: Skilled Immigration Compared 2026
Read the guide New Zealand · United Kingdom · United Arab Emirates · United States · ThailandCitizenship by Investment in 2026: What Investor Visas Actually Lead To
Read the guideRelated pathways
Australia or Thailand, which fits you?
Your workspace scores your profile against every Australia and Thailand route (and 60+ others) and shows which is the best fit, with the why. Answer 8 questions to set up your free workspace. You see which routes you appear to qualify for, what may block each one and the official page to check.
Build my workspaceThe workspace is free. The optional $9 plan adds the document checklist for each route with its costs and lead times, the gaps between your profile and each route, and a suggested filing order. Fees are estimates. General information, not legal advice.