ABSTRACT
The recent change in Australian immigration policy has opened the door to three-quarters of a million temporary immigrants annually. The key research question that emerges is whether the new temporary immigration has led to benefits to both the new immigrants and the Australian nation. This chapter concerns one slice of this research question: the work and life experiences of Australia's new guest workers once in Australia. It presents recent data on the size and characteristics of temporary migration in Australia before reviewing the Australian literature on temporary migration with an eye to research about the experiences of temporary immigrants at work and in the communities where they live. The chapter also presents the findings of recent fieldwork on Korean working holiday makers before revisiting the central research question. Gender considerations are critical in understanding the global flows of temporary migrants.
