In a key development, the concerned organization of Australia has reportedly disclosed that the nation’s general populace headed north by 1.6% or 359,600 individuals in the year to the closure of June 2012 even as immigration was responsible for 58% of the said increase. The general population of the country reached 22.7 million-mark during the month of July.

During 2011, the nation’s populace swelled by just 1.14%. This matched with a time-frame when the overall levels of immigration were comparatively lower as compared to the usual levels. During 2009, in reply to the world economic meltdown, Canberra had restricted immigration.

In the backdrop of the immigration rate shooting up, the population growth of the country is outdoing that in other developed nations. During the same time-frame, Canada underwent a 1% increase in population. US’s populace increased by 0.9%, Britain’s by 0.6%, and France’s by 0.5%.

In the year to June 2012, net immigration made the populace increase by nearly 208,000. Further, 472,000 migrant arrived in the country from outside and 264,000 left the Australian shores for other destinations. The net immigration figure headed north by 22% from 2011 when the net immigration figure was just 170,000.  Furthermore, natural populace swell—brought about by an improved level of births as compared to deaths—led to an increase of just nearly 151,500. While there were 298,000 births, there were 145,500 deaths.

Overall immigration numbers include temporary guests, who take a trip to Down Under to work on temporary work permits, like the 457 permits, providing they live in the nation for more than 12 months. There was robust increase in the figure of global manpower arriving on the Australian soils with temporary work permits (called the 457 permits).

In the year to July, the overall number of the 457 permits offered shot-up by 26.6%. The 457 permits enable their holders to stay and get employed inside the Kangaroo Land, for a maximum of 4 years. The biggest number of the 457 permits was made available to construction employees even though several also went to those involved with the resources industry. The biggest percentage increase in populace took place across the region of Western Australia wherein it swelled by 3.3% or 78,000 individuals. The said region, Western Australia, houses much of the nation’s resources industry.

Meanwhile, a well-known financial expert has apparently observed that the augmentation in the figure of the 457 permits show a fairly robust labour market by global standards and the equally robust Aussie dollar.  He illustrated that a robust dollar significantly adds to the charm of doing a job in the Kangaroo Land for the overseas people—especially the temporary immigrants, as it boosts the actual worth of their earnings outside the territorial jurisdictions of Australia.