Visa data shows how financial instability has impacted on Australian migration

Details

Created on Monday, 19 March 2012 14:45

Written by Editorial staff

A recent publication from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has helped to show how international economic turbulence is affecting Australian businesses.

The Visitor Visa Program Quarterly Report for the period ending December 31 2011 shows that the total number of tourism visas fell over the three month period in comparison to the same timeframe in 2010.

While still numbering in the millions, the 3.1 per cent reduction saw applications from key tourist destination drop rather dramatically - something that registered migration agents are sure to have noticed.

In particular, applicants from Japan and the United Kingdom were notable in their absence - with a drop of 15.5 per cent and 11.4 per cent respectively when compared to the last three months of 2010.

A decline in the number of Japanese visitors is readily explained by the natural disasters the country suffered in 2011 - the undersea earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11 have been described as two of the most devastating environmental events in recorded history.

The terrestrial shock generated waves of up to 40 metres in height that in some cases travelled as far as 10 kilometres inland, wiping out communities and wreaking havoc on the country's infrastructure.

The subsequent impact on the local economy from ongoing clean-up efforts has understandably had a dampening effect on both the interest and capacity of Japanese tourists.

Over in the UK, economic uncertainty has seen widespread concerns over job stability - with the resulting fear having an impact on local sentiments.

One of the more visible outbursts was the London Riots which took place between August 6 and 10 after a peaceful protest turned violent.

Widespread arson, property destruction and looting resulted in millions of pounds in damages and saw thousands of participants arrested for a wide range of offenses.

While these actions have been attributed to a number of contributing factors, the main effect on Australian businesses - including migration agents - has been that tourist visa applications from these destinations has suffered a measurable dip.

While the DIAC notes that there has been a substantial increase in the use of these documents from Chinese citizens in the last quarter of 2011 - with a 27.8 per cent increase seeing a total of 166,721 visa holders - the volume has not been enough to counter the drop in other sectors.