DIMA Annual Report 1999-2000
Report on performance
Outcome one
This outcome is concerned with the lawful and orderly entry and stay of people. Its main components are:
- non-humanitarian entry and stay (migrants and temporary entrants)
- refugee and humanitarian entry and stay, and
- enforcement of immigration law.
Non-humanitarian entry and stay
This component of Outcome 1 provides for the lawful and orderly entry and stay in Australia of all permanent migrants, temporary entrants and visitors. It includes the formal migration (non-humanitarian) program which is announced annually by the Government.
The 1999-2000 program of 70,000 persons was delivered within 0.3
per cent of the target and in accordance with the balance between
the family and skill streams as announced by the Government.
Over the past four years, the migration program has been delivered
to within around 99.5 per cent of the target.
Delivery of the program on target is important to maintaining
public confidence in Australia's immigration arrangements.
Australia's ability to deliver the program on target contrasts with
that of other comparable countries such as Canada and New Zealand
where actual outcomes have varied from the announced program by as
much as 19.5 per cent and in absolute terms by as much as almost
26,000 people.
Economic entry (permanent)
The economic, budgetary and employment benefits of economic or skilled migration are widely acknowledged. Over the past few years the Government has increased the number of skill stream migrants to bring the migration (non-humanitarian) program back into balance.
In 1999-2000, the planned outcome of 70,000 visa grants for the
total migration program was achieved with skill stream migrants
comprising over 50 per cent of the total.
The Government had also provided a contingency reserve of 5,000
places under the skill stream for use by employers, regional
authorities and state/territory governments. This reserve was not
used in 1999-2000. Some 35,300 skill stream visas were granted in
1999-2000, which is the highest level since 1991-1992.
The major categories in the skill stream include the points tested
categories (Skilled Independent, Skilled Australian Sponsored and
Skilled Regional Sponsored), Business Skills and the Employer
Nomination Scheme.
In addition, state and territory specific migration initiatives
have been developed to encourage skilled migrants to move to
regional Australia and other areas of Australia seeking to attract
more skilled migrants. These initiatives include the Regional
Sponsored Migration Scheme and the State/Territory-Nominated
Independent category.