The end of the financial year is always a time for taking stock. Today we look at the summary figures, and we widen the timeframe — the data on migrants and temporary-visa holders from mainland China across the 2018-19 to 21-22 financial years. How did most of the new migrants of these years secure permanent residency?

Mainland-China applicants Skilled stream takes a different path

As at the end of June 2021, there were 595,630 mainland-China-born people in Australia — an increase of more than 50% on 2011, that is a decade earlier. This figure also makes mainland China Australia's third-largest migrant community.

1. Ranked 4th or 5th in regional skilled migration and Subclass 186 employer sponsorship, but holds a steady 2nd overall in the skilled stream — so other categories must be doing the work; more on this below

2. Family stream and international-student numbers both sit firmly in 1st place

3. Subclass 482 employer sponsorship has had its ups and downs

4. Visitor visas were always 1st — until the pandemic; still in recovery

Indian applicants 1st almost everywhere

1. NO.1 in regional skilled migration, Subclass 186 employer sponsorship and Subclass 482 employer sponsorship — rock solid.

2. Family stream and international students sit steadily behind mainland-China applicants.

3. Visitor numbers climb step by step — a bit of a surprise

UK applicants Mainly partner and employer sponsorship

On the strength of an established base, the population still sits steadily in 1st place, with Subclass 186 and 482 employer sponsorship plus partner migration making up the main sources. Visitor-visa numbers hold steady in the top five.

How is everyone

migrating — through which pathway?

Mainland-China applicants migrated 83,326 people in total across the four financial years

After subtracting partner and other-category migration, the skilled stream total comes to 49,203 people!Mainland China leads in investor and partner migration, and GTI rose strongly later on; state-nominated Subclass 190 and 491 are also among the mainstays, though still a little weaker than India. Subclass 186 employer sponsorship still has enormous potential, and we look forward to favourable new employer-sponsorship policies in the new financial year helping more Chinese applicants

India migrated 105,424 people in total across the four financial years

A true king of the points-based system, with employer sponsorship added on top.And unlike mainland-China applicants, India develops evenly across Subclass 190 and 491, with a fair amount of GTI as well, and partner migration relatively lower.

Nepal too relies heavily on the points-based system, differing from India in that other categories such as employer sponsorship have not really taken off

The UK migrated 46,657 people in total across the four financial years

Applicants rely mainly on partner migration and employer sponsorship, with the points-based system generally weaker.

(click to enlarge)

Whichever the source country, the impact of the reduced quotas of those years plus the pandemic is clearly visible — especially for Subclass 189, which was once a mainstay for both Indian and mainland-China applicants, after which applicants had to scatter across other pathways. But from the 22-23 financial year onwards, another golden age has begun

New skilled migrants

prefer Victoria

The second column, Permanent additions, refers to new PRs granted both onshore (for example, PR granted after a Subclass 500/485) and offshore. Interestingly, 34% of new skilled-stream migrants chose to settle in Victoria, with only 28% in New South Wales.

As always, both new and existing migrants from mainland China are concentrated in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, with New South Wales and Victoria together already exceeding 50%

Beyond the three big states, new Indian skilled migrants are spread in higher proportions across South Australia, while a large share of those from the UK settle in Western Australia.

Which occupations is everyone

using for skilled migration?

Mainland-China applicants' trump-card occupations

1. Number one, no contest, is Accountant; 2nd and 3rd are contested among Registered Nurses, Software and Applications Programmers, and Civil Engineers.

2. ICT BA, 2339 Other Engineers, Social Workers and Mechanical Engineersare all steady regulars in the top ten.

3. Advertising and Marketing Professionals, Cafe and Restaurant Managers, Electrical Engineers, Auditors, Early Childhood Teachers and University Lecturershave entered the top ten in various financial years, and are popular migration occupations for mainland-China applicants too.

Indian applicants' nominated occupations

1. Software and Applications Programmers are the clear 1st, 2nd consistently goes to Registered Nurses, followed by ICT BA.

2. Half of the top-ten occupations are computing-related

3. Cooks and Chefs are also fairly common among Indian applicants.

UK applicants' migration occupations

1. More change and greater variety

2. Registered Nurses and GPs, ranked 1st and 2nd, are fairly stable

3. The rankings below them reshuffle slightly each financial year

4. Trade occupations such as Carpenters and Joiners and Motor Mechanicscan break into the top ten.

Employer sponsorship

works for many occupations

Looking at the data from the past few financial years, the number of mainland-China applicants going via Subclass 482 has been on a recovery path; part of the reason is the pandemic, but the bigger reason is the employer-sponsorship reforms.By the 21-22 financial year, the top two occupations — Accountant and Software and Applications Programmer — each exceeded 100 people(primary applicants only).

And the common top-ten occupations have changed from one financial year to the next:
1. The 21-22 financial year featured Accountant, Software and Applications Programmer, Advertising and Marketing Professional, Public Relations Professional, Civil Engineering and managerial occupations, and more

2. The 20-21 financial year featured Software and Applications Programmer, Accountant, Mechanical Engineer, Electrical Engineer, University Lecturer, Finance Manager, General Manager and Advertising and Marketing Professional, and more

3. In the 19-20 financial year, 1st place went to University Lecturer, with Software and Applications Programmer only in 2nd, followed by Accountant, Advertising and Marketing Professional, Public Relations Professional and Cook, and more

4. The 18-19 financial year top three were University Lecturer, Accountant and Software and Applications Programmer

Subclass 482 has already announced a package of favourable policies,

including a direct pathway to PR for short-list occupations such as marketing, finance and cooks; only 2 years of work is needed to transition to PR; and the time limit for changing to a new employer will increase from the previous 60 days to 6 months.

For more detail on Subclass 482, see: So many recent employer-sponsorship wins! As an employer, can I sponsor my staff for PR? Free self-assessment — worth saving!

If you have at least 1.5 years of work experience, you are welcome to get assessed for eligibility across the different employer-sponsorship categories!

Recommended past articles

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Recommended in 2023

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Onshore visitor-visa renewals for PR-holders' parents tightening again? Refused even after only 12 months?

Australian skilled migration has issued 124,000 invitations, with state nominations topping 57,000!

A Western Australia exclusive: from the Gaokao to a top university, then fast-tracked migration after graduation!

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