Abul Rizvi

Abul Rizvi

Dr Abul Rizvi is an economics, accounting and public policy graduate from ANU and has recently completed a PhD in population and immigration policy. From 1991 to 1995, he was the Immigration Department’s Chief Financial Officer before managing Australia’s migration program from 1995 to 2007. He commissioned research on the demographic, economic and budgetary impact of immigration that was extensively used in policy development, including the 2002 Intergenerational Report. This research led to major policy changes to expand Australia’s international education industry, skilled temporary migration and working holiday makers as a pathway to an expanded permanent migration program. This slowed population ageing in Australia and made it a demographic outlier amongst developed nations (ie younger, more diverse and growing faster) over the past 20 years. Dr Rizvi was awarded the Public Service Medal and the Centenary Medal for services to the development and implementation of Australian immigration policy. He is a frequent media commentator on population, immigration and its impact on Australia’s economic directions. He recently featured in the SBS Documentary Who Gets to Stay in Australia. Dr Rizvi is Rizvi is the author of the book Population Shock on the role of Australia's immigration policies in shaping Australia's population and economic policies