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Australia releases details of migration numbers
Australia has doubled the number of skilled migration visas set aside for regional Australia, "ensuring critical skills needs in high-demand sectors and regional areas were being addressed."
The government has released details of migration numbers for the 2010-11 migration program; This showed that skilled migration accounted for 67.4 percent of the total number of immigrants admitted under the Australian Migration Program.
"The government is supporting our growing economy and meeting family reunion objectives, while ensuring we meet the skill shortages in areas of high demand," Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement.
He said that migration numbers would increase for the following year as well to help meet demand for skilled overseas labour.
"In 201112 the government is going even further with 16 000 places for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme a 60 per cent increase on last year's levels," Bowen said.
There was also an increase to 39 percent in employer-sponsored visa numbers during the 2010-11 fiscal year.
"Skilled migrants deliver significant benefits to the Australian economy as their employment contributes to economic growth and their relative youth offsets some of the impacts of the ageing labour force," Bowen said.
China became the largest source of migrants to Australia for the first time ever, with a total of 29.547 Chinese immigrants emigrating to Australia; This represents 17.5 percent of the total number of immigrants admitted under the Australian Migration Program. Followed by the United Kingdom and India at 23,931 and 21,768, respectively.
