YEAR OF ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA
JUSTIFICATION
Data on year of arrival in Australia are necessary to analyse changes in the characteristics of migrants over time.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
A question on date of first arrival in Australia or the number of completed years of residence in Australia, has been asked of overseas-born residents in all Censuses since 1911.
Since the 2001 Census, the question has asked overseas-born respondents to write in the year they arrived in Australia, thereby providing more detailed information than in previous Censuses.
USER REQUIREMENTS
Information on year of arrival, cross-classified with other Census questions, is used:
- over time, to determine changes in the characteristics of migrants
- for the separate identification of recent migrants compared with 'older' migrant groups, with the former generally requiring more services
- for analysis of various aspects of migrant participation in the labour force.
AVAILABILITY OF NON-CENSUS DATA
Most ABS population surveys collect information on year of arrival for the overseas-born population. Regular statistics on overseas arrivals and departures classified by country of birth are available from passenger cards required to be completed by each person entering or leaving Australia.
However, survey data cannot provide small area data, or data for the cross-classified tables on the many country of birth groups that are possible with Census results.
2006 CENSUS QUESTION
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