Australian student visa working hours are 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. During official course breaks, you can work unlimited hours. This rule covers most Student visa (subclass 500) holders.
Work more than the limit and your visa can be at risk. So know the rules before you take a job. This guide explains the limit in simple words, with an example and a quick table.
The facts below come from Department of Home Affairs information. Your own visa may have different conditions, so check them on VEVO.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours in Term Time
Most student visas carry work condition 8105. It limits you to 48 hours of work in a fortnight when your classes are running.
The 48 hours is a two-week total. It is not 24 hours each week. You could work 30 hours in one week and 18 in the next.
The limit covers all your jobs together. Two part-time jobs still share one limit.
Exam time counts as term time too. And you can start work only after your course has begun.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours in Course Breaks
In the breaks your education provider has scheduled for your course, you can work unlimited hours. Think of the gap between two semesters.
The break must be official. A week off that you took yourself is not a break. If classes are running, the 48-hour limit still applies.
When the next term starts, the limit comes back. Check your provider’s calendar for exact dates.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours at a Glance
| Situation | Work limit |
|---|---|
| Before your course starts | No work allowed |
| Course in session (most students) | 48 hours per fortnight |
| Official course break | Unlimited hours |
| Masters by research or PhD (after course starts) | Unlimited hours |
| Dependant of most students | 48 hours per fortnight, all year |
| Dependant of a Masters or PhD student | Unlimited hours |
Australian Student Visa Working Hours for PhD Students
If you study a Masters by research or a doctorate, there is no work hour limit once your course has started.
A Masters by coursework is different. Those students stay on 48 hours per fortnight.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours for Dependants
A partner or child on your student visa has their own work condition, called 8104. They cannot work until your course has started.
After that, they can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. They do not get extra hours in course breaks.
If you study a Masters or a PhD, your dependants can work unlimited hours once your course starts.
How to Count Australian Student Visa Working Hours
A fortnight means 14 days that start on a Monday. Every Monday starts a new 14-day window. Your hours must stay at 48 or below in every one of those windows.
You cannot average hours across the semester. Your pay cycle does not matter either.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours Example
Say you work 20 hours in week 1, then 28 in week 2, then 28 in week 3.
Weeks 1 and 2 add up to 48 hours. That is fine. But weeks 2 and 3 add up to 56 hours. That is a breach.
Weeks 2 + 3 = 56 hours (breach)
A safe habit is to work 24 hours or less in each week.
Hours That Count: Australian Student Visa Working Hours
These all count toward your limit:
- Casual and part-time jobs
- Every job you hold, added together
- Contract work on an ABN, such as delivery riding
- Unpaid work that normally gets paid, like an unpaid trial shift
Real volunteer work may sit outside the limit, but the rules are strict. Ask a migration agent before you rely on it. Work placement that is a required part of your course is also treated separately.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours: Breach Risks
If you work more than your limit, Home Affairs can cancel your visa. A breach can also hurt later applications, such as the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
You can also breach your conditions if you stop attending classes or fail to make satisfactory course progress.
If your boss underpays you or treats you unfairly, you can report it to the Fair Work Ombudsman. Home Affairs has said it will not cancel your visa for reporting exploitation, even if you worked over the limit.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours FAQs
Australian Student Visa Working Hours: Weekly Limit?
The limit is set per fortnight, not per week. But because windows overlap, 24 hours or less each week keeps you safe.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours: Start Date?
You can start work only after your course has begun.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours: Two Jobs?
Yes, you can hold two jobs. But the hours from both jobs are added together under one 48-hour limit.
Australian Student Visa Working Hours: Any Changes?
The limit rose from 40 to 48 hours per fortnight on 1 July 2023, and the 48-hour cap is the rule in the Home Affairs information we reviewed. Rules can change, so confirm on the Home Affairs Student visa page before you rely on it.
Need Help With Australian Student Visa Working Hours?
Not sure which condition is on your visa? Our team at Asia Pacific Group (APG) can help. We are MARA-registered migration agents, not lawyers, and we explain your options in plain language.
Official sources:
- Home Affairs: Student visa (subclass 500)
- Home Affairs: FOI FA 25/06/01036 on student visa work limits
- Study Australia: Student visa (subclass 500)
- VEVO: check your visa conditions
This article is general information only. Visa rules can change.
