Irish interest in Australian visas rising
Australia’s Department of Immigration has reported a continuing increase in the number of young Irish people obtaining Working Holiday Visa. The visas, which are available to those between 18 and 30, have been growing in popularity every year for the last five years. Between July 2007 and March 2008, there were 12,700 visas issued, according to a report in Australia’s Irish Echo; 13,500 had been issued for the entire previous year.
The newspaper also revealed that dozens of Irish nationals are being detained annually by immigration officials. In the 2006/2007 financial year, 26 Irish people were detained, while in the 2007/2008 financial year, 24 were detained. Those detained were working without visas, or had expired visas. The Department of Immigration said they were either deported or detained, according to their situation.