Date of Royal Assent 8 October 1958 | ||
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Citation Migration Act 1958 (No. 62 of 1958) | ||
The Migration Act 1958 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia. Its long title is "An Act relating to the entry into, and presence in, Australia of aliens, and the departure or deportation from Australia of aliens and certain other persons." The Migration Act 1958 is the current legislation governing immigration to Australia, and has been amended a number of times. The 1958 Act replaced the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 which had formed the basis of the White Australia policy, and abolished the dictation test and replaced it with a universal visa system (or entry permits), and removed many of the other restrictions in the 1901 Act.
Legislative history
In 1966, the First Holt Ministry amended the Act by the Migration Act 1966 which relaxed the restrictions that had blocked the entry of non-European migrants for 65 years. The Migration Act 1966 increased access to migrants other than those from Europe, including refugees fleeing Vietnam.