Some of them have been living here for over 20 years, according to a report in The Australian. The nationalities of these overstayers may surprise you.

The department of immigration estimates that some 62,100 people were unaccounted for in Australia during 2014, which is roughly 1.2 per cent of the 5.5 million people who enter the country each year on temporary visas.

People from China, Malaysia and the United States were the highest number of visa overstayers in Australia in 2013, with the Chinese topping the list at 7690.

According to an Immigration Department report, Migration Trends 2012-2013, visitors (44,800) and students (10,720) were the largest cohort of visa holders to overstay their visit. The highest number of visa overstayers in 2013 by nationality came from China (7690), Malaysia (6420), the US (5220) and the UK (3780).

An Immigration spokesman told The Australian that people found with expired visas could be detained and removed if located by the department in the community. Unlawful non-citizens also face a three year re-entry ban.

What then do you do if your visa is about to expire? Firstly, don’t put yourself in a position to deal with the issue at the last minute because overstaying should be avoided at all costs. Once your visa expires, you become unlawful; you have no work rights and no access to health services. Get in touch with a Registered Migration agent well before your visa expires so that you can consider your options. It’s best to plan ahead.

If your visa has expired then still consider approaching an RMA for a comprehensive assessment of your options. The immigration department has a section called the Community Status Resolution Service (CSRS) which usually grants overstayers who report to them a Bridging E visa for a week or two to allow them to leave the country thus avoiding nasty scenes at the airport. But the CSRS are not independent migration advisors so you may not get the right advice.