Newsletters > Australian Immigration

October 3, 2009

Over the past 15 years Australian immigration has grown substantially welcoming millions of migrants in the form of skilled workers and family reunions. From just 30,000 people moving to Australia in 1992-93, the figure leapt to 177,600 in 2006-07. Australia remains one of the most attractive destinations for skilled workers and families around the world today.

Australian immigration officials have maintained Australian visa figures at 115,000 for 2008-09, mainly because the country has managed to avoid the worst of the recession and the immigration system is managed to a high level.

In the 2004-05 period, a total of 123,424 people immigrated to Australia. 54,804 arrived from Asia, 21,131 from the Australian continent regions, 18,800 from the UK and 17,736 from Africa.

Overall the UK has contributed the most skilled workers with an estimated 1.1million claiming to be born in the UK compared to just 57,338 Irish.

Research by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has discovered the large number of skilled immigrants moving to Australia with higher education levels has raised employment levels for Australians who are not as relatively skilled.

In May 2008, the Australian Immigration minister, Chris Evans, said he wanted ‘a major overhaul of the migrant program to boost numbers, promote unskilled as well as skilled Australian visa applicants’, making Australia immigration the most liberal and well maintained systems in the world, and copied by western countries.

Overall, the Australian economy has managed to avoid the recession. In the first three months of 2009, the economy actually grew by 0.4% through increased exports and consumer spending, prompting the Prime Minister to declare the country ‘the only advanced economy not in recession’.

The Australian government has introduced a number of multi-billion dollar incentives including spending on infrastructure and cash handouts to most Australians to lift consumer spending and it appears to be working.

Australia also makes one off payments of $21,000 to first time home buyers which immigrants are fully entitled to.