Outcome 1 relates to the lawful and orderly entry of people, the prevention of unlawful entry, and monitoring and ensuring compliance with immigration laws after people arrive in Australia.

In 2008–09, the department's key responsibilities for Outcome 1 were as follows:

• Deliver the annual Migration and Humanitarian Programs within the overall parameters set by government.
• Continue to implement strategies to strengthen the economic, budgetary and social benefits from both permanent and temporary migration, particularly for regional Australia.
• Continue to assist the tourism and education industries to expand, including into new markets, with a high degree of immigration integrity.
• Continue to pursue the department's better business solutions agenda, which places a high priority on issues such as maintaining the integrity of the Migration and Humanitarian Programs and improving the delivery of visa services, ensuring accessibility for clients, cost-effective services and transparent processes.
• Continue to implement strategies to promote managed migration and strengthen international cooperative efforts against people smuggling, trafficking in persons and terrorism.
• Provide effective scrutiny at the border, including by examining passengers and crew and their movement information before their arrival in Australia and examining and confirming their identity and authority to enter Australia upon arrival.
• Provide identification, verification and biometric matching capabilities across a range of business processes, through the collection of biodata and images, and integration with alert systems.
• Continue to implement strategies to promote compliance and prevent and deter non-compliance with immigration law.
• Locate people who are no longer permitted to stay in Australia and regularise their immigration status including, where necessary, through their removal from Australia.
• Monitor business sponsors for compliance with sponsorship undertakings and, as appropriate, apply sanctions for those in breach and/or refer their cases to other relevant agencies.
• Investigate Migration Act 1958 breaches where appropriate.
• Continue to manage and process Protection visas onshore.
• Effectively manage detention services and continue to implement reforms.
• Ensure that all clients are managed in a fair, reasonable and timely way to an immigration outcome.
• Facilitate the effective management of asylum seekers.