Australia is one of the world's most diverse nations — with approximately 30% of the population born overseas and hundreds of thousands of new migrants and refugees arriving each year. The settlement journey — from arrival to civic participation — requires support across language, employment, housing, health, social connection, and legal assistance. Understanding the grant funding landscape for immigration and settlement matters for settlement service providers, multicultural community organisations, and funders committed to a cohesive, inclusive Australia.
Migration programme
Australia's migration programme brings approximately 200,000+ permanent migrants annually:
- Skilled migration (employer-sponsored and points-tested)
- Family reunion migration
- Humanitarian programme (refugees and asylum seekers — approximately 13,750 places in 2024-25, subject to change)
Refugee and humanitarian programme
Australia accepts refugees through:
- Offshore Humanitarian Programme (refugees resettled from overseas)
- Onshore protection (asylum seekers who arrive in Australia)
- Community sponsorship (Community Support Programme — employer and community-sponsored refugees)
Settlement challenges
New migrants and refugees face significant settlement challenges:
- Language (English proficiency critical for employment and civic participation)
- Employment (skills recognition, discrimination, lack of Australian experience)
- Housing (access to rental market, discrimination, affordability)
- Health (navigating a new health system, mental health impacts of displacement)
- Social isolation (separated from support networks)
- Legal status (complex visa conditions, family separation)
- Discrimination and racism
Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP)
The AMEP provides free English language tuition to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants:
- 510 hours of tuition entitlement (recently extended)
- Delivered through contracted AMEP providers (TAFE, private providers, community organisations)
- Childcare available to support participation
Humanitarian Settlement Programme (HSP)
The HSP provides intensive settlement services for humanitarian entrants (refugees) in the first 18 months:
- Contracted providers in each city (Australian Red Cross, AMES Australia, Multicultural Australia, and others)
- Services: orientation, housing, school enrolment, employment, health, community connection
Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS)
SETS provides settlement support beyond the HSP transition — for migrants and humanitarian entrants at different settlement stages.
Community Support Programme (CSP)
Employer and community-sponsored refugee resettlement — with sponsors providing settlement support alongside government co-investment.
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)
Government-funded translation and interpreting for migrants — accessing health, legal, and social services.
States and territories fund complementary settlement services:
- State-specific multicultural policy and grants programmes
- Settlement services for specific communities
- Multicultural community infrastructure support
- Anti-discrimination and social cohesion programmes
Each state has a multicultural peak body (Multicultural NSW, Multicultural Australia, etc.) advising on policy and sometimes administering grants.
Scanlon Foundation
The Scanlon Foundation focuses on social cohesion and immigration — research, grants for community cohesion, and immigrant integration. The Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion is an annual measure of Australian attitudes to immigration.
Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (Melbourne)
Community integration and refugee support.
Sydney Community Foundation
Settlement, employment, and community connection for migrants and refugees in Sydney.
Refugee Council of Australia
The peak body for refugees — some grants for advocacy and sector development.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
Major direct service provider — also a grant recipient for legal, social, and employment services for asylum seekers.
Corporate philanthropy
Banks, law firms, and major corporates provide pro bono and philanthropic support for refugee employment and settlement — often through Welcoming Australia or Business Council of Australia initiatives.
Language and literacy
Beyond AMEP:
- Volunteer tutoring programmes (AMES, Migrant English tutoring)
- Workplace English
- Digital literacy and English
Employment
Refugee and migrant employment pathways:
- Job coaching and mentoring
- Skills recognition (overseas qualifications assessment)
- Work experience and internships
- Employer education and connection
- Social enterprises employing migrants and refugees
Legal assistance
Mental health
Refugees and asylum seekers have elevated rates of trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety:
- Culturally appropriate mental health services
- Torture and trauma rehabilitation
- Peer support programmes
- Mental health promotion for migrant communities
Housing
Women's safety and empowerment
Migrant and refugee women face specific vulnerabilities:
- Family violence in migration context (visa tied to sponsoring partner)
- Limited social networks outside family
- Culturally specific safety barriers
Children and youth
Cultural and linguistic diversity
Applications should demonstrate genuine cultural competence — staff who speak relevant languages, programmes designed with community involvement, culturally appropriate service models.
Community consultation
The most effective settlement programmes are designed with the target community — grant applications should document this co-design.
Referral pathways
Settlement services work best within coordinated systems — show your referral relationships with other settlement providers, government agencies, and community organisations.
Outcomes beyond service delivery
Good settlement grant applications articulate outcomes beyond counting participants — employment rates, housing stability, English proficiency gains, social connection indicators.
Tahua's grants management platform supports settlement service providers and multicultural funders managing grant portfolios — with programme outcome tracking, demographic data management, referral pathway documentation, and the multi-funder tools that help settlement organisations demonstrate impact across complex, intersecting service systems.