How Global Economic Conditions Shape Legal Hiring
18 Jun, 2026
Moving From Australia or New Zealand to Practice Law in England
02 Jul, 20265 minutes
Moving From Australia or New Zealand to Practice Law in England: The Complete Guide
Australian and New Zealand qualified lawyers remain some of the most sought-after candidates in the London legal market. The shared common law foundation, the strength of antipodean legal training, and straightforward visa routes all work in your favour. The market is competitive, and understanding how UK firms actually assess ANZ candidates, particularly around PQE and practice area, makes the difference between a strong application and a wasted one.
This guide covers what you need to know: why firms hire ANZ lawyers, how the PQE discount works, which practice areas transfer best, visa options, and realistic salary expectations for 2025/26.
Why UK Firms Hire Australian and New Zealand Lawyers
A few recurring reasons come up in every conversation we have with London hiring partners:
Training quality.
Lawyers from top-tier Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and Wellington firms are used to working on sophisticated matters and need minimal ramp-up time.
Common law foundation.
ANZ lawyers already think in common law terms, which shortens the learning curve compared with lawyers from civil law jurisdictions.
Academic pedigree.
Degrees from institutions like the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of Auckland, and Victoria University of Wellington carry real weight with UK recruiters.
Work ethic and cultural fit.
Hiring partners consistently flag ANZ lawyers as easy to integrate into City teams.
Visa access.
The Youth Mobility Visa removes a lot of the friction for firms hiring under-35s, and top firms are generally comfortable sponsoring Skilled Worker visas for stronger candidates.
Though none of this guarantees a role. UK firms are highly selective, and the strongest applicants combine top-tier ANZ firm experience, solid academics, 2–3+ years PQE, and a practice area in demand.
The PQE Discount
This is the single most misunderstood part of the process. In England and Wales, solicitors qualify after a two-year training contract. Because the ANZ qualification path differs, UK employers typically discount an ANZ lawyer's PQE by 12–24 months when setting seniority and pay.
Example: A 3 PQE lawyer in Sydney or Auckland will often be levelled as a 1–2 PQE associate in London.
This isn't necessarily bad news. Even after the discount, most ANZ lawyers see a pay increase on relocation once bonuses and exchange rates are factored in. The discount is applied most rigidly in private practice; in-house teams tend to weigh actual experience and skillset more heavily than technical PQE calculations.
Which Practice Areas Transfer Best
Transactional, internationally-facing practice areas transfer far more easily than jurisdictional ones.
Transferability | Practice Areas |
Strong | Corporate/M&A, Banking & Finance, Funds & Private Equity, Capital Markets, Real Estate Finance |
Moderate | Commercial litigation (esp. white-collar, international arbitration, financial services disputes), Employment, Tech transactions, Corporate insurance |
Weak | Residential property/conveyancing, Family law, Personal injury, Wills & probate |
If you're in a transactional practice area like corporate law, banking, finance, or funds, your odds of landing a London role are significantly higher. Litigation is possible but usually requires a niche specialism to stand out.
Types of Roles Available
Permanent private practice — the strongest long-term option, most accessible at City and US firms in corporate, banking, and finance teams.
Fixed-term contracts (FTCs) — very common for ANZ lawyers, typically 1–12 months, same pay and benefits as permanent staff, and often extend or convert.
Document review — mostly litigation-trained lawyers, hourly pay with overtime, flexible around travel.
Legal consultancy — platforms like Peerpoint (A&O Shearman) offer interim consultant work between assignments.
In-house — harder to break into without prior UK in-house experience, but asset managers, investment banks, and FTSE 100 companies do hire ANZ lawyers selectively.
Visa Options
Visa | Eligibility | Duration | Notes |
Youth Mobility Visa | AU/NZ citizens aged 18–35 | Up to 2 years | Easiest entry route; not tied to one employer; doesn't lead to settlement |
Skilled Worker Visa | Sponsored by a licensed UK employer | Tied to role | Can lead to settlement after 5 years; most top firms sponsor strong candidates |
UK Ancestry Visa | Grandparent born in the UK | 5 years | Not tied to a specific employer |
The common path: enter on a Youth Mobility Visa, secure a role at a firm willing to sponsor, then transition to a Skilled Worker Visa for a permanent position.
Salary Expectations, 2025/26
City salaries have moved significantly in the past two years. As of 2025/26, Magic Circle NQ salaries sit at £150,000, with elite US firms in London paying £170,000–£180,000+. Mid-level associates (2–4 PQE) can expect £155,000–£225,000+ depending on firm tier and practice area.
Remember your PQE will likely be discounted on arrival, so a 3 PQE ANZ lawyer should benchmark against London NQ/1 PQE pay rather than London 3 PQE pay. Even so, for most candidates the London figure still exceeds their current package once bonus and FX are factored in.
