Age Articulation of Australia’s International Migration Flows

Abstract

In this chapter, we are interested in how age profiles of migration vary by different immigrant groups arriving to or departing from Australia. Origin-destination patterns of international migration are examined, and a typology of age-specific migration is proposed, largely driven by the types of visas immigrants obtain to enter Australia. To form the typology, the study relies on observed immigration and emigration data from 1981 to 2016 for 19 different birthplace-specific groups, including the Australia-born population. The typology is utilised as a basis for examining how age profiles of international migration differ over time, by sex and across space. Our research shows how the types of visas used to enter the country may explain many of the differences in the observed age profiles of migration to and from Australia.