Demand for Australian visas rises 44%

THE numbers of young Irish people seeking working holiday visas for Australia has increased by 44% since 2005 when this country had near full employment.

Figures from the Australian Embassy also show a near three-fold increase in the past two years in the number of Irish whoapplied to have their year- long visa extended for another year. Over the past year, 21,727 peopleapplied for a second-year visa compared to 7,790 in 2006-2007.

These figures come after the ESRI forecast in recent days that 40,000 people will emigrate next year, as unemployment is likely to hit 16.1%.