The Australian Migration Program is designed to help people wanting to relocate to Australia temporarily or permanently. The migration program has prescribed classes of visa that can be grouped accordingly; permanent visas, temporary visas, bridging visas and protection, refugee and humanitarian visas.

The Australian migration program can be broken down into six main areas; the skilled migration stream, the family migration stream, the special eligibility migration stream, the student migration stream, the visitor migration stream and the humanitarian program.

Skilled Migration Stream


The Skilled Migration Stream has a number of categories for people who have particular occupation skills, outstanding talents or Business Skills:

Classes of visa available - Permanent classes of visa

• Business Skills (Migrant) (Class AD)
  
• Business Skills (Residence) (Class BH)
  
• Employer Nomination (Migrant) (Class AN)
  
• Employer Nomination (Residence) (Class BW)
  
• Labour Agreement (Migrant) (Class AU)
  
• Labour Agreement (Residence) (Class BU)
  
• Skill Matching (Migrant) (Class BR)
  
• Skilled - Australian Linked (Migrant) (Class AJ) (105?? No more)
  
• Skilled - Australian Sponsored (Migrant) (Class BQ)
  
• Skilled - Australian Sponsored Overseas Student (Residence) (Class DE)
  
• Skilled - Independent (Migrant) (Class BN)
  
• Skilled - Independent Overseas Student (Residence) (Class DD)
  
• Skilled - New Zealand Citizen (Residence) (Class DB)

Temporary classes of visa

• Temporary Business Entry (Class UK)
  
• Medical Practitioner (Temporary) (Class UE)

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Family Migration Stream


The Family Migration Stream encompasses applicant's who may be sponsored by a relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident:


Classes of visa available - Permanent classes of visa

• Child (Migrant) (Class AH)
  
• Child (Residence) (Class BT)
  
• Designated Parent (Migrant) (Class BY)
  
• Designated Parent (Residence) (Class BZ)
  
• Special Eligibility (Migrant) (Class AR)
  
• Special Eligibility (Residence) (Class AO)
  
• Independent (Migrant) (Class AT)
  
• Other Family (Migrant) (Class BO)
  
• Other Family (Residence) (Class BU)
  
• Parent (Migrant) (Class AX)
  
• Aged Parent (Residence) (Class BP)
  
• Partner (Residence) (Class BS)
  
• Partner (Migrant) (Class BC)

Temporary classes of visa

• Family Relationship (Temporary) (Class TC)
  
• Partner (Temporary) (Class UC)
  
• Prospective Marriage (Temporary) (Class TO)
  
• Retirement (Temporary) (Class TQ)
  
• Partner (Provisional) (Class UF)
  
• Supported Dependent (Temporary) (Class TW)

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Special Eligibility Migration Stream


The Special Eligibility Migration Stream, assists applicant's who are former citizens or residents wishing to return to Australia, or certain New Zealand citizens. This category also assists other special circumstances including border entry visas, cultural/social visas and diplomatic visas:


Classes of visa available - Permanent classes of visa

• Confirmatory (Residence) (Class AK)
  
• Norfolk Island Permanent Resident (Residence) (Class AW)
  
• Resolution of Status (Residence) (Class BL)
  
• Return (Residence) (Class BB)

Temporary classes of visa

• Border (Temporary) (Class TA)
  
• Confirmatory (Temporary) (Class TD)
  
• Cultural / Social (Temporary) (Class TE)
  
• Diplomatic (Temporary) (Class TF)
  
• Domestic Worker (Temporary) (Class TG)
  
• Emergency (Temporary) (Class TI)
  
• Expatriate (Temporary) (Class TJ)
  
• Extended Eligibility (Temporary) (Class TK)
  
• New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) (Class UP)
  
• Olympic (Support) (Temporary) (Class UI)
  
• Resident Return (Temporary) (Class TP)
  
• Resolution of Status (Temporary) (Class UH)
  
• Special Category (Temporary) (Class TY)
  
• Transit (Temporary) (Class TX)

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Student Migration Stream


The Student Migration Stream, assist's people who wish to study in Australia at various levels from secondary education through to post-doctoral university levels:


Classes of visa available - Temporary classes of visa

• Educational (Temporary) (Class TU)
  
• Graduate - Skilled (Temporary) (Class UQ)
  
• Student (Temporary) (Class TU)

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Visitor Migration Stream


The Visitor Migration Stream assist's people who wish to visit Australia for between either short stays or long stays. This category also assists those people wishing to take a working holiday in Australia:


Classes of visa available - Temporary classes of visa

• Long Stay (Visitor) (Class TN)
  
• Short Stay (Visitor) (Class TR)
  
• Short Stay Sponsored (Visitor) (Class UL)
  
• Working Holiday (Temporary) (Class TZ)
  
• Medical Treatment (Visitor) (Class UB)
  
• Electronic Travel Authority (Class UD)

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Humanitarian Program


The Humanitarian Program is also covered by the Australian migration program:


Classes of visa available - Temporary and Permanent classes of visa

• Temporary Safe Haven (Class UJ)
  
• Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) (Class UV)
  
• Protection (Class XA)
  
• Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB)

The migration program for 2003-04 has 100,000 to 110,000 places available for migrants, plus a parent contingency reserve of 6,500 places for a full year.