Australia migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes

How many people move to Australia, where they come from and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore Australia on the interactive migration map.

Inbound corridors · Australia

Australia - who is arriving

Australia is the most immigration-intensive large economy on earth: 8.8M overseas-born (32% of the population, June 2025) and a ~185k permanent Migration Program that is ~71% skilled, layered on ~370k student-visa grants a year. A points-tested SkillSelect system (subclasses 189/190/491) plus employer routes (482/186) drive a skilled, English-speaking, fee-ready inbound flow that dwarfs Australians moving abroad.

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8.8M

overseas-born residents

32% of population, Jun 2025

185k

Migration Program

2025-26 planning level

71%

skilled stream

132,200 places, 2025-26

#1 India

49.8k program places

2023-24 outcome

372k

student visas granted

2024-25

306k

net overseas migration

2024-25

Where they come from

Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)

India

971k

England

971k

China

732k

New Zealand

638k

Philippines

413k

Vietnam

327k

South Africa

230k

Nepal

214k

Who arrives each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

India

49.8k

China

21.8k

Philippines

11.9k

Nepal

11.5k

United Kingdom

9.9k

The trend

Net overseas migration

Net overseas migration (000s), financial year ending

Source: ABS Overseas Migration

Corridor facts

INDIA OVERTAKES ENGLANDFor the first time on record, India (971,020) is Australia's #1 country of birth, edging England (970,950), ABS Jun 2025.

SKILLED-HEAVY71% of the 2025-26 program (132,200 places) is skilled; the state/territory nomination allocation is 20,350, of which subclass 190 is 12,850.

STUDENT SURGE COOLSStudent-visa grants fell from a 577k peak (2022-23) to ~372k (2024-25) as caps and fee hikes bit; 482 became Skills in Demand in Dec 2024.

NOM HALVINGNet overseas migration fell from 536k (2022-23) to 306k (2024-25) - the second consecutive annual fall.

FEES CLIMBINGStudent visa charge rose AUD 1,600 to 2,000 to 2,500 (Jul 2026); skilled 189/190 heading past AUD 6,135 from Jul 2026.

What visa categories they use

Share of the annual flow, by destination

India

China

United Kingdom

Philippines

Nepal

Vietnam

Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other

Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time

Corridor	Volume	Primary / secondary categories	Govt cost	Time	Apply
India	~50k/yr program	Skilled 189/190/491 ~46k Student 500; Employer 482/186	AUD 4,765 (189/190) + agent 3-8k	6-18 months	Apply ›
China	~22k/yr program	Skilled 189/190 + Student 500 Family; Investor 188 (legacy)	AUD 4,765 (189/190) + agent 3-8k	6-18 months	Apply ›
United Kingdom	~10k/yr program	Skilled 189/190 ~7.8k Employer 186/482; Family	AUD 4,765 (189/190) + agent 3-8k	6-15 months	Apply ›
Philippines	~12k/yr program	Skilled 189/190/491 ~8.2k Family; Employer 482	AUD 4,765 (189/190) + agent 3-8k	6-18 months	Apply ›
Nepal	~11.5k/yr program	Skilled 491/190 ~10.9k Student 500 (large)	AUD 4,765 (189/190) + agent 3-8k	6-18 months	Apply ›
Vietnam	student + family	Student 500 Family; Skilled	AUD 2,000 (500) + agent 2-5k	1-4 months (500)	Apply ›

Key insightAustralia runs the developed world's most skill-selective large migration system - 130k+ points-tested skilled PRs plus ~370k students a year, each paying AUD 4,700+ (skilled) or AUD 2,000+ (student) in government charges and AUD 3-8k in agent fees, in English, card-in-hand: a premium inbound advisory market that dwarfs Australians moving abroad.

Sources: ABS Migration, Australia (Jun 2025) · ABS Overseas Migration · Dept of Home Affairs Migration Program 2023-24 / 2025-26 · Dept of Home Affairs Student visa program report · UN DESA. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Outbound corridors · Australia

Australia - where they emigrate

Australia's outbound flow is small and Anglosphere-bound: roughly 1M Australian-born live abroad, led by the UK (~125k), the US (~99k) and New Zealand (~86k). It is dominated by young professionals on working-holiday and skilled routes, not permanent departure.

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~1M

Australian diaspora

~3.8% of population

125k

Australian-born in UK

2021 Census

99k

Australian-born in US

2019

86k

Australian-born in NZ

recent

Where they live

Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)

United Kingdom

125k

United States

99k

New Zealand

86k

Where they go each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

Data not available.

Corridor facts

ANGLOSPHERE PULLUK, US and NZ hold the bulk of the ~1M Australian-born abroad; many move visa-light (UK Ancestry, NZ free movement) or on skilled routes.

MOBILE, NOT LEAVINGMuch of the outflow is temporary - working-holiday and secondment years abroad - with high return rates rather than permanent emigration.

Key insightOutbound is a small fraction of inbound in fee terms: Australia takes in far more migrants than it sends, and the outflow that exists is largely visa-free (NZ) or ancestry/working-holiday routes into the UK.

Sources: UK ONS 2021 Census · US ACS 2019 · Stats NZ · UN DESA · ABS. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Frequently asked

How many immigrants live in Australia?

8.8M - overseas-born residents. Source: ABS Jun 2025.

Where do most people migrate to Australia?

The largest origin countries are India, China, Philippines.

What visas do Australia migrants use for the India corridor?

Skilled 189/190/491 ~46k.

Key Australia migration corridors

Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.

China → Australia~963k/yr United Kingdom → Australia~740k/yr India → Australia~623k/yr Philippines → Australia~232k/yr Vietnam → Australia~168k/yr Nepal → Australia~159k/yr Sri Lanka → Australia~88k/yr

See it on the map

Compare Australia against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.

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Figures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26, compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.