Cost of living: Maybe it goes without saying by now but London isn't cheap. A room in a shared flat in areas popular with ANZ lawyers such as Clapham, Balham, and the rest of southwest London, typically run at £1,200–£2,000+ per month before transport, food, and everything else.
Regional alternative: Outside London, salaries drop to roughly £40,000–£70,000, but so does the cost of living. Manchester, Leeds, and Bristol all have decent commercial legal markets with a better work-life balance but not by much.
How to Position Your Application
Rewrite your CV for a UK audience.
Keep it to 2–3 pages, lead with practice area and deal experience, strip out jurisdiction-specific detail that won't land, and foreground academics.
Target, don't spray and pray.
Research which firms and practice groups are actively hiring ANZ lawyers rather than applying broadly.
Network before you land.
The Australasian Lawyers Group in London (ALGL) and LinkedIn outreach to ANZ lawyers already in London are both genuinely useful.
Time it right.
London's hiring season peaks January–March, after bonus season and the resignation wave that follows. Hiring does happen year-round, but flexibility here helps.
Prepare for commercial questions.
UK interviews lean heavily on technical knowledge and commercial awareness, so be ready to discuss recent deals in your area and articulate why London, specifically.
Is the Move Right for You?
From JMC's perspective: the ANZ lawyers who land strong London roles fastest are the ones who come in with a clear practice area focus, realistic expectations on PQE levelling, and a targeted rather than scattergun application strategy. Corporate, banking, and funds candidates consistently have the easiest path; litigation and jurisdictional specialists need a sharper pitch.
The common law connection and strong training reputation give ANZ lawyers a genuine advantage over candidates from other jurisdictions but the market is competitive, and success comes down to credentials, practice area, and how well you position the move.
At JMC Legal, we regularly place Australian and New Zealand qualified lawyers into UK roles across private practice and in-house. If you're weighing up the move, get in touch, the conversation is confidential and there's no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to requalify as a solicitor in England and Wales?
Not necessarily to start working. Many ANZ lawyers join London teams as a qualified lawyer from their home jurisdiction, particularly in international or cross-border practices. If you want full England and Wales admission, you'll need to sit the SQE1 and SQE2 (the old QLTS route closed to new entrants in 2021), some firms will support this as part of your package once you're in role.
How long does it typically take to secure a legal job in London from Australia or New Zealand?
Most candidates should budget 2–4 months from first application to offer, though this varies with practice area and timing. Applying in the run-up to London's January–March hiring season tends to move faster, since firms are actively backfilling after bonus-season resignations.
Do I need a job offer before I can move to the UK?
No, not if you're using the Youth Mobility Visa, it's not tied to an employer, so you can arrive first and job-hunt on the ground. A Skilled Worker Visa is the opposite: you'll need a confirmed offer from a licensed sponsor before you can apply.
Should I apply from Australia or New Zealand, or wait until I land in the UK?
Both work, but they suit different situations. Applying from home lets you line up a Skilled Worker sponsorship before you fly, while landing on a Youth Mobility Visa gives you more flexibility to interview locally and start sooner, firms often prefer candidates who are already in the UK and available immediately but it depends on each firm's hiring strategy.
Is it worth using a legal recruiter, or should I apply directly to firms?
A specialist recruiter is usually worth it for this specific move. London legal recruitment can be challenging to navigate alone, firms and recruiters who work with ANZ candidates regularly understand PQE levelling, visa timing, and which practice groups are actively hiring, and can get your CV in front of the right hiring partner rather than into a general applicant pile.
Is London legal recruitment very competitive for overseas candidates?
Yes, but that's also what makes it worth pursuing. London is one of the busiest hubs globally for lawyers relocating from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and beyond, so legal jobs in London see a high volume of overseas applicants. The upside is scale; more firms, more practice groups, and more roles opening year-round than most single ANZ city can offer.
Can newly qualified (NQ) lawyers relocate, or only more senior lawyers?
NQs can and do move, but options are significantly narrower. Most firms prefer at least 2–3 years PQE so the discounted level still lands somewhere useful, though document review, FTCs, and some in-house teams are more open to NQs building UK experience before targeting permanent roles.
What if I want to switch practice areas when I move?
It's possible but harder, and easiest earlier in your career. Firms are generally hiring for the experience you already have, so a switch works best alongside the PQE discount, you should look to move into a related transactional area rather than a complete change of direction at senior level.
Do UK firms sponsor visas for all ANZ candidates, or only senior hires?
Sponsorship isn't limited to senior hires, but it is selective. Top firms will sponsor a Skilled Worker Visa for strong candidates at any level if the role and fit are right, it's less about seniority and more about whether the firm sees you as a long-term addition to the team.
