NET OVERSEAS MIGRATION

Net overseas migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. Data provided by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to calculate the official NOM estimates each quarter.

In 2013-14, NOM decreased from the previous year, recording an annual estimate of 212,700 persons, which was 9.7% (23,000 persons) less than in 2012-13. NOM in 2012-13 was 235,700 persons, which was 2.7% (6,200 persons) more than in 2011-12 and 30.6% (55,300 persons) more than the dip experienced in 2010-11 when NOM added 180,400 persons to Australia for the year.

In 2013-14, NOM contributed the greatest number of people to the most populous states: New South Wales with a net increase of 73,300 persons, followed by Victoria (59,400 persons), Western Australia (32,300 persons) and Queensland (30.300 persons). Tasmania had the lowest net increase with 1,300 persons (see Table 2.2). For the most up-to-date official estimates of NOM by state and territory produced by the ABS, see Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0). For the most up-to-date forecasts of NOM produced by DIBP, see The Outlook for Net Overseas Migration: September 2014 at: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/

2.2 NOM, Selected characteristics - State & territory - 2013-14(a)
	NOM		NOM ARRIVALS			NOM DEPARTURES
			Overseas arrivals	Median age	Sex ratio(b)	Overseas departures	Median age	Sex ratio(b)
State or territory	no.	%	no.	years	ratio	no.	years	ratio
NSW	73 300	34.5	166 227	27.2	99.4	92 927	29.1	102.9
Vic.	59 358	27.9	124 867	26.1	99.5	65 509	28.2	102.9
Qld	30 270	14.2	87 253	26.2	100.3	56 983	28.3	106.1
SA	11 166	5.2	23 424	26.2	100.0	12 258	27.7	106.5
WA	32 270	15.2	71 096	27.2	103.3	38 826	28.9	118.7
Tas.	1 322	0.6	3 809	26.9	97.1	2 487	28.6	104.4
NT	2 983	1.4	7 598	27.8	118.0	4 615	29.4	152.9
ACT	2 017	0.9	8 148	27.4	106.4	6 131	28.6	104.4
Australia(c)	212 695	100.0	492 436	26.7	100.5	279 741	28.6	106.5
(a) Estimates are preliminary - see paragraph 9 of the Explanatory Notes.
(b) Males per 100 females.
(c) Includes Other Territories.

An individual's actual travel behaviour and associated characteristics, including visa type, are only available from final NOM data, as these can only be accurately determined at the end of the 16 month reference period following a traveller's initial border crossing.

The DIBP manages and grants visas each year in accordance with relevant legislation, government planning and policy. It is important to note that there is a difference between when and how many visas are granted by DIBP; and when and how they may impact on NOM, and therefore Australia's estimated resident population (ERP). For example, for many visas there can be a lag between a visa being granted and the actual use of that visa by the applicant on entering Australia. Also, some travellers who have been granted permanent or long-term temporary visas may end up staying in Australia for a short period of stay or not at all. In addition, travellers may also apply for, and be granted, a different visa whilst in Australia or overseas. However, without an additional border crossing within the reference quarter to capture a traveller's change of visa, the NOM system is unable to show these occurrences.

Table 2.3 shows a breakdown of the types of visa groups which have contributed to final NOM. It shows that temporary visa holders are still the main contributors to NOM in the 2012 calendar year.

2.3 NOM, by major groupings and visa(a) - Australia - 2012
		NOM ARRIVAL		NOM DEPARTURE		NOM
Major groupings and visa		no.	%	no.	%	no.	%
Temporary visas		242 449	49.2	118 394	46.3	124 055	52.2
	Vocational education and training sector	9 334	1.9	8 188	3.2	1 146	0.5
	Higher education sector	48 242	9.8	29 536	11.6	18 706	7.9
	Student other	21 286	4.3	8 274	3.2	13 012	5.5
	Temporary work skilled (subclass 457)	48 995	9.9	16 063	6.3	32 932	13.9
	Visitor(b)	48 973	9.9	16 166	6.3	32 807	13.8
	Working holiday	57 780	11.7	18 757	7.3	39 023	16.4
	Other temporary visas	7 839	1.6	21 410	8.4	-13 571	-5.7
Permanent Visas		85 955	17.4	19 098	7.5	66 857	28.2
	Family	34 503	7.0	5 643	2.2	28 860	12.2
	Skill	40 607	8.2	7 808	3.1	32 799	13.8
	Special eligibility and humanitarian	6 150	1.2	166	0.1	5 984	2.5
	Other permanent visas	4 695	1.0	5 481	2.1	-786	-0.3
New Zealand citizen (subclass 444)		60 820	12.3	18 979	7.4	41 841	17.6
Australian citizen		79 062	16.0	85 318	33.4	-6 256	-2.6
Other(c)		24 803	5.0	13 864	5.4	10 939	4.6
Total		493 089	100.0	255 653	100.0	237 436	100.0
(a) The visa category information in this table represents the number of visas based on the visa type at the time of a traveller's specific movement. It is this specific movement that has been used to calculate NOM. Therefore, the number of visas in this table should not be confused with information on the number of visas granted by DIBP.
(b) Visitor visas include tourists, business visitors, medical treatment and other.
(c) Includes residents returning (i.e. non Australian citizens who have a permanent resident visa) and visa unknown.