Immigration to Australia

Immigration to Australia is a big part of what makes the country what it is today. Just like many places in the Western world, people from many different backgrounds have come to live in Australia, changing its demographics and cultural identity. As of June 30, 2025, about 32% of people living in Australia, or around 8.8 million out of 27.6 million, were born overseas. This is the highest number since 1892 and shows how many people from other countries now call Australia home.

Long ago, the Australian continent was first home to the Indigenous Australians, who came from places like Maritime Southeast Asia and New Guinea over 50,000 years ago. When Europeans arrived in 1788, they started a British penal colony in New South Wales. For most of the 1900s, Australia had rules called the White Australia policy that stopped people from many parts of the world from coming. After World War II, these rules slowly changed and were fully removed in 1973.

Since then, millions of people have made Australia their home. In the past, most new settlers came from Britain, Ireland, and Scotland, with some also coming from China and Germany. After World War II, many people from all over Europe moved to Australia. Today, people come from many places around the world, especially Asia-Pacific nations. Even though immigration stopped for a short time during the COVID-19 pandemic, it bounced back strongly afterward. Australia is now known as a welcoming place for people who want to work and live a good life.

Immigration history of Australia

Main article: Immigration history of Australia

People first came to Australia about 65,000 years ago, traveling through islands near Maritime Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea as part of early human journeys out of Africa.

European settlers arrived in 1788 with the British convict settlement at Sydney Cove. The first group included 775 convicts and 645 crew members on 11 ships called the First Fleet. They faced many difficulties because they lacked skills like farming and building. More convicts came in later groups, but many sadly did not survive the tough journey.

Australia later encouraged people to move there through programs that paid for their travel. This helped grow the population quickly. The discovery of gold in 1851 brought even more settlers from Britain, Ireland, Germany, and other places, including China. However, many from China faced unfair rules and were not allowed to stay.

After World War II, Australia started a big plan to welcome people from other countries. Many Europeans came, and later people from countries like the Netherlands and Italy also joined. Rules changed over time to be more welcoming to people from all backgrounds.

Today, many people living in Australia were born in other countries, making the nation rich in different cultures and traditions.

Current immigration programs

See also: Australian permanent resident

There are different types of visas for people who want to live in Australia. Some are for people with special job skills, others are for students, and some are for family members already living in Australia. There are also visas for people who want to work and travel, and for investors who want to put money into Australian businesses. Some visas can lead to becoming an Australian citizen after living there for a few years.

Australia also has a program to help people who are fleeing danger in their home countries. This includes refugees and others facing serious unfair treatment. The government offers support services to help new arrivals learn English, understand Australian culture, and get settled in their new homes. There are services to help with translation, finding jobs, and accessing community resources.

Country of birth of Australian residents

Main article: Foreign-born population of Australia

As of 2019, about 30% of people living in Australia, or 7,529,570 individuals, were born in other countries.

The following table shows Australia's population by country of birth as estimated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2024. It includes only countries or regions with more than 100,000 people living in Australia.

The different states in Australia have different patterns of where people were born, as shown in the 2006 Census:

• New South Wales had the largest population and the largest number of people born in other countries (1,544,023). Many people from certain countries lived here: 74.5% of Lebanese-born, 63.1% of Iraqi-born, 63.0% of South Korean-born, 59.4% of Fijian-born, and 59.4% of Chinese-born Australian residents lived in New South Wales.
• Victoria, the second-most populous state, also had the second-largest number of people born in other countries (1,161,984). Many people from certain countries lived here: 50.6% of Sri Lankan-born, 50.1% of Turkish-born, 49.4% of Greek-born, and 41.6% of Italian-born Australian residents lived in Victoria.
• Western Australia, with 528,827 people born in other countries, had the highest proportion of foreign-born residents. The state attracted 29.6% of all Singaporean-born Australian residents and had almost as many British-born Australian residents as New South Wales.
• Queensland had 695,525 people born in other countries, and attracted the greatest proportion of people born in Papua New Guinea (52.4%) and in New Zealand (38.2%).

Impacts and concerns

See also: Criticism of multiculturalism and Multiculturalism in Australia

People in Australia have different views about how much immigration the country should have and what effects it might have.

In 2002, a study looked at six possible problems that could come from having many new people move to Australia. These included more older people needing care, possible problems with trade, higher pollution, and using up land and resources.

Some groups worry that Australia, being a dry country, might struggle to support too many people. Others think that having more people means more demand for homes, which can make homes harder to afford. There are also debates about whether having more workers helps or hurts the jobs available for people already living there.

There are different opinions about how immigration affects the age of the population. Some believe that new workers can help support older people, while others think it might not make a big difference.

Overall, many Australians feel positively about immigration and the country’s mix of cultures, though some have concerns about specific groups.

Politics and public debate

Leaders of Australia’s main political parties have often supported high levels of immigration. From 1996 to 2007, under the Howard Government, the number of immigrants increased. The Rudd Labor Government, which started in 2007, also raised the number of people allowed into the country. In 2010, both major parties still supported high immigration. By August 2018, Australia’s population had grown to 25 million, 33 years earlier than expected, with immigration accounting for 62% of that growth over the past ten years.

Some people have debated whether immigration levels are too high. In 2025, one political party planned to lower the number of new permanent residents each year from 180,000 to 140,000. Discussions about immigration also came up after a serious event in 2025, leading some leaders to delay announcing new plans until 2026.

Polling

Surveys show that many Australians think the number of immigrants each year is too high. In 2019, almost half of people said there were too many immigrants. Similar surveys in later years found that many still feel this way, with some supporting lower numbers of people coming to Australia.