Australia considers raising working holiday visa age to 50

[Yossarian]

Interesting - at 49 with a family, there is zero chance of me moving Down Under on a backpacker work visa, but I can think of several friends who would almost certainly have done this in their 40s if the opportunity had been there.

Australia’s peak tourism body wants the working holiday visa age cut-off to be lifted to provide a wider range of skilled workers and professionals. The federal government is conducting a migration review to find ways of addressing worker shortages across Australia.

Popular with backpacker tourists, the working holiday visa is only eligible for people 35 years and under. But Tourism and Transport Forum Australia chief executive, Margy Osmond, said Australia could get more benefits out of the program by lifting age eligibility rules to 50.

Australia’s tourism body wants to lift working holiday visa age limit to 50

Lifting age eligibility rules would help attract a wider range of skilled workers and professionals, Tourism and Transport Forum boss says

www.theguardian.com

 

[SpookyFrank]

The same Australia that puts working-age migrants into concentration camps?

 

[MrCurry]

You would’ve thought they’d just change their rules to allow some of Europe’s excess of migrants / refugees to move there. An Australian restauranteur I follow on YouTube regularly talks about the near impossibility of finding catering and hospitality staff.

 

[The39thStep]

This year has seen the largest number of strikes over pay and conditions since 2012