There are currently over 130,000 holders of working holiday visas in Australia, 15,000 of which are on their second working holiday visas.
This increase is due to a major increase in the number of working holiday visas granted.
The increase in WHVs granted to people from Ireland rose by 25% per cent in 2012, 55% from Hong Kong, 43% from Taiwan, 30% from Italy, and 21% from Japan.
11,911 working holiday visas (WHV) were granted to Ireland in 2011, compared to 8,923 the previous year, representing a 33% increase for 2011.
The WHV program is open to 18- to 30-year-olds and allows young people to work for up to six months with one Australian employer.
Carrying out 88 days regional work in a designated location makes such visa holders eligible for a second WHV.
These figures are set out in the Australian Government’s Working Holiday Maker Visa Program report, which predicts the growth to continue for the foreseeable future, but that this will be “partly contingent upon the wider global economic situation”.