PERMANENT MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA - AN OVERVIEW BY ELIGIBILITY CATEGORY On this page: INTRODUCTION Australia's population of over 21.5 million (ABS 2008) is culturally diverse, with origins in over 200 nations. This diversity is largely the result of migration. Today around 44 per cent of all Australians were either born overseas or have at least one overseas born parent (ABS 2006).

This article will review the recent trends in migration to Australia, specifically with regard to a migrant's visa class category. It aims to provide a broad description of Australia's permanent migration program, as well as presenting the changes in patterns of migration by eligibility category. Using the latest available migrant statistics, data will be included on the migration program including the major streams of Family and Skill, the Humanitarian program as well as New Zealand citizens. Focus is also given to the granting of onshore residence outcomes. A variety of data were used in the preparation of this article, most of which is available from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website:. BACKGROUND Over the past 60 years Australia's population has increased from about 7 million, at the end of World War II (with around 90 per cent of people born in Australia) to over 21.5 million in September 2008 (with around 75 per cent born in Australia) (DIAC, Fact sheet 4). This population growth has been achieved through natural increase (i.e.

Ezp2010 soft na russkom 1. The excess of births over deaths) and net overseas migration (NOM, i.e. The number of people permanently arriving into the country minus those permanently departing). While natural increase has been the main source of population growth through most of the 20th century, net overseas migration now contributes over half of Australia's population growth (ABS 2008). The expansion of Australia's economy over the past 15 years has been associated with a need for a greater pool of skilled labour (RBA 2007). This has resulted in the planned intakes of the migration program reaching record levels. The focus of this program has shifted from family and reunion migration to economic and skilled migration.

This trend is reflected in the changing proportions of visa grants (outcomes) with respect to the major visa categories with Skilled visas accounting for 68% of the 2007-08 Migration Program and Family visas, 31%. These changes will be the focus of discussion in later sections. In a global context, demographic shifts, demand for labour and resources means that Australia is competing for migrants.

Australia's population of over 21.5 million (ABS 2008) is culturally diverse, with origins in over 200 nations. This diversity is largely the result of migration. Today around 44 per cent of all Australians were either born overseas or have at least one overseas born parent (ABS 2006). This article.