Migration

Commencement date: July 2019
Project status: Completed

This project, led by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, explores the various impacts of international migration on Australia.

This project aims to contribute to the evidence base for a broad range of policies, including migration program planning, migration labour market rules, and Commonwealth revenue management.

Commencement date: 28/05/2012
Project status: Ongoing

This project combines the settlement records of migrants to Australia who were granted a permanent visa since 2000 with personal income tax records to produce the Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID).

PITMID enables more detailed analyses of labour market and fiscal contributions of migrants to the economy by visa class and type of personal income, enabling policy makers and researchers to better understand the migrant experience and their economic contribution to Australia.

The PITMID project initially began in 2013 with a linking feasibility study utilising 2009-10 and 2010-11 Personal Income Tax data (see Research Paper: Feasibility Study of Linking Migrant Settlement Records to Personal Income Tax Data, Aug 2014, cat. no. 1351.0.55.051). Further information about the PITMID linkage and the change in methodology in 2016 can be found in Research Paper: Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID) 2011-12 Quality Assessment, Oct 2016 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.060).

Data is annual and commenced with the 2009-10 financial year.

This project assists policy makers to further understand, respond and refine migrant labour market programs and economic policy.

Utilising high quality Government data available to the public ensures improved transparency of the effects of Government policy and informs public debate on issues relating to migration and migrant settlement, without the additional cost or respondent burden that comes from establishing new statistical collections.

29/11/2019 - Personal Income of Migrants, Australia, 2016-17 (cat. no. 3418.0)
This publication presents a cross section of key results from the Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated dataset (PITMID) for the 2016-17 financial year and presents some comparisons with data for the previous financial year.

23/01/2019 - Microdata: Personal Income of Migrants, Australia (cat. no. 3418.0.55.001)
The PITMID data is available in the ABS DataLab. This release provides access to the sample microdata file.

19/10/2016 - Research Paper: Personal Income Tax and Migrants Integrated Dataset (PITMID) 2011-12 Quality Assessment, Oct 2016 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.060)
This paper provides background to the quality study conducted to assess the effects of a change in the linking methodology introduced in 2016 for the 2011-12 PITMID linkage.

22/08/2014 - Research Paper: Feasibility Study of Linking Migrant Settlement Records to Personal Income (cat. no. 1351.0.55.051)
This paper provides background to the feasibility study, a brief description of the linking strategy and process, and an assessment of the quality of the linking.

Commencement date: 05/05/2018
Project status: Completed

This feasibility study assessed the potential of data sources, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Client Register and Personal Income Tax data, to:

• Provide information on population movements, particularly in comparison with information collected in the Census regarding usual address 1 and 5 years ago; and
• Improve imputation of basic demographics and characteristics of people in non-responding households

If shown to be feasible, the use of these data sources may improve Census data quality, reduce the amount of information required from respondents, and reduce the cost of running the Census.

Commencement date: 01/09/2015
Project status: Completed

Combining Temporary Visa Holder data with Census data provides additional information on temporary visa holders and their labour market participation, income, and other non-economic activities such as education, housing, and caring arrangements.

The project began with a feasibility study in 2014 (see Assessing the Suitability of Temporary Migrants Administrative Data for Data Integration cat. no. 1351.0.55.053). A quality study followed in 2015 utilising the 2011 Census data to assess the feasibility of linking (see Assessing the Quality of Linking Temporary Visa Holders Administrative Data to the 2011 Census cat. no. 1351.0.55.061).

The benefits of this project include:

• Provides government, researchers, and the community with vital information on outcomes for temporary entrants arriving under different policy settings (e.g. international students and temporary workers)
• Will assist government to assess policies and programs in relation to temporary entrants so that they continue to deliver maximum benefits to the Australian economy and society

14/02/2019 - Insights from the Australian Census and Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset, 2016 (cat. no. 3419.0)
This publication provides new insights into the characteristics of temporary residents in Australia previously not available, including employment, income and housing from the 2016 Australian Census and Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset.

14/02/2019 – Microdata: Australian Census and Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset, 2016 (cat. no. 3419.0.55.001)
This release relates to microdata from the 2016 Australian Census and Temporary Entrants Integrated Dataset.

