Australian migration figures drop in April 2017

Total migration in April is down compared to March, though the top 10 source countries remain the same.
The most recent monthly migration figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show similar patterns to March but with 870 fewer migrants overall.
In April 2017 a total of 10,720 people migrated to Australia. In March that number was 11,590 and in February it was 11,830.
The three biggest countries of origin for Australian migration remained the same in April:
- India provided the largest number of migrations at 2,160. This is slightly down from 2,250 in March.
- China remained second with 1,380 migrants in April. In March that number was 1,720.
- Iraqi citizens migrating to Australia in April numbered 720, down from 850 the previous month.
The top countries driving Australian migration in April were the same as in the previous month. Although the larger sources of migration registered small declines, countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Philippines and South Africa saw small increases.
Have recent changes to the 457 visa affected migration numbers?
On 18 April the Australian government announced sweeping changes to the 457 work visa program including cuts to the number of eligible occupations for migrant workers.
It is too soon to call April's small migration decline a trend and it may have no connection to the visa changes. But viewed year-on-year, April's migration numbers show a drop compared to April 2016.
If this decline continues in subsequent months we may be seeing a direct impact of the 457 visa changes on Australia's migration patterns.
If you're considering migrating to Australia check out finder.com.au's helpful guide on the subject. And if you need help with a visa application process you can easily find and compare Australian migration agents.
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