In 2013, BNLA was commissioned by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) to help support the successful settlement of humanitarian migrants. DIAC initially funded the program for 5 years which was based on the 4-year waiting period plus extra time to apply for Australian citizenship.

In April 2014, the Department of Social Services (DSS) took oversight of the study due to machinery of government changes. At this time BNLA joined the new National Centre for Longitudinal Data (NCLD) with other longitudinal studies.

In 2018 DSS secured additional ongoing funding in the 2017–18 Commonwealth Budget to continue supporting BNLA.

AIFS have been responsible for managing the data collection, with Verian (formerly known as Kantar Public) and Multicultural Marketing and Management (MMM) conducting the fieldwork.

The study has continued past 2018 and the wave 6 data has just been released. 

AIFS and DSS are discussing establishing a new cohort of the BNLA study in the future.