Planned achievements

Results

The extent to which there is adherence to Australian entry and stay requirements

• Rate of increase in lawful entry and departure.
  
  
• Rate of increase in fraud detection and resolution relative to overall extent of immigration malpractice.
  
  
• Extent to which activities contribute to deterring unauthorised boat arrivals.
  
  
• Extent of compliance with service standards

• Arrivals and departures increased by 1.1% above the estimated outcome to 17.7 million.
  
  
• There was an 11% increase in allegations resolved over the previous year.
  
  
• In 2000-01 1,877 people were refused entry to Australia's airports (1,695 in 1999-2000). In the same period, 4,141 people arrived by boat without authority (4,175 in 1999-2000).
  
  
• Majority of cases were decided within service standard (Output 1.1).

The extent to which non-humanitarian migration to Australia is administered with integrity, in line with Government planning levels

• Level of discrepancy between planned and actual numbers of immigrants in each category (eg skilled and family entry categories).

• Total program delivered within 0.2% of the planning level (family stream -2.7%, skill stream +0.1%).
  
  
• The skill stream delivered 52.9% of the program, excluding the skill stream contingency reserve.

The extent to which migrants make a positive contribution to Australia's economy

• The extent to which entry of migrants results in a positive impact on per capita gross domestic product and on the Commonwealth Budget.
  
  
• The extent to which migrants participate in the labour force and help to address skill shortages.

• The 2000-01 Migration Program, including the skilled contingency reserve together with other changes introduced from 1996-97, are estimated to enhance living standards by $264 per Australian, or $5.3 billion in total by 2007-08 compared with continuation of the 1995-96 Migration Program over the same period.
  
  
• The 2000-01 Migration Program is estimated to contribute $1.3 billion to the Commonwealth Budget over the next three years.
  
  
• A Centre for Population and Urban Research report shows that over the five years 1995-96 to 1999-2000, Australia had a significant net 'brain gain'. Skilled movements to Australia exceeded skilled departures by around 40,000 managers and administrators, 57,000 professionals and 21,000 tradespersons. Gains in other occupations take the overall gain to 155,000.
  
  
• A National Institute of Labour Studies report shows that 1999-2000 migrants had half the unemployment rate of those who arrived between 1993 and 1995 six months after both groups arrived. For skilled independent migrants the improvement has been even greater with the unemployment rate falling from 28 per cent to 10 per cent. This improvement considerably exceeds the Australian average improvement in unemployment for the same period. The report also concluded that the better outcomes for the 1999-2000 migrants are likely to be the result of a better average set of characteristics, such as language and education.

Extent to which Australia meets its obligations under international humanitarian law in a fair, just, efficient and timely way

• Level of UNHCR satisfaction with the fairness, efficiency and timeliness of Australia's refugee determination procedures.
  
  
• Effectiveness of the management and processing of unauthorised boat arrivals.
  
  
• Level of misuse of the asylum system.
  
  
• Level of satisfaction of community groups and non-Government organisations with advice and information provided by policy and decision makers.

• No adverse comments received.
  
  
• Processing times have been reduced in 2000-01 and a significantly higher number of applications were processed within service standards.
  
  
• Procedures to assess fraud and abuse within the asylum system have been substantially strengthened.
  
  
• Strengthened relationships with community organisations have been achieved by ongoing and regular consultation on protection and refugee issues.

Planned achievements

Results

• Australia chaired the forum in 2000-01, presenting increased opportunities to pro-actively pursue international efforts to combat people smuggling and irregular migration.
  
  
• IGC Working Groups, on matters such as the collection of data on asylum and migration caseloads, provided opportunities to work with like-minded countries to analyse trends and work on strategies to combat people smuggling while providing protection to those found to be refugees.

• Australia took an active role at key IOM meetings. It successfully encouraged IOM to be more actively involved in our region and to take a more strategic approach to international migration issues and to encourage the development of a global framework within which to manage such issues.

• Basic support was provided to 2,691 bona fide refugee claimants while their cases were assessed.

• Australia's aid contributions and our analysis of these caseloads have contributed to awareness, by the international community, of the need for a comprehensive response.

