Section 4Migration Act 1958 (Cth)

Object of Act

(1) The object of this Act is to regulate, in the national interest, the coming into, and presence in, Australia of non‑citizens.

(2) To advance its object, this Act provides for visas permitting non‑citizens to enter or remain in Australia and the Parliament intends that this Act be the only source of the right of non‑citizens to so enter or remain.

(3) To advance its object, this Act provides for non‑citizens and citizens to be required to provide personal identifiers for the purposes of this Act or the regulations.

(4) To advance its object, this Act provides for the removal or deportation from Australia of non‑citizens whose presence in Australia is not permitted by this Act.

(5) To advance its object, this Act provides for the taking of unauthorised maritime arrivals from Australia to a regional processing country.

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 May 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au. Verify the current text against the official source before relying on it.

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