Immigration officials are currently assessing applications from 1000 Syrian refugees who want to come to Australia.
The government will ultimately offer places to 12,000 of those fleeing fighting in the war-torn nation, drawing them from persecuted minority groups in camps in the Middle East.
"We are working through those applications including, importantly, the security and health checks that will need to be applied," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
Mr Dutton said the government wanted to prioritise those most at risk, but he couldn't provide a religious breakdown at this stage.
They will be predominantly made up of families, women and children.
"We want to make sure we are providing people who are legitimately in need the opportunity to come to our country."
Mr Dutton said all would face rigorous screening and some applicants already had been rejected.
"Under no circumstance will we sacrifice the security screening."
It would take time for Australian officials to conduct biometric searches, even though that work was also being done by the United Nations.
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