• 4,187 arrivals.

• From July 2000 to end September 2000, eight Kosovars were on safe haven visas and receiving allowances. No payments after September 2000.
  
  
• From July 2000 to March 2001, 29 East Timorese were on safe haven visas and receiving allowance. 16 persons have continued to receive an allowance, one of whom was a newborn child.

• No payments of Winter Reconstruction Allowance were made during the 2000-01 program year.

1.1.1 Economic entry (Permanent)

• Introduction of visa cancellation provisions for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
  
  
• Steady increase in volume of site visits associated with a range of visa categories.
  
  
• Quality Control Code expanded and strengthened.
  
  
• 164 decisions in the skilled linked area were set aside in 2000-01. Three decisions were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• 64 complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 6).
  
  
• See table below (Fig 6).
  
  
• 65,252 finalisations.

1.1.2 Family entry (Permanent)

• Enhanced bona fides strategy continues to meet the objectives of reducing the abuse of spouse, prospective spouse and interdependency provisions.
  
  
• Interview rates for spouse and fiance applications at the time of the most recent survey were between 76 - 91% in high risk posts and averaged 39% for low risk posts; for de facto spouse and interdependency applications, interview rates were close to 100%.
  
  
• Development of strategies, with the Office of the Status of Women, aimed at improving the domestic violence provision.
  
  
• Custody provisions introduced bringing immigration requirements into line with the Family Law Act and strengthening Australia's position in relation to the Hague Convention on the International Aspects of Child Abduction.
  
  
• Limitations imposed on serial sponsorship and nominations for remaining relative visas.

• 866 and 270 decisions in the partner and family areas respectively were set aside in 2000-01. No decisions were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• 353 complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 7).
  
  
• Capped levels achieved in visa grants.
  
  
  • Parent and preferential family caps gazetted.
    
    
  • Applications processed in capped categories to queue stage and advised of place in queue, and released from queue in accord with processing priorities under written directions from the Minister nos. 23 and 24.
    
    
• 81,883 finalisations.

1.1.3 Special eligibility

• No integrity issues identified.
  
  
• Four decisions were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• Six complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 8).
  
  
• See table below (Fig 8).
  
  
• 2,478 finalisations.

• Successful Approved Destination Status group tourism arrangement with China, including monitoring of tour groups to ensure continued high compliance.
  
  
• Sponsor visitor visa class (introduced on 1 July 2000) to ensure compliance with visa conditions.
  
  
• Increased use of the 8503 (No Further Stay) condition to ensure compliance with visa conditions.
  
  
• 414 visitor visa decisions were set aside. 3 decisions were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• 272 complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 9).
  
  
• N/A.
  
  
• 3,677,553 finalisations.

1.1.5 Temporary residence

• Consultations with peak industry bodies and relevant government agencies in the implementation of government initiatives aimed at reforming Australia's international education industry.
  
  
• Finalisation of legislative amendments aimed at reforming and strengthening the integrity of the student visa program.
  
  
• Implemented enhanced monitoring of visa subclass 457 business sponsors, targeting 10 per cent of approved sponsors.
  
  
• Extensive training on visa subclass 457 program to overseas posts, business centres and migration agents.
  
  
• Announced legislative changes to visa subclass 457 program to introduce skill and salary thresholds from 1 July 2001.
  
  
• Extensive rewrite of Procedures Advice Manual to provide decision-makers with clearer and more comprehensive guidelines.
  
  
• 215 decisions in the temporary business area were set aside. Two were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• 829 student visa refusals and 172 student visa cancellations were set aside. Four student visa decisions were found to contain an error of law.

• 140 complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 10).
  
  
• See table below (Fig 10).
  
  
• 476,034 finalisations.

1.1.6 Resident return visas and Australian declaratory visas

• No integrity issues of concern identified.
  
  
• No decisions were found to contain an error of law.
  
  
• 29 complaints were received by the department.
  
  
• See table below (Fig 11).
  
  
• See table below (Fig 11).
  
  
• 66,122 finalisations.