Australian Immigration News

Increase in Australian Visas for Short-Term Business Trips

Recent Australian immigration figures reveal that there was an increase in the number of Australian visa applicants entering Australia under the visa for short-term business trips.

The figures show that Australian visa applicants for short term business trips (456 sub-class) were over 120,000 in the last quarter of 2011. The applications under 456 sub-class rose by 11.4 percent from September to December 2011, making up 14 percent of all visa applications. Despite the increase the rate of visa approval was still 97.3 percent.

China had the highest surge in 456 visa applications. According to an immigration spokesperson, the rise of Chinese applicants is a result of strong business links between China and Australia.

Other factors affecting the surge in applications include Australia's stable, growing economy and abundance of natural resources which lure international investors. Some claim the change is due to the decrease in the number of foreign tourists visiting Australia; the slumping euro and uncertain dollar and pound have caused a volatile situation for Australian tourism which relies on international tourists.

If you are interested in Australian visas, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try its visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Australia.