How Many Hours Can Students Work in Australia? Full-Time Rules

You’ve started your course, your rent is due, and a café down the road has offered you more shifts. Before you say yes, you want to know how many hours your student visa allows.

That’s a smart question to ask first. The rule is simple once you see it, and most students can earn a steady income without any risk to their visa.

Here is the short version. On a Student visa (subclass 500), you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session. You can work unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks.

So how many hours can students work in Australia, and can it ever be full time? This guide covers the 2026 rules, who can work more, and how a fortnight is counted.

It also explains your rights at work and what happens if you go over the limit.

If you’d like your own situation checked, you can book a consultation with our team.

Why do working hour limits matter for international students?

Working hour limits matter because your student visa is granted for study, and work has to fit around it. Staying within the limit keeps your visa safe and leaves room for your course.

1. Academic success

• Your course is the reason you hold the visa.
• You must keep up attendance and course progress, and long shifts make that harder.
• A capped work week leaves time for classes, study and exams.

2. Health and well-being

• Working and studying at once can lead to stress and burnout.
• Keeping work to a set number of hours leaves time to rest, exercise and see friends.
• Your provider has support services if you feel stretched.

3. Legal compliance

• The work limit is a condition of your visa, not a guideline.
• Breaching it can lead to your visa being cancelled.
• Knowing the rule from day one is the easiest way to stay on the right side of it.

4. Quality of work experience

• With fewer hours to fill, you can choose jobs that build skills for your career.
• Work in your field, even part time, makes your résumé stronger after you graduate.

5. Financial management

• Part-time work helps with living costs, but it shouldn’t be your only plan.
• Your student visa already asks you to show you can support yourself.
• Budget around the hours you’re allowed, not the hours an employer offers.

Can students work full time in Australia?

Students can’t work full time while their course is in session, but they can work full time during scheduled course breaks. The limit during study periods is 48 hours a fortnight, which is about 24 hours a week.

There is one main exception. If you’re studying a master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree, there’s no limit once your course has started.

The old aged care exemption, which let some students work extra hours in that sector, ended on 31 December 2023. No sector has an exemption in 2026.

How many hours can international students work in Australia in 2026?

International students can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session, and unlimited hours when it isn’t. This is the rule on the Home Affairs Student visa (subclass 500) page, last updated 22 October 2026.

How has the limit changed since 2022?

• From January 2022 to 30 June 2023, the limit was paused during the COVID-19 recovery.
• Before that, the limit was 40 hours a fortnight.
• Since 1 July 2023, the limit has been 48 hours a fortnight. It hasn’t changed since.

What are the work rules for student visa holders?

• You can’t work until your course has started in Australia.
• You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session.
• You can work unlimited hours during scheduled breaks in your provider’s calendar.
• Work that is a registered part of your course, such as a credited placement, doesn’t count toward the 48 hours.

A fortnight is any 14-day period that starts on a Monday. That means every two weeks back to back must stay within 48 hours, not just the pairs your employer uses for pay.

Who can work more than 48 hours a fortnight?

• Students in a master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree have no limit once the course starts. Their family members have no limit either.
• Family members of students in a master’s degree by coursework or an extended master’s can work more than 48 hours. The student is still limited to 48.
• Other family members can work up to 48 hours a fortnight, and they stay limited during course breaks.

Family is a smaller group now. Since 2 October 2026, most new Student visa applicants can’t include family members. Our guide on bringing your family on a student visa explains who still can, and the student visa changes from 2 October 2026 cover the rest.

What work rights do international students have in Australia?

International students have the same workplace rights as every other worker in Australia. Your visa limits your hours, but it doesn’t reduce your pay or protections. The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has guides in many languages.

Minimum wage

• The National Minimum Wage is AUD 26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026, set by the Fair Work Commission.
• Many jobs pay more under an award, and casual workers get a higher rate on top.
• Cash-in-hand work below these rates is still illegal, even if you agree to it.
• For realistic weekly earnings, see how much international students can earn in Australia.

Payslips

• Your employer must give you a payslip within one working day of paying you.
• It must show your hours, pay rate, deductions and super.
• Keep your payslips. They’re also your record of hours worked.

Safe workplace

• Your employer must give you training, supervision and safe equipment.
• You can refuse work that puts you at serious risk.

Leave entitlements

• Part-time staff get annual leave and sick leave on full pay.
• Casual staff don’t get leave on pay, which is why their hourly rate is higher.

Fair treatment

• It’s illegal to treat you unfairly because of your race, religion, age, gender or visa status.
• Bullying, unfair dismissal and underpayment can all be reported to the FWO.

