3414.0 - Guide to Migrant Statistical Sources, 2011 (Edition 2)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/03/2011   
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DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (DSS)

NAME OF COLLECTION

Settlement Database


OVERVIEW

The Settlement Database is an internal database managed by the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide statistical data on migrants who have been granted a permanent or provisional visa to settle in Australia who have arrived since January 1991.

It brings together data from various immigration sources, to assist government and community agencies involved in the planning and provision of services to migrants. It may also be of use to researchers or members of the general public.

Some information included in this database is provided on a voluntary basis (such as religion and English language proficiency). If the information requested is not available, reports may list items as ‘Unknown’ or ‘Not Stated’.

SCOPE

The Settlement Database contains details of just over three million records of all permanent arrivals since 1991 along with details for persons who have a provisional visa (e.g. Spouse) that can lead to permanent residency.

Records are created from data collected during the processing of a migration application. Supplementary information is added from:

    • Settlement Details Forms
    • the AMEP Reporting and Management System
    • Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) data collections
    • Medicare Australia.


DATA DETAIL

Mandatory data items include:
    • Personal details, e.g. name, date of birth, gender
    • Country of birth
    • Calendar Year of Arrival
    • Financial Year of Arrival
    • Date of arrival
    • Migration type
    • Visa sub-class/Migration category/Migration stream
    • Date of Visa issue/date of Grant
    • Dependent code, e.g. spouse, fiance, parent, child, other family
    • Intended state of residence
    • Assurance of support/sponsor's details
Non-mandatory data items include:
    • Ethnicity
    • Religion
    • Marital status
    • Occupation
    • Professional/Trade qualifications
    • Years of education
    • Main language
    • Main language reading proficiency
    • English skill level (for skill stream only)
    • English proficiency
    • Postcode of intended/actual residential address

See the SRF Data Dictionary

GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
    • Australia
    • State and territory
    • Capital city
    • Statistical Division
    • Statistical Subdivision
    • Local Government Area


AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND PUBLICATIONS

DSS produces a number of settlement reports and publications that provide information on new arrivals including: number of arrivals and settlement locations; needs of humanitarian entrants; profiles of communities and humanitarian settlement trends.

Members of the public can also produce settlement reports using Settlement Reporting Facility. Reports can be generated which cross-classify migration categories and ethnicity data by other data items.


CONTACT DETAILS

Further information and contact details are at the Department of Social Services' website. Publications on aspects of settlement planning and community profiles are also available via the Department's Settlement and Multicultural Affairs Publications section.