6250.0.55.001 - Technical Manual: Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Expanded CURF, Australia, Nov 2010 Quality Declaration 
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Image- Group of people standing in a line INTRODUCTION


OVERVIEW

This technical manual provides information about the release of microdata from the 2010 Characteristics of Recent Migrants Survey (CORMS). Microdata are the most detailed information available from a survey and are generally the answers to most individual questions on the questionnaire or the data derived from answers to two or more questions.

The microdata are only released with the approval of the Australian Statistician, and for CORMS are only available through an expanded Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF). This expanded CURF option provides access to more detailed information than would otherwise be available from a basic CURF product. A basic CURF has not been produced from this survey.

This publication provides general information and technical details about the CURF and should be used as a reference document when interrogating the file. The CURF can be accessed through the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL) or via an ABS Data Laboratory (ABSDL).

The ABS RADL is a secure online data query service that approved clients can access via the ABS website. Within RADL, users submit data queries in SAS, SPSS or STATA analytical software languages to interrogate and analyse CURFs which are kept within the ABS environment. The results of these queries are automatically checked for confidentiality prior to being made available to the users from their desktops.

The ABSDL is available to approved clients in a secure data laboratory in any ABS State or Territory office. This service provides researchers with a more responsive and interactive environment in which to analyse the CURFs than that offered by the RADL.

Further information about the RADL and ABSDL services, and other information to assist users in understanding and using CURFs in general, is available from the CURF Microdata Entry Page.


ABOUT THE SURVEY

The 2010 CORMS was conducted throughout Australia in November 2010 as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The CURF file contains broad level information for all persons in Australia aged 15 years and over, and more detailed information on recent migrants and temporary residents. For the purposes of this survey, recent migrants are defined as people who were born overseas, arrived in Australia after 2000, were aged 15 years or over on arrival, were not an Australian citizen or New Zealand citizen on arrival, did not hold New Zealand citizenship and have permanent Australian resident status. Information is also included for temporary residents who planned to stay in Australia for 12 months or more (i.e. do not have permanent Australian resident status).

Information collected includes socio-demographic characteristics (such as age, sex and birthplace), employment characteristics (including labour force status, occupation and industry), job characteristics (before coming to Australia to live and since arriving in Australia), educational qualifications obtained (such as level and field of education, both before coming to Australia to live and since arriving in Australia) and migration information (including visa category and residency status on arrival to live in Australia as well as visa category and residency status as at November 2010).


Comparability of time series

Previous information on each of these topics was reported in:

Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Expanded CURF Australia Nov 2007 (cat. no. 6250.0.25.002).

Similar information was also collected in 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2004, however, due to the different methodologies used in the earlier surveys, and major collection differences, comparisons can only be made between 2010 and 2007 data.


Published estimates

Estimates from the 2010 CORMS relating to the topics on this CURF, as well as more information on the survey sample, conceptual framework, definitions and methodology, explanatory notes and glossary, can be accessed free of charge on the ABS website and were published in:

Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Australia, Nov 2010 (cat. no. 6250.0).