Superannuation

• Your employer must pay super, a retirement saving, at 12% of your ordinary earnings.
• When you leave Australia for good, you can usually claim it back. See our guide on withdrawing your super when you leave Australia.

Taxation

• You need a Tax File Number (TFN) to work. You can apply for a TFN once you’re in Australia.
• If your course runs for more than six months, you’re generally a resident for tax purposes.
• Residents pay tax at the same rates as Australians, including the tax-free threshold.

Workplace rights protection

• If you’re being exploited, you can ask the FWO for help.
• Under an agreement between Home Affairs and the FWO, your visa won’t usually be cancelled for a work breach if you report exploitation and follow your conditions from then on.
• You can check your own work conditions at any time in Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).

Which other student visa conditions affect your job?

Your job must fit around the study conditions on your visa, not the other way round. These are the ones that most often clash with work.

Stay enrolled in a registered course

• You must stay enrolled in a course that is registered for international students.
• Dropping to a lighter study load to work more can breach this condition.

Meet your course requirements

• You must complete the requirements of the course you’re enrolled in.
• Tell your provider early if work or money problems affect your studies.

Attendance and course progress

• You must keep satisfactory attendance and course progress each study period.
• Your provider must report students who don’t, so long shifts that cost you classes carry a visa risk.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

• You must hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your whole stay.
• Your job doesn’t replace it, even if your employer offers other insurance.

What happens if you work more than 48 hours a fortnight?

If you work more than 48 hours in a fortnight during your course, you breach a condition of your visa, and Home Affairs can cancel it. A single breach doesn’t mean automatic cancellation. The department looks at your circumstances first, and you get the chance to respond.

Visa cancellation

• Home Affairs can send you a notice that it is considering cancellation.
• You’ll be asked to explain, and what you say matters.
• If your visa is cancelled, you may have review rights, but deadlines are short.

Penalties for employers

• Employers who allow or pressure a student to breach work conditions can face penalties under the Migration Act.
• An employer asking you to work “a few extra hours” doesn’t protect you from the breach.

Impact on future visas

• A cancelled visa can stop you from getting some visas in Australia for a period.
• It also has to be declared on future visa applications.

If you’ve received a notice or think you may have gone over the limit, a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) can look at your hours and help you respond. You can book a consultation in person or online.

What types of jobs can international students take?

International students can take part-time, casual or full-time jobs, as long as the hours stay within the visa limit while the course is in session. The type of job changes your pay, leave and how predictable your hours are.

Full-time employment

• Full-time work is usually 38 hours a week.
• Most students can only work full time during course breaks, so a full-time contract rarely fits during term.

Part-time employment

• Part-time staff work regular hours below 38 a week.
• They get annual leave and sick leave on full pay.

Casual employment

• Casual work has flexible hours that can change each week.
• There’s no leave on pay, but the hourly rate includes a loading of 25% under most awards.
• It’s the easiest type of job to fit around the 48-hour limit.

Internships and work-integrated learning (WIL)

• Placements that are a registered part of your course don’t count toward the 48 hours.
• Internships that aren’t part of your course do count, whether you earn a wage or not.
• Genuine volunteer work for a non-profit, with no wage, may fall outside the limit. Check before you rely on it.

How can you balance work and study in Australia?

You can balance work and study by planning shifts around your timetable and tracking your hours every fortnight. These habits help most.

• Plan by fortnight: track your hours in two-week blocks starting on a Monday, not by pay period.
• Watch two jobs: hours from every job count toward the same 48-hour limit.
• Check your calendar: unlimited hours only apply in breaks your provider has scheduled.
• Know your rights: read the FWO guide for your industry before your first shift.
• Use your provider: careers and student support teams can help with jobs and workload.

How The Migration helps international students

We help students understand their visa conditions and plan work and study so their visa stays secure.

• Condition check: we read your visa conditions in VEVO with you and explain what they mean for your job.
• Breach advice: if you’ve received a notice about your work hours, we help you prepare your response.
• Visa planning: we explain how the 2 October 2026 changes affect your Student visa (subclass 500) and your next visa.
• A registered agent: visa advice comes from a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738). You can check the number on the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) register.
• Experience and access: our team has 7+ years in practice, with consultations at our Harris Park office or online.

Conclusion: how many hours can you work on a student visa?

On a Student visa (subclass 500), you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session and unlimited hours in scheduled breaks. Research master’s and doctoral students have no limit once their course starts.

Count your hours in 14-day blocks starting on a Monday, and add up every job. You’re entitled to the minimum wage, payslips, super and a safe workplace, whatever your visa.

If you’re unsure about your hours or have received a notice from Home Affairs, a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) can review your situation. Book a consultation with our team.

Frequently asked questions