This paper investigates the employment transitions of nearly 2,200 humanitarian migrants in Australia and offers insights on the patterns and key drivers of the transition from income support payments to paid employment as a main income source. It draws on data from the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) longitudinal study over a 10-year period, from 2013–14 to 2023.

Key findings

• There was a significant shift from reliance on income support payments to paid employment at the fifth year of settlement for humanitarian migrants. 
• Early participation in English language study was associated with a 12 percentage point increase in short-term employment transitions among humanitarian migrants but the positive effect did not persist by year ten. 
• Early engagement in other studies or job training programs in Australia had a lasting positive impact on employment transition, particularly for men, who experienced a 22 percentage point increase by year ten.
• Overseas qualifications are not helping skilled humanitarian migrants translate their education into employment without extra support.
• Humanitarian migrants with disability or long-term health conditions faced significant barriers to employment transitions over time.