An overview of Indian emigration to Australia
September 01 2009 by Mark Johnstone
Over the last few years there has been a huge increase in Indian immigration to Australia. In fact, after Chinese immigrants, more Indians move to Australia every year than any other nationality.
It is rumoured that the first Indians emigrated to Australia on Captain Cook’s ship in the late 18th Century. Certainly it is known that Punjabi Indians took part in the Gold Rush in the Victorian fields from 1851 to the late 1860s.
Today, many of Australia’s leading industries employ Indian immigrants. These include: IT, engineering, catering and accountancy. Australia’s student population has also benefitted from an influx of Indian immigrants.
Since 1998 there has been a significant increase in the number of international students choosing to take their degree courses in Australia. Many of these students come from India and they benefit the Australian economy because they pay higher tuition fees than domestic students, thus bringing welcome income to the country’s universities.
An increasing number of Fijian Indians have come to live and work in Australia in recent years because of political instability in their home country, including several military coups. Many of Australia’s entrepreneurs are of Fijian Indian origin.
All Indian migrants require a valid Australian visa.
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