What does the 2026 Census mean for migrants, CALD communities and newly arrived Australians?

Emily Walter, spokesperson for the national census at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Credit ABS) Credit: Emily Walter, spokesperson for the national census at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Supplied ABS)

Australian Bureau of Statistics national census spokesperson Emily Walter told SBS Urdu that Census Night is the official snapshot of everyone physically present in Australia, regardless of residency status. Census participation is compulsory for migrants, international students, temporary visa holders and visitors, with limited exceptions such as foreign diplomats. Learn more about the 2026 Census in this podcast.

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Emily Walter, spokesperson for the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ national census, told SBS Urdu that "On Census Night", we need to know who is in the country at that particular time so accurate data can be collected.

There are job opportunities linked to the census, including roles suited for migrants and multilingual community members.

Emily Walter, spokesperson for the ABS National Census

Ms Walter said that one of the most important changes in the 2026 Census is that people can now provide up to four ancestry responses instead of just one.

Know more about Census 2026.

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