Australians living in America: How many?

How many Australians live in America is a question that is often asked but challenging to answer. This report attempts to answer the perennial question based on data directly obtained from the U.S. Government.

It comes as no surprise that the Global Pandemic severely impacted the number of Australians obtaining visas in 2020 and 2021. 2023 was an important year as it placed some distance between the data impacted by the Pandemic. A separate report answers the number of Australian who repatriated in 2020.

Part of this report relies on I-94 data – which is recorded every time an Australian enters the U.S. on a visa. While this number can skew high as an individual can make multiple entries, it is helpful for interpolating trends. I-94 data lags by 12 months.

Australian Citizens Entering the United States on an I-94

What is unequivocal is that we can see that the vast majority of Australians entering the US are on tourist visas. Except for 2021, there is a high probability that if you bump into an Australian, they are on a Tourist/Visa Waiver and do not live in the U.S.

Tourist crossings in 2020 were 532,815, and 23,096 in 2021.

Total crossings in 2019 were 1,524,305, and only 537,835 in 2022 so there is still a long way to go to return to the Mean.

Entering the U.S. on B Visas

B Visa crossings also rebounded from 1,917 in 2021 to 4,697 in 2022 and again in 2023 to 10,247. This, however, is only at 2015 levels.

Non-immigrant visas issued to Australians living in America

To understand how many Australians live in the U.S., we first need to look at the number of non-immigrant visas that are issued. Given that non-immigrant visas expire every two years, adding the latest two years of data will give a rough estimate.

In 2020, the total number of Australians issued with Non-Immigrant visas declined by more than 50%, and then another 36% in 2021!

However, we witnessed a sharp increase of 124% in visas issued to Australians in 2022 over 2021 to 31,825 visas. In 2023 we saw a bump to 39,564. However, this again only brings us to the level of the number of visas issued in 2015.

Based on these numbers, it is estimated that approximately 70,000 Australians were on non-immigrant visas and living in America at the end of 2023.

E-3 Visas issued to Australians living in America

The E-3 visa category rebounded in 2022 with 4,371 E-3s, 3,729 E-3Ds, and 2,631 E-3 Rs. This represented approximately 30% of the total non-immigrant visas issued to Australians that year.

However, 2023 saw a slight decrease in E3 visas to 4,334. E3D visas slightly increased to 3,759, and E3D visas decreased to 2,410.

E-3 Visa Denials

The percentage of E-3 visas denied in 2022 rose sharply over 2021. However, they fell in 2023. There were 221 denials in 2022 and 186 in 2023.

Is the E-3 Visa Returning to the Mean?

Before the Pandemic, the monthly E-3 visa approvals floor was around 400 visas, with peaks above 500. In 2022 they appeared to return to the mean with that same floor of 400 and a peak of 583 in September 2022.

However, it appeared that 2022’s numbers were driven by clearing the backlog of appointments.

In 2023, we witnessed the floor drop to around 300, with the peak at only 430.

Other Nations on the E-3D Visa.

Another remarkable chart is the spouses and children on an E-3D who are not Australian citizens. In 2022, there were 2,622 Australians and 667 Nationals from countries on an E-3D visa. In 2023 that number rose to 762.

Let’s not forget Green Cards 

Unlike non-immigrant visas, Australians on Green Cards have been relatively flat over the past decade. However, the number of Australians on employee-sponsored Green Cards has steadily increased.

Given that 46,831 Australians have received Green Cards since 2006, it would not be out of the realm of possibility that more than 30,000 Australians are currently in America either on a Green Card or have taken citizenship – factoring in repatriation.

Where are Australians on an E-3 Living in America?

New York has consistently led California as the preferred destination for Australians. This source of data is derived from the destinations recorded by Australians on their I-94 form.

So, How many Australians live in the U.S.?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, there were 97,815 Australians in America.

Our data is that at the end of 2023, there were c.70,000 Australians on non-immigrant visas and c.30,000 Permanent Residents and Dual Citizens, i.e. 100,000.

Based on the I-94 data, around 30% of Australians live in New York, and around 25% live in California.


Open US Bank and Credit Card Accounts from Australia and have instant access when you land!

Step 1: Open a US bank account before you leave Australia

The Australian Community offers a convenient and efficient way to open US bank and credit card accounts from Australia, even before you get a Social Security Number.

Step 2: Fund your newly opened US account with a Preferred Rate on AUD to USD negotiated for our Members with OFX.

Register and see why our Preferred Rate beats Australian Banks and major online FOREX services to stretch your AU Dollar further!


Join The Australian Community.

Founded in 2011, we connect more Australians in America.

If you are a professional Australian taking your career to the next level, or the U.S. is the next step in your company's global expansion, we can connect you to all of the resources you need for success in America.

Learn more about the benefits of joining The Australian Community in America.

Did you find this article helpful? Would you like to make a Donation!

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible under the IRS Code.

General Donation

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) U.S. Public Charity. Its Mission is to connect Australian living in the United States through social, professional and charitable initiatives.

