WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Most Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, subject to their conditions. Confirm your own permission before accepting work.
Read the actual visa conditions
Use your visa grant and current Home Affairs information. The old subclass 573 and 574 summaries are not the current Student visa framework. Offshore-granted students normally cannot begin work before their course starts.
Research master’s and doctoral students have different hour provisions once their course starts. Scheduled course breaks also differ from teaching periods. Do not treat a self-chosen holiday or an absence from class as an official break.
Count hours across all jobs
Create a fortnightly record of shifts and check the official definition of a fortnight. Two employers do not provide two allowances. For example, 30 hours at a café plus 22 hours tutoring makes 52 hours, above a 48-hour limit where that limit applies.
Do not assume unpaid work or a placement is excluded. Ask the university’s international office how the actual arrangement interacts with your conditions before agreeing to it.
Check pay and employment terms
International students have workplace protections. Ask for the employer’s legal name, duties, pay basis and shift expectations, and retain timesheets and payslips. A request to return part of your wages or pay for a job is a reason to seek advice.
Use the Fair Work Ombudsman resources linked by the Department of Education for pay and workplace help. Tax registration and a bank account are administrative steps; neither overrides visa conditions.
Make the job fit your studies
Search university careers services and verified employers. Include travel time, assessments and recovery time in your availability. A manageable job close to campus may be more useful than one offering shifts you cannot legally or practically work.
Next action: check your visa conditions, draft a two-week study-and-work schedule and use that availability when applying. Keep tuition and essential living plans independent of an unconfirmed job.
Sources and further reading
- Study Australia: work rights ↗
- Study Australia: Student visa subclass 500 ↗
- Australian Department of Education: students’ workplace rights ↗
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Examples and planning suggestions are Effikos editorial guidance.
Something needs a closer look? Send us a correction.
