More than 3,500 Irish nationals have applied to relocate to Australia so far this year, according to an Australian visa specialist.

Liz O'Hagan, originally from Australia but based in Kildare, said there had been a "massive increase" in the amount of graduates and families looking to set up a new life.

O'Hagan, who charges between €200 and €2,000, facilitates all aspects of the move from obtaining a visa to choosing a new job.

"The kinds of people coming to me are Irish graduates here who know there are no jobs and know the state of the economy first-hand. They want to go to Australia backpacking for at least a few years to get away. Then there are a lot of families, of which I am seeing an increasing number. I went from seeing a few hundred a year... to a few thousand a year now," she said.

O'Hagan said the 3,500 clients she had seen marked an all-time high for her flourishing Australian Visa Specialists business. "There are a lot of Irish people who desperately want to leave, but they need to make sure they have their visa and their jobs and homes set up, and that's what I'm here for. The amount of people who are making enquiries has never been higher."

According to O'Hagan, a wealth of nursing, engineering and construction jobs in supply in Australia are proving to be a key attraction. Figures released by the Central Statistics Office last week show a marked increase in those emigrating. Emigration figures are at their highest levels since 1989, with over 27,700 people choosing to leave during the year to April.

The figures also show a 50% increase in Irish nationals leaving the country. Ireland's graduates face grim prospects, with 25.8% of the 20-24 age group remaining unemployed.