20/03/2017 - Assessing the Quality of Linking Temporary Visa Holders Administrative Data to the 2011 Census (cat. no. 1351.0.55.061)
This research paper assessed the quality of linking Temporary Visa Holders (TVH) records with the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

05/11/2014 - Research Paper: Assessing the Suitability of Temporary Migrants Administrative Data for Data Integration, Nov 2014 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.053)
This research paper assessed the suitability of the Temporary Visa Holders (TVH) records for integration with other datasets, including the 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

Commencement date: 25/05/2017
Project status: Completed

Combining 2016 Census of Population and Housing data with administrative data on permanent migrants enables the analysis of a range of demographic, economic, and social variables from the Census relating to the settlement outcomes of permanent migrants (e.g. employment, education, English proficiency, income and housing) by visa.

The 2016 Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset project is a repeat of the 2011 ACMID project which was undertaken utilising data from the 2011 Census. See entry on Census Data Enhancement: Migrants Settlements Project, 2011 Census for further information.

The integration of this data enhances the statistical and research value of both datasets by enabling the settlement outcomes of migrants who have arrived in Australia since 1 January 2000 to be analysed in the context of their entry conditions (i.e. their visa type, whether a main or secondary applicant and whether they applied onshore or offshore).

The project:

• Provides a better understanding of how well migrants are adjusting to life in Australia and identifies the most important factors for a successful settlement;
• Provides new and updated statistics on recent migrants in the Skill, Family and Humanitarian and Other Permanent visa streams to inform the development of migration policies.

18/07/2018 – Understanding Migrant Outcomes - Insights from the Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset, 2016 (cat. no. 3417.0)
This publication provides new insights into the characteristics of permanent migrants in Australia, including employment, income and housing from the 2016 Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset.

18/07/2018 – Microdata: Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset, 2016 (cat. no. 3417.0.55.001)
This release relates to microdata from the 2016 Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset.

Commencement date: 15/07/2017
Project status: Ongoing

In 2015, the Department of Home Affairs commenced plans to discontinue paper-based Outgoing Passenger Cards. They have been discontinued since 1 July 2017. For more than 50 years, Outgoing Passenger Cards were used as a source of state of residence data for official population estimates.
The solution to this data source ceasing was to use a range of existing electronic data from the Department of Home Affairs collected about those travelling overseas. However, for a small proportion of cross-border movements, state of residence was missing from existing Home Affairs data sources, and for some this information is now obtained by anonymously linking a person’s electronic movement record to a corresponding Medicare enrolment record.

This project is necessary for the purposes of compiling legislatively required quarterly state population estimates and (amongst many other uses) underpins distribution of GST revenue and the number of seats each state and territory is entitled to in the House of Representatives. Furthermore, it ensures that the reliability and credibility of state population estimates are upheld.
This project has facilitated the withdrawal of the Outgoing Passenger Cards which has improved the traveller experience, leading to substantial cost savings and red-tape reduction, reduced impost on individuals being required to fill out the cards, and reduced likelihood of privacy breaches.

Data Integration Case Study: Outgoing Passenger Card

Traveller Information and Medicare Enrolment Data Integration Project PIA

Commencement date: 14/06/2013
Project status: Completed

The Census Data Enhancement (CDE) Migrants Settlements project combines data from 2011 Census of Population and Housing with Australian Government permanent migrant settlement data (formerly Settlement Database (SDB).

The integration of this data enhances the statistical and research value of both datasets by enabling the settlement outcomes of migrants who have arrived in Australia since 1 January 2000 to be analysed in the context of their entry conditions (i.e. their visa type, whether a main or secondary applicant and whether they applied onshore or offshore).

The project:

• Demonstrated the suitability of the Australian Government permanent migrant settlement data for future integration projects leading to the enhancement of existing statistics and the development of new statistics;
• Provided new statistics on recent migrants in the Skill, Family and Humanitarian visa streams to inform the development of migration policies.

Data Integration Case Study: Migrants

14/02/2014 - Microdata: Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset, 2011 (TableBuilder) (cat. no. 3417.0.55.001)
This product provides a range of information about the release of microdata from the Australian Census and Migrants Integrated Dataset (ACMID), 2011 project.

19/09/2013 - Understanding Migrant Outcomes - Enhancing the Value of Census Data, Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 3417.0)
The statistics in this publication were compiled from the Migrants Census Data Enhancement (CDE) integrated dataset, 2011.

19/08/2013 - Assessing the Quality of Linking Migrant Settlement Records to 2011 Census Data, Aug 2013 (cat. no. 1351.0.55.043)
This paper provides some background to the 2006 and 2011 Migrants Quality Studies, a brief description of the linking strategy and process, a discussion of the quality of the linking of the permanent migrant settlement data to the 2011 Census, and introduces its potential as an analysis dataset.