Australia accepts people from overseas for permanent settlement in our country under two main migration programs:

The Migration Program
The Humanitarian Program

The Migration Program is for everyone who is enjoying a normal life of peace and freedom from harsh treatment in their country of origin. They would like to come to Australia, but their home situation is not life-threatening.

The Humanitarian Program is for refugees and those experiencing war and crisis in their home country, which involves the need for international peacekeeping initiatives, diplomacy and aid.

The Migration Program

Migrants to Australia are not selected because of their race, gender or culture. Instead, qualification to migrate depends on such things as your skills, health, age, finances, ability to speak English and whether you have family or business contacts here.

It is a big step to migrate permanently to another country, and it is expensive, but many migrants have arrived and settled in Australia, and regard it as a land of opportunity - beautiful and spacious. In Western Australia, for example, 31% of the total population of 1,713,023 were born overseas at the 1996 census and in metropolitian Perth 35% of residents were born overseas.

Migrants today fall into two main categories for a place in the Migration Program: half the 70,000 places each year go to skilled migrants as Australia seeks those migrants who have skills and qualifications to improve our society and economy. These categories are:

Skilled Migrants
Business Migrants

The other half of the Migration Program places go to family reunion and resettlement of former residents and citizens, and for the families of New Zealanders. These categories are:

Family Migrants
Special Eligibility

Skilled Migrants

There are five categories of migrants in the Skilled Scheme.

• Independent Skilled Migrants. These people are selected because they have good education and work experience. They are able to find work quickly and fit into Australian life without need of a relative or employer to sponsor them

• Skilled Migrant - Australian Link. These people have close family members in Australia who are able to sponsor them. They are assessed on their skills, age, English language ability and family relationship.

• Skill Matching Scheme. Introduced in 1999, provides real opportunities for people to come to Australia cheaply. It is not points tested, and the initial fee is only $150 for application to go on the skill matching database.

• Distinguished Talent. This is a small category for especially talented people, particularly in the arts or in sports.

• Australian Nomination
  As well as the Skill Matching Scheme, where migration applicants can apply to have their names listd on a database to be nominated by an employer or a State or Territory Government, there are three other Australian Nomination classes for skilled migrants. These are not points tested.
  
  • Employer Nominated Migrant
    Employers may nominate skilled people from overseas to fill an Australian job vacancy when no one local has suitable skills for the job.
  • Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
    If your Australian employer, who wants to nominate you, is in a remote area outside metropolitan districts, he or she can sponsor you through this scheme.

  • Labour Agreement
    This is a tripartite arrangement between an Australian Employer, the Unions and the authorities to import workers with skills in demand, either permanently or on a temporary visa. We deal with permanent migrants here.

Business Migrants

Business Migrants come under the Skilled Migrants Stream, but there are so many special provisions for them that Australian Visas puts them in separate categories.

It's worth looking at the 1997-1998 statistics to see where migrants came from, and where they settled in Australia. These are the top ten countries of origin: Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Singapore South Korea, Kenya and the United States of America

40% of Business Migrants settled in NSW
17% in Queensland
16.5% in WA
14% in Victoria
Settlement in the other States and Territories was minimal.

There are six categories for people to apply for a permanent visa in the Business Migrant class. The first four are for people to apply from overseas, the last two are for people who have already come to Australia and established a business. All of these categories are points tested.

Business Owners. This is a points tested visa for business owners with points awarded for turnover in your business, annual labour costs, total business assets, age, English language ability and net personal assets.

Business Owners - State or Territory Sponsored. This is the same as the visa for Business Owners, but has lower requirements.

Senior Executives. This is a points tested visa for senior exectives in a large company. It has points awarded for age, English language ability and net personal assets.

Business Migrant, Investment linked. These applicants must demonstrate a history of business ownership and investment activities. This is a points tested category.

There are also two categories of Business Migrant visas granted to applicants who are already in Australia on a temporary visa, long stay. These two visas categories can be applied for in Australia or while overseas.

Established Business in Australia
Regional Established Business in Australia

Family Migrants

In the 1999-2000 period, 32,000 migrants will be accepted in the Family Stream section.

Family migrants must have a responsible relative in Australian who will sponsor them. A family migrant who will not be self-supporting (eg. a child or an elderly person) should apply under this category, but if you are a family member who is independent and of working age you should apply as a Skilled Migrant - Australian linked.

As a Family migrant you will not be tested on your skill level or your English Language ability, but you will be assessed against Australia's health and character requirements, as are all migrants.

You may apply as a Family Migrant in one of the following categories:

Partner

Spouse - or established partner
Prospective Marriage Partner - intending to get married, a fiancé
Interdependency - for people of the same sex who live together interdependantly.

Child

Dependent Child - your child who is financially dependent on you. This can apply to children over 18 if they are still fully dependant on their Australian sponsor.
Adoption
Orphan Relative

Parent - parent applications are given a low priority in 2000. Only 500 places are available.

Working Age Parent - not old enough to qualify for a pension at 65 for men and 62 for women in 2000.

Other Family

Aged Dependent Relative - this is for elderly people who are now single, without a partner.
Remaining Relative - for a relative who is the last family member to remain overseas.
Carer - this visa is for someone travelling to Australia to look after a relative.

Step relatives family tree Diagram 1 and Diagram 2.

Special Eligibility

The following categories of migrant can apply under this section.

Former citizens or residents of Australia
Family of New Zealand citizens - for dependents of New Zealand citizens who have settled or intend to settle permanently in Australia.