Fact Sheet 96 - Eligibility for Settlement Services

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship funds a range of settlement services aimed at assisting approved migrants and humanitarian entrants. These services focus on building self-reliance, developing English language skills and fostering connections with mainstream services as soon as possible after arrival in Australia.

Who is eligible for settlement services?

Eligibility to access the department's settlement services depends on visa class and length of residency in Australia.

To be eligible, entrants need to be either:

• permanent residents who have arrived in the last five (5) years as humanitarian entrants or as family stream migrants with low English proficiency
• dependants of skilled migrants located in a rural or regional area, with low English proficiency.

Further information on eligible visa classes is provided below.

Refugees and humanitarian entrants

A comprehensive package of settlement assistance for newly-arrived permanent humanitarian entrants is provided under the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS). Visa sub-classes 200, 201, 202, 203 and 204 are eligible for assessment to receive services provided under the IHSS.

Information about the settlement services provided to refugee and humanitarian visa holders under the IHSS is available.
See: Fact Sheet 66 - Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy

Short term torture and trauma counselling services provided under the IHSS are also available to visa sub-classes 866, 785, 786, 447, 451, 695 and 070 when first entering the community.

Temporary humanitarian visa holders are eligible for some settlement assistance.
See: Fact Sheet 65 - New Humanitarian Visa System

Permanent humanitarian entrants, refugees and some other groups are also eligible for services provided under the Settlement Grants Program (SGP). The department provides funding to community organisations through the SGP. Settlement assistance funded through the SGP is available for the first five years after arrival in Australia. A list of migrant community settlement service providers is available.
See: Settlement Grants Program

Family Stream migrants with low English proficiency

Some settlement assistance is provided to Family Stream migrants with low English proficiency through the SGP.

Family Stream - Prospective Marriage, Provisional Spouse, Interdependency visa holders with low English proficiency

Some settlement assistance is provided to Prospective Marriage, Provisional Spouse, Interdependency visa holders and their dependants (if they have low English proficiency) through the SGP.

• Visa subclasses under Family Stream eligible for settlement assistance are: 300, 309, 310, 100, 110, 801/820, 814, 826, 835, 836, 837, 838.

Dependants of skilled migrants located in rural and regional areas

The dependants of skilled migrants located in rural and regional areas – that is, the dependants of the primary visa holder – who have low English proficiency, are eligible for settlement assistance through the SGP.

Regional skilled visa subclasses eligible for some settlement assistance are: 137, 139, 495, 496 and 883, 119/857, 121/856

Holders of 457 visas and their dependants are not eligible for settlement assistance through the SGP.

Student visa classes are generally not eligible for settlement services. Dependants of visa subclass 880, (Skilled Independent Overseas Student visa), with low English proficiency are eligible for some settlement assistance through the SGP.

Settlement programs and services

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

Permanent residents with less than functional English are generally eligible for tuition through AMEP. Applicants should register within three months of arrival with an AMEP service provider who will assess their eligibility for the program.
See:
Fact Sheet 94 - English Language Tuition for Adult Migrants
Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS)

TIS National, the Australian Government's Translating and Interpreting Service, helps newly-arrived migrants who speak a language other than English to communicate with various service providers, including emergency services and doctors. Some individuals and organisations may be eligible to receive free interpreting services.
See:
Fact Sheet 91 - Translating and Interpreting Service
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National

Settlement Grants Program (SGP)

Information about the settlement services provided through the SGP is available.
See: Fact Sheet 92 - Settlement Grants Program

Details of the projects currently funded throughout Australia are available.
See: Settlement Grants Program

Beginning a Life in Australia booklets

General information on living in Australia can be found in the Beginning a Life in Australia booklets. The purpose of these booklets is to provide prospective and newly arrived migrants with information and advice on a range of relevant settlement services including:

• directory of government and community services
• housing
• transport
• employment
• education
• help with English
• Australian society and legal system.

Different versions of the booklet for each state and territory are available through the department's web site. They are available in English and 24 community languages. Information in the booklets is updated twice a year.
See: Beginning a Life in Australia

 

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 96. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 30 January 2007.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2007.