So much for Gov figures.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5989465/Population-expert-Bob-Birrell-wants-mail-order-bride-crackdown-900-partner-visas-granted-weekly.html

More than 900 foreigners move to Australia on spousal visas EVERY WEEK - amid fears 'mail to order' Russian brides are leaving their partners as soon as they're let into the country

More than 900 foreigners who start a relationship with an Australian citizen overseas or online are granted spousal visas every week.

The figures equate to about 48,000 foreign wives - and occasionally husbands - being allowed to move to Australia each year after being granted a partner visa by the Department of Home Affairs under the family migration category.

The rules on spousal visas haven't changed since 1996, when the Howard government introduced a two-year waiting period before foreigners could be accepted.

One of the country's most respected population experts has called for tighter rules to ensure those granted the visas can speak English, integrate into the country and work.

Dr Bob Birrell, the head of the Australian Population Research Institute, said the existing rules were open to abuse.

'My main concern is just how weak our rules are on spouse migration,'

'A person can sponsor a spouse about age 18.

'They could have arrived yesterday and there's no evaluation at all on the financial capacity or the financial security of the spouse, or to provide for the spouse.

Dr Birrell, a former Monash University academic and immigration policy adviser, said the existing system also allowed the unemployed to bring a spouse over.

'They don't have to have a job, they could be on welfare. That is not taken account of,' he said.

'Nor is there any evaluation of the sponsored spouse capacity to integrate in Australia: does he or she have any English, have any skills?'

Lawrence Shave, a 74-year-old Pentecostal evangelical pastor from southern Perth who is twice divorced, five years ago found a Ukrainian woman to be his bride.

Unfortunately for him, Oksana left him for another man.

Last year, he advertised for a Russian bride aged between 20 and 44 via the SingleBridesAgency.com dating website, which specialises in eastern European women.

539,000 immigrants moved to Australia in the last year - and 75% ended up in crowded Sydney and Melbourne.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5997983/A-record-539-000-immigrants-moved-Australia-net-pace-262-000-highest-13-years.html

A record 539,000 immigrants moved to Australia in the 2016-17 financial year
The net level of 262,489 factoring in people moving overseas was also high
Australian Bureau of Statistics said 74 per cent went to Sydney and Melbourne
Former immigration minister Philip Ruddock said migrants preferred big cities

The net annual immigration pace was 262,489, factoring in people moving overseas.

Three-quarters of immigrants are moving to Sydney and Melbourne.

The revelation came a week before the Australian population was set to surpass the 25 million milestone, 22 years earlier than predicted in the federal government's first inter-generational report of 2002.

The net immigration figure of 262,489 was slightly below a record set in 2009 and came before Immigration Minister Peter Dutton this year announced a small 20,000 cut to the migration rate.

Of the net arrivals, 39.8 per cent moved to New South Wales while another 34.3 per cent of them moved to Victoria.

With very few migrants moving to regional areas, that meant 74 per cent of them moved to Sydney and Melbourne, which were already congested.

I think the Government are deliberately confusing people with the figure.

It says.
Of the 539,000 people who migrated to Australia in 2016-17, 315,000 of them arrived on a temporary visa, including 150,000 international students, 50,000 working holiday makers, and 32,000 workers on temporary skilled visas.

During 2016-17, 276,000 people moved overseas.

BUT if people are on say temporary visa that implies they go home.

Now tell us how many of these people on temporary visa stayed here and do not intend to go home or have applied for permanent visa.

Australian Bureau of Statistics has the figures there were 23,900 on Humanitarian visa I believe that means refugees, that amounts to nearly half the 50,000 that Labor let in on boats over a period of years.
Add to that 29,800 on family visa, it appears Slight of Hand Turnbull is trying to outdo Dudd and Dillard.

315,000 arrived on temporary visas, including over 150,000 international students.
50,000 working holiday visas.
32,000 temporary skills visas.
106,000 migrants on permanent visas.
45,800 on skill visas.
A blatant slight of hand is once here they can change from one type of visa to another very easily