Student Visa Working Hours in Australia

You’ve made the right decision in coming to Australia for your studies. But, your education journey in Australia is not just in books and classes. You might already know that you are allowed to work while you are studying but its important that you have a good grasp on your working rights while on an Australian student visa.

If you have questions on how many hours you and your dependents can work in Australia, you've come to the right place. This blog is just for you.

How many hours am I allowed to work while on a student visa

There has been quite a lot of changes in the permitted number of work hours for student visa holders in the past few years. Initially student visa holders were allowed to work 40 hours a fortnight which basically meant that you can work 20 hours per week. This was changed due to labour shortages caused by the pandemic and student visa holders were allowed to work unlimited hours until changes were announced.

With the opening of the new migration year, from the 01st July 2023, student visa holders will only be able to work 48 hours per fortnight, which means you can only work 24 hours a week.

However, student visa holders who are working in the aged care sector can continue to work unlimited hours until December 2023.

In and Out of Session: Shifting Work Hours

Your work rights also change depending on whether your course is in session or out of session. The student visa work limitations only apply if your course is in session, which means that you can work unlimited hours when your course is out of session i.e.; when you are on vacation. There's no upper limit on work hours, and you can work full time if you wish. So, holiday periods can potentially mean a lot more income for you.

Can my dependants work while I am on a Student Visa?

If you are the immediate family of a student visa holder in Australia, you are also provided work rights depending on the course that the student visa holder is studying. A dependant of a student visa holder studying a bachelor’s or lower will be entitled to work the same number of hours the student visa holder is permitted to work.

But if the student visa holder is studying a master’s or a doctorate in Australia, their dependants are not subject to any limitation on the work hours. This simply means you can keep busy (and keep your pockets filled) while your loved ones hit the books.

Done with your course? There's Post Study Work Visa

What happens once you're done with your course? There's good news here as well. Once you complete your studies in Australia you will be eligible for a Post Study Work Visa provided your course was at least 02 years long.

If you are granted a Post Study Work Visa you can work full time in Australia for up to 2-4 years. From your post study work visa then you can proceed to Permanent Residency in Australia.

These are just the basics of what you need to know about working hours for someone on an Australian student visa. There are many other considerations including student visa conditions which you need to properly understand before you actually start to work. For more personalized advice, consulting an immigration lawyer will clear all your doubts and set you on the correct pathway to fulfil your Australian dream!