Australia 'becoming more of a favourite' for emigrants

Article Date : 01 January 2010
News Section: Australia

Australia is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for emigrants, its government has said.

The Australian Visa Bureau noted that countries whose citizens normally choose neighbours as places to depart to are heading across the world to live down under, with Ireland and Canada being notable examples.

It revealed that this year has seen a 25 per cent rise in Irish visa applications, while 13 per cent more Canadians have been keen to make the move.

This represented a shift from the norm, where Britain or the US would be the preferred destinations.

Such a development may be due to the stronger economic situation in Australia, which has partly been reflected in rising house prices as well as other strong indicators.

Due to such factors, the Reserve Bank of Australia has raised its cash rate three times in recent months, in order to head off any surge in inflation as the economy grows in strength.