If you are thinking about immigrating to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Program but you’re not sure if you will find a job in Australia when you arrive, then you’ll be heartened by the Department of Immigration & Citizenships latest employment statistics for skilled migrants.

Below are some highlights of the first survey results available from the Department of Immigration’s initiative to conduct ongoing analysis of Skilled and Family migrants known as the Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants (CSAM) conducted in late 2009.

According to the Department's most recent analysis of the employment prospects for skilled migrants, more than 9 in 10 Skilled Independent General Skilled Migration (GSM) migrants from offshore were employed within 6 months of migrating to Australia.  Of those employed, it was reported that more than 90 per cent of skilled migrants were employed in a skilled occupation. 

Given that the Australian Immigration General Skilled Migration Program targets migrants on the basis of their skills and qualities it is not surprising that employment outcomes reported were particularly positive for migrants arriving from “Main English Speaking Countries.”  

Skilled applicants migrating to Australia from English speaking countries had the highest employment prospects with 98% of those surveyed in employment within 6 months, earning an average median wage of $75 000 per annum. 

According to the Department of Immigration statistics, skilled migrants enjoy a higher rate of employment than the national employment rate for Australia. 

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship data analysis found that:

“The unemployment rate of skilled migrants was just 5 per cent (a figure below the 5.7 per cent national unemployment rate at the time of the survey) and their participation rate was 95 per cent. The vast majority of skilled migrants have therefore in a short period of time become active participants in the Australian labour market. The positive impact that this has on the workforce becomes more evident when one considers that only 65 per cent of Australia’s working age population are actually in the workforce.”

Skilled migrants also fared well when it came to the level of income, enjoying higher salaries than the Australian national average. The Report found that:

“The median full-time earnings of skilled migrants surveyed was $60 000. This is broadly in line with the most recent estimate of $56 000 reported for Australia’s employees in the August 2008 ABS survey of Employee Earnings and Hours.”

Median earnings for skilled migrants varied among different skilled migration categories, for example, earnings ranged from $40 000 for skilled international student graduates up to $75 000 for migrants in the other onshore skilled category and those from Main English Speaking Countries.

In assessing why people chose to migrate to Australia, the Department’s survey found that the motivations of migrants typically aligned with their visa stream. In the case of skilled migrants, the pursuit of better employment and lifestyle opportunities was the primary motivation for migration to Australia.

Overall, these statistics highlight Australia’s ongoing need for highly skilled migrants and the potential rewards for Australian immigration skilled visa applicants, particularly those from English speaking countries.

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Australian Immigration – Skilled Migration from offshore