Regional Migration Experiences

Overview

Migration has played a vital role in shaping regional Australia’s communities and economies. While regional populations continue to grow through internal movement, only a small share of international migrants currently settle outside major cities. At the same time, many regions face ongoing labour and skills shortages, placing pressure on businesses and essential services.

Regional Migration Experiences examines what supports successful migration and settlement in regional Australia, within the context of recent reforms to Australia’s migration system. Drawing on recent research and case studies from Katanning, Coffs Harbour, Dalby and Bundaberg, the report explores the experiences of migrants, employers and service providers, and assesses how effectively current visa settings support regional communities

The research highlights the strong appeal of regional living, including community connection, liveability and meaningful work, alongside persistent challenges such as housing access, limited services and visa complexity. The report concludes that improving regional migration outcomes requires both targeted settlement support and broader investment in the infrastructure, services and policies that enable regions and their residents to thrive.

Key Findings

• Migrants come to Australia for a better life. Australia’s contemporary regional migration system is largely designed to address labour shortages, support population growth and drive regional development. However, migrants’ aspirations often extend beyond employment to include safety, liveability, education and employment opportunities, pathways to citizenship, and a sense of belonging. Creating the right conditions for individuals and families to thrive is central to successful regional migration.
• Regional Australia offers many benefits that attract migrants. Research participants described many benefits related to living in regional Australia. Regions were described as peaceful and safe, with strong community connections. Many participants also valued the natural environment, lifestyle opportunities, perceived amenity and, in some regions, lower cost of living. Local organisations, community groups and volunteers helped to build welcoming environments in the case study regions.
• Strong infrastructure and accessible services are essential for attracting and retaining migrants. Social infrastructure and affordable services, such as housing, transport, childcare, health and education facilities, are critical to sustained settlement. Schools, libraries, museums, community centres, places of faith, arts and cultural venues, sporting clubs and volunteer groups all contribute to successful settlement outcomes.
• Access to meaningful employment is a key driver of migrant relocation decisions. While migrants move to regional areas for a range of reasons, access to employment opportunities is a key driving factor.
• Despite workforce shortages, some migrants experience barriers to employment in regional areas. Although many regional areas face chronic workforce shortages, there are often barriers to migrant employment in the regions. Key barriers include the cost and complexity of visa and overseas skills recognition processes, with almost half of all migrants in Australia working below their skill level.
• The regional visa system would benefit from a more tailored approach. Australia currently applies a concessional, uniform model for regional migration, which does not fully reflect the varied needs of regional communities. A more bespoke system, including occupation and skills lists that align with specific regional workforce needs and regionally-based wage thresholds, would provide more effective outcomes for employers and communities.
• A holistic approach to migration is essential for long-term settlement success. Reform of labour market and visa settings must be supported by targeted settlement services. Migration and settlement considerations should be integrated across regional development policy including jobs and skills, education, and social and cultural initiatives to help build vibrant, sustainable communities.
• A place-based approach is fundamental to an effective migration system. The success of regional migration depends on the quality of local experiences. This research highlights the importance of local people and organisations in shaping welcoming communities. A place-based approach requires federal and state governments to prioritise meaningful engagement with local government and community actors when planning and delivering migration-related policies and programs.

Policy Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Coordinate planning across all levels of government to support the regional migration system.

• Establish a national regional migration steering committee to advise the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship on regional migration priorities and support the delivery of placebased solutions. Regionally-based advisory groups could collect and share local insights for consideration by the national committee.

Recommendation 2: Continue to reform the visa and skills systems to meet regional needs.

• Implement strategic reforms to the regional visa system that address the specific needs of regional locations. This could include establishing regional market-based wage thresholds and bespoke skills and occupation eligibility lists for regions.
• Make overseas skills recognition faster, fairer and more affordable by establishing a single national governance system in line with the recommendations of the Activate Australia’s Skills campaign.

Recommendation 3: Strengthen integrated planning and funding for settlement services.

• Embed migration and settlement considerations across social, economic, cultural and workforce planning at all levels of government.
• Provide funding for regional settlement services that support all migrants, regardless of visa type. Where services are limited, invest in building the capacity of community organisations to deliver settlement support.
• Extend the duration of program funding for community organisations to enable capacity building and the delivery of high quality, consistent settlement services.

Recommendation 4: Support regional communities to deliver welcoming practices and build vibrant, diverse and inclusive communities.

• Support regional communities to implement the RAI’s Steps to Settlement Success: A Toolkit for Rural and Regional Australia. This toolkit identifies leading practice for regional settlement and provides guidance for communities to welcome new arrivals.
• Develop local policies and programs that promote inclusion, cultural diversity and welcoming practices. Local governments may use the framework provided in Welcoming Australia’s Welcoming Cities Standard to benchmark current processes and assess progress over time.•
• Apply the principles of connection, identity and belonging, and inclusion, as set out in the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs’ Multicultural Framework Review, to regional settlement policy, planning and service delivery.
• Facilitate multicultural representation and participation in local governance and decision-making, local events, and institutions such as schools, libraries, art galleries, public art, museums and community hubs, in line with the pillars of the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive.

Acknowledgment of Funding

This research was funded by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts.

The views expressed in this report are those of the Regional Australia Institute and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or the Department.