Editing Immigration to Australia (section)

=== Migration program ===
{{see also|Australian permanent resident}}
[[File:"Life From A Suitcase" sculpture.jpg|thumb|"Life From A Suitcase" sculpture installed at [[Pyrmont, New South Wales|Pyrmont]] dedicated to immigrants in Australia]]

There are a number of different types of Australian immigration, classed under different categories of visa:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/Visa-listing|title=Visa listing|author=Australian Government. Department of Home Affairs|access-date=23 January 2018|archive-date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123190415/https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/Visa-listing|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''Skilled Occupation visas''' - Australian working visas are most commonly granted to highly skilled workers. Candidates are assessed against a points-based system, with points allocated for certain standards of education. These visas are often sponsored by individual States, which recruit workers according to specific needs. Visas may also be granted to applicants sponsored by an Australian business. The most popular form of sponsored working visa was the [[457 visa]] set in place in 1996 which has now been abolished by the Turnbull government.
* '''Student visas''' - The Australian Government actively encourages foreign students to study in Australia. There are a number of categories of a student visa, most of which require a confirmed offer from an educational institution.
* '''Family visas''' - Visas are often granted on the basis of family ties in Australia. There are a number of different types of Australian family visas, including Contributory Parent visas, Child Visa and Partner visas.
* '''Working holiday visa''' - This visa is a residence permit allowing travelers to undertake employment (and sometimes study) in the country issuing the visa to supplement education.
* '''Investor visas''' - Foreign investors could invest the business or fund in Australia to acquire the Permanent Residential of Australia, after 4 years (including the year which acquire the visa), they need to take the exam and make a declaration in order to be a citizen of Australia.<ref>{{cite web 
| url = http://www.visabureau.com/australia/default.aspx 
| title = Australia visas 
| date = 22 December 2011 
| access-date = 22 December 2011 
| author = Australian Visa Bureau 
| archive-date = 1 January 2012 
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120101134140/http://www.visabureau.com/australia/default.aspx 
| url-status = live 
}}</ref>

Employment and family visas can often lead to Australian citizenship;{{fact|date=May 2025}} however, this requires the applicant to have lived in Australia for at least four years with at least one year as a [[Australian permanent resident|permanent resident]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kolli |first=Srashta |date=10 January 2025 |orig-date=14 September 2021<!-- from HTML --> |title=How to Meet the Australian Citizenship Requirements |url=https://legalvision.com.au/australian-citizenship-requirements/ |website=LegalVision |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250503101149/https://legalvision.com.au/australian-citizenship-requirements/ |archive-date=3 May 2025 |access-date=3 May 2025}}</ref>

Claims have been made that Australia's migration program is in conflict with anti age-discrimination legislation and there have been calls to remove or amend the age limit of 50 for general skilled migrants.<ref>{{cite news |title=How old is too old to become a migrant? |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/how-old-is-too-old-to-become-a-migrant |access-date=27 April 2020 |agency=SBS News |date=26 August 2013 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309023447/https://www.sbs.com.au/news/how-old-is-too-old-to-become-a-migrant |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+New permanent migrants to Australia by region (2016–17)<ref>{{Cite web|last=Liddy|first=Matt|date=2018-08-20|title=Chart of the day: Where do migrants to Australia come from?|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-20/where-do-migrants-to-australia-come-from-chart/10133560|access-date=2020-07-22|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|archive-date=11 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411035512/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-20/where-do-migrants-to-australia-come-from-chart/10133560|url-status=live}}</ref>
!Region
!Number of migrants
|-
|Southern and Central Asia
|58,232
|-
|North-East Asia
|37,235
|-
|South-East Asia
|31,488
|-
|North Africa and the Middle East
|28,525
|-
|North-West Europe
|25,174
|-
|Oceania and Antarctica
|16,445
|-
|Sub-Saharan Africa
|11,369
|-
|Americas
|9,687
|-
|Southern and Eastern Europe
|7,306
|-
|Supplementary and Not Stated
|492
|}