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Permanent migration from Nepal

​​​​​​​​Country profile - Nepal

Population

At the end of June 2021, 129,870 Nepalese−born people were living in Australia, almost five times the number (27,810) at 30 June 2011. This is the eleventh largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to 1.7 per cent of Australia's overseas-born population and 0.5 per cent of Australia's total population.

For Australia's Nepalese-born migrants:

  • The median age of 28.8 years was 9.4 years below that of the general population.
  • Males outnumbered females—54.1 per cent compared with 45.9 per cent. 1

1 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia’s Population by Country of Birth​

Permanent migration

Australia's permanent Migration Program incorporates economic and family migration and is the main pathway to permanent residence. It includes the Skill stream, Family stream and Special Eligibility visas. The only other way to obtain permanent residence is on humanitarian grounds.

Skill stream visas

The Skill stream is designed for workers who have the skills, qualifications and entrepreneurship most needed in the Australian economy. There are seven components:

  1. ​​Business Innovation and Investment

  2. Distinguished Talent

  3. Employer Sponsored

  4. Global Talent (Independent)

  5. Regional

  6. Skilled Independent

  7. State/Territory Nominated.

Family and Child stream visas

The Family stream allows the permanent migration of close family members, of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens. It focuses on partners and parents, but also provides the opportunity for additional family members, such as aged dependent relatives, carers, remaining relatives and orphan relatives, to join their family in Australia.

Child visas allow the permanent migration of children, of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens. The Child visa comprises two categories, namely Child and Adoption visas.

Special Eligibility visas

Special Eligibility visas allow former residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force to live in Australia as permanent residents.

The following table shows the size of permanent migration from Nepal by migration category.

Table 1: Permanent migrant places granted, 2018–19 to 2021–22

Migration category

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

2021–22

Business Innovation and Investment

0

< 5

15

12

Employer Sponsored

1,296

844

597

696

Skilled Regional 1

32

n/a

n/a

n/a

Skilled Independent

1,089

427

270

55

State/Territory Nominated

1,122

1,679

1,669

2,737

Regional 2

n/a

1,638

1,198

2,472

Global Talent (Independent) 3

n/a

33

96

76

Partner

516

338

843

541

All other categories 4

41

49

26

39

Total places granted

4,096

5,048

4,714

6,628

Source: Department of Home Affairs

1 The Skilled Regional category closed to new applications from 1 July 2019.

2 The Regional migration category commenced 1 July 2019.

3 Global Talent (Independent) category commenced 4 November 2019.

4​ Data has been perturbed to protect the privacy of individuals.

Note: To protect the privacy of individuals, various data confidentiality techniques have been applied. These techniques include:

  • ​​data masking — using primary and secondary suppression methods for values that are deemed to be a disclosure risk

  • perturbation — a data security technique that allows for random data adjustment to prevent the release of identifiable data.

Temporary migration

People can come to Australia for a temporary stay for a range of purposes, for example, visiting Australia for tourism or attending a conference, or for more specific purposes, such as medical treatment, study, skilled work, working holidays or other specialist activities. There are six main categories of temporary residents, which can cover stays of more than three months in Australia.

Note: Not all categories apply to migrants from each country.

Visitor visas​

Visitor visas are mostly used by people visiting Australia for holidays, tourism and recreation, or to see family and friends. People may also use Visitor visas for certain short-term business activities that do not entail working in Australia.

Working Holiday Maker Program

The Working Holiday Maker Program allows young adults to have an extended holiday and engage in short-term work and study.

Student visa

The Student visa program enables international students to come to Australia to study full-time in a registered course.

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa

Allows a business to sponsor a skilled overseas worker if they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian citizen or permanent resident to fill a skilled position.

Other temporary visas

Other temporary visas include visas that allow people to undertake short-term, non-ongoing highly specialised work, enrich social and cultural development, strengthen international relations or provide training opportunities of benefit to Australia.

New Zealand citizens

Under the 1973 Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand citizens can enter and leave Australia freely and live in Australia indefinitely on grant of a Special Category visa (subclass 444).

The following table shows the number of visa grants to migrants from Nepal, for Visitor, Student and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visas.

Table 2: Temporary visas granted by selected categories, 2018–19 to 2021–22

Temporary visa category

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

2021–22

Visitor

25,934​

23,796

4,303

18,766

Student

31,799

24,445

20,585

30,667

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment)

941

540

597

895

Other temporary visa grants 1

8,201

9,686

10,358

11,544

Total temporary visa grants

66,875

58,467

35,843

61,872

Source: Department of Home Affairs

1​Excludes Transit visa (subclass 771), Border visa (subclass 773) and Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988).​

Main occupations

The following table shows the main occupations for nationals of Nepal, based on Skill stream migration outcomes and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa grants.

