There are two main pathways to migrating to Australia: temporary visas and permanent migration.

Within these two pathways are several different avenues for coming to live in Australia.

Temporary immigration covers a number of visa categories including international students, skilled workers and people on working holidays.

Chart of temporary visa holders.

Source: Department of Immigration and Border Protection

To become a permanent resident, immigrants can apply under the migration program or the humanitarian program.

New Zealanders have their own set of rules to comply with if they wish to become permanent residents, but hundreds of thousands are in Australia on a special category visa (sc444 in the chart above).

But even under these two pathways there are multiple pathways.

Australian National University senior migration law academic Marianne Dickie told SBS World News migrating to Australia was so complicated most people needed the aid of a migration lawyer or agent to navigate the process.

"For most people it's not just filling in forms, it's knowing which path to take," she said.

"There's 5,000 migration agents in Australia. It's really complicated and the law changes all the time. It's hard, it's expensive and it takes time."