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Permanent migration from the Philippines

​​​​​​​Country profile - Philippines

Population

At the end of June 2021, 310,620 Filipino-born people were living in Australia, 60.9 percent more than the number (193,030) at 30 June 2011. This is the fifth largest migrant community in Australia, equivalent to 4.1 per cent of Australia’s overseas-born population and 1.2 per cent of Australia’s total population.

For Australia’s Filipino-born migrants:

  • The median age of 41.0 years was 2.7 years above that of the general population.
  • Females outnumbered males—60.9 per cent compared with 39.1 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 the Philippines 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

7

8

Employer Sponsored

3,484

2,583

1,832

2,151

Skilled Regional 1

36

n/a

n/a

n/a

Skilled Independent

1,515

439

160

80

State/Territory Nominated

1,326

1,330

789

995

Regional 2

n/a

1,842

1,289

1,458

Global Talent (Independent) 3

n/a

30

107

50

Partner

2,234

2,338

6,218

3,258

All other categories 4

564

403

656

591​​

Total places granted

9,159

8,965

11,058

8,591​

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 the Philippines, 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

107,091

73,726

9,069

28,187

Student

11,329

9,297

6,724

7,855

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment)

5,473

4,165

2,985

5,215

Other temporary visa grants 1

4,717

3,656

2,918

5,415

Total temporary visa grants

128,610

90,844

21,696

46,672

Source: Department of Home Affairs

1Excludes 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 the Philippines, 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​

​​

Registered nurses

392

Registered nurses

808

 

Motor mechanics​

305

Motor mechanics

154

 

Structural steel and welding trades workers

202

Accountants​

84

 

Physiotherapists

152

Chefs​

84

 

Software and applications programmers​

136

Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers

71

 ​Livestock farmers​

134

Cooks​

64

 

Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers​

109

​Software and applications programmers

62

 

Painting trades workers​

93

Structural steel and welding trades workers​

49

 

Chefs​

79

ICT business and systems analysts​

32

 

Deck and fishing hands​

71

Civil engineering professionals​

28

2020–21

​​ 

Registered nurses

281

Registered nurses

850

 

Livestock farmers

136

Software and applications programmers

93

 

Cooks

105

Cooks

78

 

Structural steel and welding trades workers

89

Motor mechanics

76

 

Physiotherapists

85

Medical laboratory scientists

61

 

Motor mechanics

84

Accountants

56

 

Software and applications programmers

81

Chefs

37

 

Electrical distribution trades workers

63

ICT business and systems analysts

30

 

Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians

60

Civil engineering professionals

22

 

Chefs

43

Mechanical engineering draftspersons and technicians

21

2019–20

 

Registered nurses

411

Registered nurses

903

 

Motor mechanics

284

Motor mechanics

110

 

Structural steel and welding trades workers

185

Software and applications programmers

95

 

Cooks

132

Structural steel and welding trades workers

95

 

Livestock farmers

98

Cooks

95

 

Software and applications programmers

92

Accountants

83

 

Metal fitters and machinists

77

Livestock farmers

69

 

Physiotherapists

59

Chefs

45

 

ICT business and systems analysts

45

Panelbeaters

44

 

Chefs

40

ICT business and systems analysts

36

2018–19

 

Motor mechanics

466

Registered nurses

813

 

Registered nurses

373

Software and applications programmers

186

 

Structural steel and welding trades workers

239

Cooks

126

 

Cooks

167

Motor mechanics

97

 

Software and applications programmers

166

Structural steel and welding trades workers

82

 

Panelbeaters

131

Livestock farmers

74

 

Chefs

82

Accountants

57

 

Auditors, company secretaries and corporate treasurers

69

ICT business and systems analysts

55

 

Livestock farmers

63

Industrial, mechanical and production engineers

47

 

Painting trades workers

62

Computer network professionals

47

Source: Department of Home Affairs

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 Filipino-born

36

23

18

5

13

1

2

2

Permanent additions - 2021–22 (%)

Skill stream

39

25

11

5

12

2

3

2

Family and Child stream

30

21

21

7

16

1

2

2

Temporary visa grants - 2021–22 (%)

International student visa grants

32

25

24

10

7

0

1

1

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa (primary) grants

35

25

14

6

15

1

2

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 Filipino 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

5

5

5

5

Regional

n/a

3

2

3

Employer Sponsored

3

3

3

3

Total Skill stream

4

4

4

5

Total Family and Child stream

5

5

3

4

International students

7

8

7

7

Temporary Resident (Skilled Employment) visa

3

3

3

3

Visitors

15

14

3

10

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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