Table 3: Main occupations, 2018–19 to 2021–22

Period

 Temporary Resident  (Skilled Employment) visas

No. of migrants

Skill stream migration

No. of migrants

2021–22

 

Chefs​

213

Registered nurses

1,267

 

Cooks​

69

Accountants

358

 

Accountants​

44

​Chefs

243

 

Software and applications programmers​​

21

Software and applications programmers​

152

 

Registered nurses​

19

Enrolled and mothercraft nurses​

146

 

Bakers and pastrycooks​

11

Civil engineering professionals​

111

 

Physiotherapists​​

8

Cooks​

111

 

Cafe and restaurant managers​

7

ICT business and systems analysts​

94

 

Civil engineering professionals​

6

Computer network professionals

51

 

Computer network professionals​

6

Welfare, recreation and community arts workers

47

2020–21​

 

Cooks

96

Registered nurses

724

 

Chefs

88

Accountants

188

 

Registered nurses

20

Software and applications programmers

148

 

Software and applications programmers​​

15

Chefs

132

 

Cafe and restaurant managers

9

Cooks

125

 

Accountants

8

ICT business and systems analysts

60

 

Bakers and pastrycooks

8

Civil engineering professionals

54

 

Civil engineering professionals

6

Enrolled and mothercraft nurses

51

 

General practitioners and resident medical officers

6

Computer network professionals

36

 

ICT business and systems analysts

5

Database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists

34

2019–20

 

Cooks

107

Accountants

650

 

Chefs

33

Registered nurses

564

 

Registered nurses

19

Cooks

293

 

Bakers and pastrycooks

16

Chefs

102

 

Software and applications programmers

12

Software and applications programmers

96

 

Accountants

8

Enrolled and mothercraft nurses

67

 

Cafe and restaurant managers

7

Cafe and restaurant managers

55

 

General practitioners and resident medical officers

5

Civil engineering professionals

43

 

ICT business and systems analysts

< 5

Database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists

36

 

Financial brokers

< 5

Computer network professionals

28

2018–19

 

Cooks

152

Accountants

353

 

Chefs

92

Cooks

333

 

Cafe and restaurant managers

24

Registered nurses

257

 

Accountants

21

Software and applications programmers

121

 

Bakers and pastrycooks

13

Chefs

101

 

Software and applications programmers

10

Database and systems administrators, and ICT security specialists

94

 

General practitioners and resident medical officers

7

Civil engineering professionals

56

 

Registered nurses

6

Cafe and restaurant managers

41

 

Structural steel and welding trades workers

< 5

ICT business and systems analysts

33

 

Hotel and motel managers

< 5

Computer network professionals

31​

Source: Department of Home Affairs

Note: To protect the privacy of individuals, various data confidentiality techniques have been applied. These techniques include:

  • data masking — using primary and secondary suppression methods for values that are deemed to be a disclosure risk

  • perturbation — a data security technique that allows for random data adjustment to prevent the release of identifiable data.

Note: Occupation level information is available for primary applicants only, and is based on Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations unit level data.

Geographic distribution

The following table shows the geographic distribution of migrants, based on permanent additions for the Skill and Family streams, international student visa grants, and Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa grants.

Table 4: Geographic distribution

Population

NSW

Vic.

Qld

SA

WA

Tas.

NT

ACT

Census 2021 (%)

Of all persons

32

26

20

7

10

2

1

2

Of Nepalese-born

53

16

9

6

4

5

2

5

Permanent additions - 2021–22 (%)

Skill stream

36

11

6

14

3

14

6

11

Family and Child stream

51

21

11

5

4

3

2

2

Temporary visa grants - 2021–22 (%)

International student visa grants

57

14

14

7

4

1

1

2

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa (primary) grants

49

27

15

2

6

0

0

1

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs

Note: Permanent additions consist of two components; those persons who, while already in Australia on a temporary basis, are granted permanent residence status or those persons who have subsequently arrived from overseas during the reporting period and are entitled to stay permanently in Australia.

Country ranking

This table uses rankings to show the significance of Nepalese migration for the past four financial years.

Table 5: Country ranking, 2018–19 to 2021–22

Ranked position of migrants

2018–19

2019–20

2020–21

2021–22

Population in Australia 1

17

11

11

11

Regional

n/a

4

3

2

Employer Sponsored

7

9

8

9

Total Skill stream

6

6

5

3

Total Family and Child stream

21

27

23

24

International students

3

3

3

3

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa

16

19

16

16

Visitors

27

26

10

14

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and Department of Home Affairs

1 Population level data is by country of birth and lags one year behind the financial year specified. Data based on the estimated residential population at 30 June; 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

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