This Thesis Proposal Review seminar presents the rationale and planned approach for a thesis project titled Exploring the effectiveness of Australia’s skilled migration policy: successes, challenges and unexpected outcomes. Migration in Australia contributed more to the population growth rate than natural increase between 2006 and 2020, and at the 2021 Census around one-third of Australia’s population were overseas-born. Key changes in the Australia’s migration policy in the mid-1990s saw a shift towards prioritising skilled migration visa categories over family visa categories. The aims of this study are to explore whether skilled migration policies address the problems they are aimed at, and the broader demographic outcomes for the Australian population from a migration policy that selects people based on the occupation of the applicant. The project proposes analysing three aspects of migration in Australia from 1996 onwards. Firstly, examining outcomes in the ICT and Nursing occupations targeted by the skilled migration program; secondly, examining settlement and employment outcomes for of Australian citizens who have returned from living overseas; and thirdly, examining the demographic characteristics of secondary applicants to the “primary” applicant skilled migrant. It will contribute to knowledge about the performance of skilled migration policies in achieving their stated objectives, and the impact on migration categories not specifically targeted by the policies.

Erin Daly is a PhD candidate at the School of Demography. Erin completed her Masters of Social Research (Advanced) at the Australian National University in 2016.

This semester, we invite all of our guests to bring their lunch and join us for a casual social gathering before the seminar. Unless otherwise advertised, lunch will be held in the seminar room from 12.30pm with the seminar commencing at 1.00pm.

Join Zoom meeting: https://anu.zoom.us/j/89587321433?pwd=MzhpUU1MRnRaNHovL0RTejJMeWpHUT09
Meeting ID: 895 8732 1433 Password: 306745
Join by Skype: https://anu.zoom.us/skype/89587321433