Skip to content

Media

Fact Sheet 3 - The Department of Immigration and Citizenship

On this page


The department today

The purpose of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship is to 'enrich Australia through the well-managed entry and settlement of people'.

The department is committed to ensuring it is open and accountable, deals fairly and reasonably with clients and has staff who are well-trained and supported.

Its key outcomes, as set out in the department's plan, are:

  • Contribute to Australia’s society and economic advancement through the lawful and orderly entry and stay of people
  • A society which values Australian citizenship and social cohesion, and enables migrants and refugees to participate equitably.

Since its establishment in 1945, the department has managed the arrival and settlement in Australia of about 6.8 million migrants from 200 countries, including more than 680 000 arrivals under humanitarian programs.

The department has about 7000 staff and an operating budget of $1.2 billion.

During 2006-07, the department's staff:

  • helped about 148 000 people migrate to Australia
  • resettled another 13 000 people under humanitarian and refugee programs
  • issued a total of 4.12 million visitor and other temporary entry visas
  • approved Australian Citizenship grant, descent and resumption for 169 100 people
  • worked with other agencies to ensure the integrity of Australia's border.

Background

The department was created in 1945 as the Department of Immigration.

The department has always had responsibility for immigration, but over the years, it has had a number of name changes to reflect more accurately its evolving responsibilities. At different times, these responsibilities have included Local Government, Ethnic Affairs, Multicultural Affairs and Indigenous Affairs. In January 2006, responsibility for policies relating to Indigenous Affairs was transferred to the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

Today, the department delivers a diverse range of services in Australia and overseas. Its key outputs and responsibilities include

  • migration and temporary entry
  • refugee and humanitarian entry and stay
  • enforcement of immigration law, including through effective border security
  • safe haven
  • offshore asylum seeker management
  • settlement services
  • translating and interpreting services
  • Australian citizenship
  • promoting the benefits of cultural diversity.

The Minister and Parliamentary Secretary

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is Senator Christopher Evans, a West Australian Senator, who was elected to the Federal Parliament on 1993 and appointed to the immigration portfolio on Monday, 3 December 2007.

The Member for Reid (NSW) since 1990, Mr Laurie Ferguson MP, was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural and Settlement Services on Monday 3, December 2007.

The portfolio

In addition to the department, the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA), and the National Accreditation Authority for Translator and Interpreters (NAATI) Limited, the portfolio includes the following statutory bodies.

  • The Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) is an independent organisation which reviews decisions concerning applications for refugee status made in Australia
  • The Migration Review Tribunal (MRT) is an independent organisation which reviews decisions concerning visa applications made in Australia.

Legislation

The Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations set out in detail the migration laws which the Minister administers. The Migration Act can be amended only if the changes are passed by both Houses of Parliament.

The Migration Regulations, which set out the detailed requirements for the grant of visas, can be amended by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister without the prior approval of Federal Parliament. However, the changes have to be tabled in the Federal Parliament and can be rejected by either House.

Other legislation administered by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship includes the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, the Immigration Guardianship of Children Act 1946 and the Immigration (Education) Act 1971.

The Executive

The department is headed by the Secretary, Mr Andrew Metcalfe, and three Deputy Secretaries – Mr Bob Correll PSM, Mr Peter Hughes PSM and Ms Felicity Hand. The Secretary, on behalf of the minister, is responsible for the administration of the department. He and the Deputy Secretaries exercise statutory and delegated decision-making powers.

These officers, together with four division head-level executives, comprise the Executive Management Committee which oversees the management and administration of the department's operations.

Departmental structure

The department's main administrative centre, its National Office, is in Belconnen in Canberra. The department has 14 offices in Australia located in the capital cities of each state and territory and additional regional offices in Queensland and Victoria. The department is also represented in 69 Australian offices in 64 countries.

The National Office comprises 13 divisions spread across the following three broad functional groups:

  • Migration, Refugee, Citizenship and Compliance
  • Borders, Detention and Technology
  • Client and Corporate Services.

Three specialist areas report directly to the secretary – Policy Innovation and Research Unit, the National Communications Branch and the Special Counsel.

Divisions in the Migration, Refugee, Citizenship and Compliance Group are:

  • Citizenship, Settlement and Multicultural Affairs
  • Refugee, Humanitarian and International
  • Compliance and Case Resolution
  • Migration and Visa Policy.

Divisions in the Borders, Compliance, Detention

Community and Detention Services and Technology Group are:

  • Border Security
  • Business Transformation Services
  • Systems.

Divisions in the Client and Corporate Services Group are:

  • Client Services and Performance Network
  • Legal
  • Financial Strategy and Services
  • People and Governance.

Contacting the department

 

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Citizenship Enquiry Line – phone 131 880
Translating and Interpreting Service – phone 131 450

Fact Sheet 3. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 1 July 2009.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.