15 February 2008

Thousands flock to take working holidays in Australia

Skilled migration into Australia among gap year students is booming following the release of government figures this week, which revealed that some 145,000 grants for Australia-sponsored visas are expected to be processed by the end of fiscal 2007 - a 10,000 hike on the year 2006-07.

Skilled migration into Australia among gap year students is booming following the release of government figures this week, which revealed that some 145,000 grants for Australian working holiday visas are expected to be processed by the end of fiscal 2007 - a 10,000 hike on the year 2006-07.

With residents from more than 19 countries aged between 18 and 30 years old attracted to Australia for a working holiday or to stay in the country on a permanent basis, the country is competing with other popular gap year destinations like New Zealand and Fiji as a top destination for young people.

While the number of working holiday visa applications is booming, recent focus has also been put on Australian skilled migration. A recent report shows that British skilled visa applicants are no longer the largest number of applicants for Australian immigration, with an influx of Korean citizens over-taking British migrant workers. These figures come from DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship), as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Further methods are being taken to bring qualified workers to meet Australia’s skills shortage, with a panel launched by the Australian government to focus on providing migration advice. The panel will include experts from economics, industry, academia and training providers, reports the Australian Associated Press.

Anyone interested in taking a working holiday to Australia should confirm their eligibility by taking Visa Bureau’s online assessment.