More than 207,900 migrants settled permanently in Australia in 2013–14 according to latest statistics from the department of immigration. Indian migrants to Australia have surged to record numbers with Indian citizens now beating the once-dominant British expats.

The substantial growth in overseas-born residents is changing Australia’s ethnic composition. In the past 17 years the number of China-born Australian residents has more than tripled to 427,590 people. This rate of growth was surpassed by India-born residents, which increased more than four-fold to 369,680 people over the same period while Australian residents born in the United Kingdom increased by only 5.0 per cent.

Australia’s Migration Trends 2013–14 report released last week indicated that India remained the main source country for migrants with almost 40,000 Indian nationals migrating to Australia in 2013–14.

India, the People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom were the top three source countries under the Migration Programme. Together, they comprised 46.9 per cent of the total Migration Programme in 2013–14.

Almost 40,000 India citizens migrated to Australia, while China had 26,776 migrants and the United Kingdom 23,220. These were followed by 10,379 from the Philippines and 6,275 from Pakistan. 

China and Australia have signed a Free Trade Agreement (CHAFTA) this week which mainly aims to increase market access to China for Australian resources, beef and wine exporters as well as services providers while boosting access of Chinese carmakers and electronics producers to the Australian market.

Prime minister, Tony Abbott told the media that the agreement would give each nation unprecedented access to each other’s markets: “It means duty-free entry for 99.9% of our resources, energy and manufacturing exports within four years...Australian services providers, financial, education, health and aged care will have new access to China’s services sector…Australian consumers will pay less for cars, for clothes, for electronics and other goods imported from China,” said Mr Abbot.

The CHAFTA is also set to allow more Chinese workers including tradespeople to work in Australia on temporary skilled migration visas.

According to an ABC report, in the fine print of the agreement the entry and temporary stay for up to four years with the possibility of staying longer will be granted to "contractual service suppliers" from China.

The agreement defines such suppliers as a Chinese person "who has trade, technical or professional skills and experience and who is assessed as having the necessary qualifications, skills and work experience accepted as meeting Australia's standards".

It's time to review post study work arrangements in Australia as the US Senate considers a proposal to extend post-study work rights in the US to up to six years for science-based international students. If the Senate approves the proposal, then Australia’s ability to attract quality students could be devastated, according to a report in The Australian.

International student numbers are at a high in Australia with the low Australian dollar and the streamlined visa processing system. But post study work arrangements for students remain limited and could become a key difference to students shopping for an overseas education.

If approved, the US plans would allow students with science, technology, engineering and maths degrees to stay in the US for three years if they hold a bachelors degree and another three years if they have a postgraduate qualification.

“If this policy takes off, it will seriously hinder and even undermine Australia’s capacity to recruit good quality student,” Phil Honeywood, executive director of the International Education Association of Australia told The Australian.

“Every time Australia thinks it’s hit the sweet spot on international education enrolments something unexpected seems to happen. No one would have thought the sleeping giant of the (US) market would have awakened so quickly to its potential.”

Both students and private colleges are expected to benefit from Australia's booming international student business, following changes to the student visa system announced by the federal government.

The federal government is expected to slash the number of student visa categories and introduce a simplified single immigration risk framework for international students as part of a long-flagged shake-up of student visas, according to a report in The Australian Financial Review.

Announcing the changes, Education Minister Christopher Pyne and Assistant Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash said that the number of types of student visa would be reduced from eight to two and that the current visa risk assessment system, which favours universities and a limited number of other education providers, would be replaced with a system that would make it easier for private colleges to enrol foreign students.

“Australia is open for business and welcomes genuine and high quality international students who provide a much-needed boost to our economy, our local communities and jobs, and who boost our country-to-country relationships,” Mr Pyne said in a statement.

“We warmly welcome genuine international students and we are committed to improving and protecting the integrity of our immigration system” the Minister stated.

International students con­trib­uted a record $17.5 billion to the Australian economy for the 12 months to the end of March, the highest figure since 2009. The changes come as the number of international students is growing strongly, providing an export boost to offset the slump in the resources industry. This year the intake of new students is at its highest level ever in the March quarter, 11.5 per cent above 2014.

Visa services of the department of immigration and passenger clearances at customs are expected to slow down significantly over the next 10 days with the start of “protected industrial action” by the immigration department workers from today through to 26 June 2015.

DIBP has warned that during this period, airports, client service centres, ports, container examination facilities and visa processes will be affected with interruptions to helplines, visa processing services, passenger clearances and customs clearance services amongst others.

Members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) covering more than half the public service are planning a series of half-day strikes to attend mass meetings around the country to protect their rights, conditions and pay from federal government attacks. According to media reports the union has not conducted such comprehensive industrial action for at least twenty years.

“Many of our members have already taken some protected industrial action. Now it’s time to do more and it’s time to do it together,” a statement from the CPSU noted.

This is an opportunity for you to send a clear message to the Government and Minister Abetz that the public sector won’t accept cuts to rights, conditions and real wages, let alone to the cuts to take home pay some members face." a statement from the CPSU noted.

On 1 July 2015 the Australian Border Force (ABF) will commence operations within the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, which will formally merge with the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service on the same date. It marks a key milestone in the process of change which has seen the Department of Immigration “shift its focus from nation building and migrant settlement, towards a greater emphasis on border security.”