It is qualified to receive tax deductible donations, bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Sections 170, 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.

Donate Now!

 


Up to $50,000 in Grants to Support Australian Culture!

The Australian Community is committing up to $50,000.00 to support Australian Culture in 2024!

Throughout the year, there are dozens of events in New York featuring Australian Art, Film, Sports, and the Performing Arts. However, when you are an Australian Government or Non-Profit organization in America, your social media generally only reaches other Australians.

However, one way to reach a broader American audience who are interested in Australian Arts and Culture is through Google Advertising. That way when someone searches for Australian cultural events, Google can serve a highly visible Ad with a link to the event.

But this can be expensive with every “click” costing as much as $1.00 – $2.00! Despite the benefits, this cost is often outside of many event budgets.

The Australian Community is therefore allocating $50,000 in 2024 to promoting Australian Arts and Culture in New York through Google Ads. This is made possible through our Support of Other Organizations and Individuals, charitable activity.

If you or your organization qualifies, an advertising budget between $500.00 and $1,000.00 will be allocated to promoting the Australian cultural event.

The Australian Community will work with you to create a search engine optimized event page on our website, with a 3rd party link to where your audience can purchase tickets. A Google Ad will simultaneously be created to link to the event page based on your keywords.

Apply Now!

If you are an Australian artist or organization aligned with our charitable mission, you may qualify for this grant. Grants will only be made to other organizations and individuals after due diligence and approval by the Board of Directors following our policies and procedures and while funding is available.

Please complete the following form to apply for a Grant. Applications for 2024 Grants are now open.


Before you send money Overseas!

Use this Currency Converter to gauge how much money you could save over your existing FOREX service by accessing The Australian Community’s Preferred OFX Rate.

Currencies can fluctuate by the minute. This Converter is indicative of the Preferred OFX Rate at this time.

However, once you register and access our Preferred OFX Rate, you will see the current converted rate, and the converted amount before making your transfer.


About The Australian Community

Join The Australian Community.

Learn more about the benefits of joining The Australian Community in America.

Founded in 2011, we connect more Australians in America.

If you are a professional Australian taking your career to the next level, or the U.S. is the next step in your company’s global expansion, we can connect you to all of the resources you need for success in America.

Did you find this article helpful? Make a Donation!

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible under the IRS Code.

General Donation

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) U.S. Public Charity. Its Mission is to connect Australian living in the United States through social, professional and charitable initiatives.

It is qualified to receive tax deductible donations, bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Sections 170, 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.

Donate Now!

 

Meet Joey, America’s first Australian Ex-Pat AI!

If you are an Ex-Pat and have a question about living in America, we have great news… You can now ask Joey, America’s first Australian Ex-Pat AI!

Australian ex-pats have been asking The Australian Community questions for more than a decade. Those questions and the answers have been captured and carefully curated inside our knowledge base. Now, through Joey, America’s first Australian Ex-Pat AI, you can access our knowledge base to answer ex-pat questions quickly.

Typically, Australian ex-pats use a search engine when they have a question and then have to wade through pages of information and Blog articles until they get an answer. With Joey, you type in a question, and you get the concise answer – specifically in the context of an Ex-Pat!

Like any AI, answers are dodgy at best without a well-constructed Model of behavior and an ethical, curated knowledge base. We have been testing Joey to ensure that the answers and information are relevant and delivered in a friendly, typically Australian language.

Meet Joey!

Just Ask Joey!

Over the past decade, we have amassed America’s largest private Australian knowledge base. This knowledge can now be accessed through our ChatBot, Joey.

Anyone can easily ask questions on Topics and Conversations with answers based on the knowledge of thousands of Australians in America.

Of course, Joey can make mistakes like any AI, but we closely monitor Joey’s answers and retrain any anomalies so that the next time the same question is asked, it gives the best response.

Our Corporate Sponsors, Australian artists, and cultural events are also winners of this Australian AI. Joey is trained to include events happening in our organization and mention our Corporate Sponsors when questions align with their products and services.

If you have any feedback on our Australian AI, you can tell Joey. We will get the memo!


Before you send money Overseas!

Use this Currency Converter to gauge how much money you could save over your existing FOREX service by accessing The Australian Community’s Preferred OFX Rate.

Currencies can fluctuate by the minute. This Converter is indicative of the Preferred OFX Rate at this time.

However, once you register and access our Preferred OFX Rate, you will see the current converted rate, and the converted amount before making your transfer.


About The Australian Community

Join The Australian Community.

Learn more about the benefits of joining The Australian Community in America.

Founded in 2011, we connect more Australians in America.

If you are a professional Australian taking your career to the next level, or the U.S. is the next step in your company’s global expansion, we can connect you to all of the resources you need for success in America.

Did you find this article helpful? Make a Donation!

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible under the IRS Code.

General Donation

The Australian Community is a 501(c)(3) U.S. Public Charity. Its Mission is to connect Australian living in the United States through social, professional and charitable initiatives.

It is qualified to receive tax deductible donations, bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Sections 170, 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.

Donate Now!