Skilled workers lead overseas migration to NT
Thursday, 27 March 2008
A new publication shows that people arriving through Australia’s skilled migration program were the largest component of overseas migration to the Northern Territory last year, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said today.
‘The 2008 edition of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship publication Population Flows: Immigration Aspects shows that migrants arriving through Australia’s skill stream made up more than 48 per cent of the NT’s overseas permanent additions in the year,’ Senator Evans said.
‘People from the United Kingdom made up almost 20 per cent of all the skilled migrants, with Zimbabwe comprising 13 per cent and the Philippines 12 per cent.
‘Top occupations of these entrants included registered nurses, building and engineering professionals, motor mechanics, managers and administrators, and chefs.
‘Overseas–born people made up 21.6 per cent of the NT labour force in August 2007.’
Senator Evans said that Australia’s family stream accounted for 31 per cent of the overseas permanent additions in 2006–07. New Zealand migrants were 7.6 per cent, and arrivals under Australia’s humanitarian program 12.2 per cent.
Nearly two–thirds of family–stream arrivals – 241 people – came as spouses. The stream also included 63 people entering as fiancés.
The Northern Territory received almost 42 000 overseas visitors in 2006–07 who said NT would be their main place of stay in Australia.
Population Flows: Immigration Aspects is available online.
See: www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au
/media/media-releases/2008/ce08029-3.htm
Last update: 13 August 2008 at 17:14 AEST