Gaining employment and long-term secure housing are the key aspirations of newly arrived migrants and refugees in Australia, according to a new report. 

Education and training aimed at achieving career goals are also important to new arrivals, the report says. 

Migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia’s ‘Social Impact Report 2025’ provides an overview of the settlement journeys of refugees and migrants who are new to Australia, who settled in Victoria, NSW and South Australia. 

The agency supported more than 50,000 people across a range of programs and services.  

In the 2024-25 financial year, the agency helped more than 1,500 migrants and refugees find sustainable employment and more than 200 refugees were supported to start their own businesses, the report says. 

Among skilled migrants and refugees supported by AMES, 44 per cent were in jobs after just three months and 75 per cent of all jobseekers were satisfied with their jobs. 

The report says more than 1,550 newly arrived families were supported to lease long-term, appropriate housing. 

It says more than 26,000 information sessions were delivered enabling refugees to gain knowledge of healthcare, family and social support, transport, local laws and rights, and managing money. 

Ninety-two AMES clients were referred to NDIS and aged care support and 14 podcasts on health topics in 13 languages were delivered to 644 community members. 

More than 170 women from multicultural backgrounds attended ten cervical cancer information sessions in Victoria and Australia.  

And almost 2,200 children were supported to enroll in school, the study says. 

More than 7,800 migrants and refugees were enrolled in accredited and non-accredited courses over the year, with a 79 per cent overall student satisfaction rate. 

Ninety-two per cent of AMES English language students achieved almost 2,322 improvements in language, literacy or numeracy skills. 

Among students in Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, 74 per cent rated their course experience 4 or 5 out of 5, 92 per cent reported their course helped achieve their employment goals and 85 per cent said they were satisfied with their jobs, the report says. 

And 89,600 hours of learning were delivered through digital platforms. 

The MyAMES Chat app, an AI-powered communication coaching tool was used by more than 3,500 students who benefitted from employment focused language coaching and interview practice. 

Cultural and sporting events also feature in the report. Four hundred multicultural community member attended the Luminous Lantern Festival, held in partnership with the City of Melbourne, and more than 2000 people attended soccer tournaments held in Mildura, Dandenong and Cranbourne.  

AMES Australia CEO Melinda Collinson said the report was aimed at highlighting how providing support for people settling in Australia benefits the entire nation. 

“In the past 12 months our work has reached deeper levels of impact amid a global landscape of unprecedented conflict that has driven record numbers of displaced people seeking refuge and new beginnings,” Ms Collinson said. 

“Our tailored approach to ensures comprehensive support for refugees, migrants and multicultural communities from the initial stages of their settlement journey to their ultimate independence. 

“Our mission is to ensure every individual we support can lead a fulfilling and impactful life within Australia’s multicultural society,” Ms Collinson said.