Australia's new immigrants find jobs quickly

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New migrants to Australia are finding employment faster than ever before according to a new survey conducted by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

The latest longitudinal survey of new migrants shows that a greater number of principal applicants who entered Australia via the Skilled-Independent, Family, and Business and Employer Sponsored categories in 2003-04 found employment within six months of arriving in Oz compared to those who arrived in either 1993-94 or 1999-2000.

Business and Employer sponsored migrants were the most successful at finding work, with 93 percent of those who arrived through this category being employed within half a year of landing.

Meanwhile, 82 percent of Skilled-independent migrants were working within six months of settling Down Under, as were 65 percent of family migrants.

"It is critical that we attract migrants who are willing and able to enter the labour force quickly, to ensure they are helping build Australia's economy," said immigration minister Senator Amanda Vanstone. "This research indicates that we are heading in the right direction."