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Fact Sheet 46 - Temporary Entry: An Overview

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People may enter Australia on a temporary basis, whether as visitors, students or for a range of specialised purposes under the temporary residence program.

Temporary entrants include:

  • tourists
  • students
  • business people for short stays
  • people with specialist skills, such as managers, academics and medical practitioners
  • people who make a social or cultural contribution to the community, such as entertainers, media and film staff, sports people, religious workers, visiting academics and
  • people who contribute to the development of international relations, such as diplomatic personnel, participants in exchange programs and working holiday makers.

Tourists

Tourists visit Australia for holidays, visiting friends and family while some visit for short-term business purposes such as social and or cultural events, conferences and meetings. Tourists are the largest group of temporary entrants to Australia, contributing to Australia’s export earnings and employment.

Students

Overseas students are Australia's second largest group of temporary entrants, constituting a $14.2 billion dollar industry for Australia.

A total of 278 184 student visas were issued in 2007-08, an increase of over 21 per cent on 2006-07. Students studying abroad create ties at a more personal level than formal international diplomacy.

Australians value the wealth of cultural diversity and social sophistication that international students bring to our campuses and communities. The internationalisation of Australian education offers people the opportunity to learn about other cultures and languages.
See also: Fact Sheet 50 - Overseas students in Australia

The Temporary Residence Program

The temporary residence program is made up of three streams:

  • economic
  • social and cultural exchange and
  • international relations.

Temporary residents bring new ideas, contacts, understanding, skills and technology and enable Australia to remain competitive – the key to further economic prosperity.

Australia benefits from the energy, skills, commitment and diversity which temporary residents have brought to Australia and the contribution they make to the economy through spending and investment.

The major elements of the Temporary Resident program are discussed below.
See also: Fact Sheet 47 - Temporary residence

The Economic Stream

Australia receives many thousands of short-term international business visitors each year.

On average, business visitors spend between one and two weeks in Australia to attend meetings and conferences, to negotiate contracts or to explore investment opportunities.

Businesses unable to meet their skill needs from within the Australian labour force can sponsor skilled workers from overseas on a temporary basis to work in Australia for up to four years.

There are special concessions available for employers in regional Australia.
A key objective of business temporary entry policy is to support Australian business in its endeavours to be internationally competitive, while ensuring employment and training opportunities for Australian residents are not compromised.

Some of the benefits for Australia are:

  • employment creation
  • enhancement of our skill and technology base
  • development of cutting edge technologies and industries and
    increased competitiveness and an expansion of international trade and trading links.

See also: Fact Sheet 48 - Helping Skilled and Business people

The Social and Cultural Stream

This stream includes visiting academics, media and film staff, entertainers, sports people, occupational trainees and religious workers.
These professionals contribute to our skill base, and the understanding between cultures.

Australian industries continue to benefit from the experience and status of people from overseas.

Domestic sporting competition continues to develop with the assistance of a range of sports people (competing or training), coaches, instructors and their support personnel.
See also: Fact Sheet 47 - Temporary residence

International Relations Stream

The International Relations Stream seeks to foster better relations and cultural understanding between countries. Visitors include foreign government personnel, diplomats and working holiday makers.

Professional Development

The Professional Development visa allows for the temporary entry of groups of professionals, managers and government officials from overseas who are seeking to enhance their professional skills by taking part in tailored training programs designed by an Australian sponsoring organisation.
See also: Fact Sheet 51 - Professional Development Visa

Working Holiday visa program

The Working Holiday program aims to promote international understanding by helping young people experience other cultures.
The reciprocal nature of the program offers similar opportunities for young Australians to undertake working holidays overseas.

Australia has reciprocal Working Holiday arrangements in effect with: the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China, Finland, the Republic of Cyprus, France, Italy, Belgium, Estonia and Taiwan.
See also: Fact Sheet 49 - Working Holiday Program

Work and Holiday visa program

Australia's Work and Holiday Program allows young professionals from arrangement countries to have an extended holiday in Australia by supplementing their travel funds through incidental employment.

Australia currently has reciprocal Work and Holiday arrangements in effect with Thailand, Chile, Turkey and the United States.
See also: Fact Sheet 49a - Work and Holiday Program

Additional visitor information

For further information about visiting Australia see the following Fact Sheets:


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 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 46. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 17 November 2008.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008.