In recent years Australia’s migration program has become very complex with regular changes to the various visa pathways.  This has been in response to an aging population and low birth rate, a problem common to many western societies.

In the humanitarian program (refugees) Australia has taken the position that it can only manage to assimilate a certain number each year to ensure that there capacity for the economy to support these new arrivals.

Those that attempt to arrive without a visa are detained and this policy has drawn a lot of criticism from various quarters.

The non-humanitarian program has operated at record intake numbers in recent years. The Minister has just announced that for the 2007 – 08 program year there will be 152,800 places available.  This will include a total of 102,500 places for the skilled migration stream an increase of 5000 places over the previous year.

An increase has also been announced in the allocation for the partner categories.  The Parent and other family categories have always had a cap on the number of visas that are issued each program year.

Note:  There are significant changes to the skilled visa that will take place in September of this year. detail of these changes can be found in our News Page and will also be covered by regular video blogs by Lance Fee our Director.

An Overview

Australia is a tolerant and inclusive society, a nation built by people from many different backgrounds. Cultural diversity has become a touchstone of its national identity.

As Australia entered the 20th century, its population consisted of a relatively small number of Indigenous peoples and an overwhelming majority of Europeans, most of whose origins lay in the British Isles. In 2004, Australia's population has grown to more than 20 million, it is home to people from more than 200 countries and it has an enviable international reputation for its diversity and tolerance.

Underpinning modern Australian society is a commitment to cultural diversity. Australia accepts and respects the right of all Australians to express and share their individual cultural heritage within an overriding commitment to Australia's democratic foundations and to English as the national language. This commitment comprises the following principles:

* cultural respect, which gives all Australians-subject to the law-the right to express their own culture and beliefs and obliges them to accept the right of others to do the same

* social equity, which entitles all Australians to equality of treatment and opportunity so that they can contribute to the life of the nation free from discrimination, including on the grounds of race, culture, religion, language, location, gender or place of birth

* productive diversity, which maximises the significant cultural, social and economic dividends arising from its plurality.

Since the late 1940s over six million migrants from 200 countries have made Australia their home. The mass migrations of the immediate postwar decades have subsided according to changing circumstances, with the emphasis now on the entry of people with needed skills and expertise.

An echo of the postwar years occurred in 1999, when Australia responded to the plight of people displaced by the conflict in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo. Acting on a request by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Government established temporary havens across Australia for 4000 people, granting special visas allowing them to stay until it was safe for them to return home. Later that year Australia provided temporary haven for displaced people from the former Indonesian province of East Timor after violence following its vote for independence.

Socially, migration has contributed to the emergence of Australia as one of the most cosmopolitan and dynamic societies in the world. It has meant the introduction of more than 100 languages into Australian life, while English remains the common language. It has also resulted in the growth of community language schools, ethnic media, businesses, diverse religious and cultural activities and variety in foods, restaurants, fashion, art and architecture.

Immigration policy

Australia has two separately managed programs under which people can migrate to Australia or, in some circumstances, obtain permanent residence while in Australia. These programs are the Migration Program and the Humanitarian Program.

Each category in the Migration Program has specific criteria which are set down in law in the Migration Act and Migration Regulations. The program is global and non-discriminatory in character, which means that an applicant's nationality, ethnic origin, sex, colour or religion are of no relevance in assessing their ability to meet the criteria.

The government is committed to turning the emphasis of the Migration Program increasingly towards skilled migration, while maintaining a commitment to family reunion migration.

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