DIAC: Australians need to travel to assist with Working Holiday program
More Australians must travel overseas to assist with the influx of international working holiday makers visiting Australia, the Department of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC) has said.
DIAC director of working holiday section, Deirdre Russack told delegates at the Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference (ABiC) today that many more UK citizens are visiting Australia than the other way around and was also the case in other markets where Australia has reciprocal visa arrangements.
“If we had more Australians going overseas for working holidays then the government would feel comfortable increasing the number of arrangements we have,” Russack said.
She added that while Australia’s Working Holiday Program had seen 18 per cent growth in three years, its growth had slowed to 1.84 per cent this year.
“If this continues, it is possible the number of grants in the 2009/2010 year may lower compared to 08/09. Hopefully towards Chirstmas, people will be applying again.” Russack added: “If we had Australians going out for a year at a time it would make a big difference.”
Russack also told delegates DIAC was facing a big issue with fraudulent submissions for second year working holiday permits. She said backpackers are not completing the work they claim to have done and they submit false documentation by paying around $500 for farmers’ ABNs.
She said an Irish Working Holiday Maker has been prosecuted, fined and “ejected” from Australia, with others to follow soon.
“The message needs to go out there that it’s a privilege to get a second Working Holiday Visa, you do have to do the three months in the regional areas and if you use false documentation, you are going to be caught.”
By Alice Terlikowski · November 5th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Comments
8 Nov 09
9:39 pm
I would argue that many Australians are not aware of the WHV scheme, or think it is limited to only Britain, when it also includes many European countries.
Similar to the WHV take up issue, are Australian universities not informing Australian students of international exchange and mobility opportunities (thus many remain inactive), yet faculty and adminstrative personnel travel incessantly to international promotional and networking events (Not sure international education mobility was meant to include administrators while not encouraging students)?
It is possibly a unique Ausytralian marketing issue where those responsible for promoting a service or product internationally from the public sector tend to prefer physical channels (where they remain central to process) promoting to their colleagues, counterparts and industry (via events), but not directly onshore to travellers and students (via internet)?
Suggests internal industry and organisational career paths and self interest take precedence over good marketing
Re. 2nd year WHV smple, DIAC must improve its paperwork vetting system, i.e. needs to be more intrusive?
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