Australian immigration under pressure to extend

The Australian Immigration department is under increasing pressure to extend working holiday visas by a year if young people opt to work for the tourism industry in regional Australia.

The move would help to fill vacancies in parts of Australia that still struggle to find local people to do jobs. The pressure is coming from the Australian Tourist Export Council, which claims there are lots of opportunities for backpackers to work in the industry in regional areas.

Felicia Mariani, the managing director of the council, said, "The advent of low-cost carriers, particularly around South-East Asia, has created real competition for us in that market because those destinations are easy and cheap to get to, and then when you're there your dollar goes a lot further than it does here."

She also added that Australia needs to make sure it continues to offer a good deal for backpackers as they provide a significant contribution to the economy. Currently, they can extend their stay for a year if they work in regional areas in a variety of other industries, including mining, agriculture and fishing. However, Mariani is hoping this list is extended to tourism to benefit the sector and attract more young tourists applying for visas.