With a Student Visa, subclass 500, you can work up to 48 hours every two weeks while your course is in session. This general limit does not apply during official course holidays. Other limits depend on whether classes have already started and the type of studies. It also depends on whether you are the visa holder or a family member included in the application.
Quick response
- During the academic term, including exam weeks, you can work up to 48 hours every two weeks.
- During the official school holidays, there is no general limit on the number of hours you can spend.
- You cannot work before the course starts, except in one exception.
- In a research master’s program or a doctorate that has already begun, you can work without a limit on the number of hours.
- Your partner and family members included on your visa can generally work up to 48 hours every two weeks.
- Practices recorded as part of the course do not count towards the limit.
These are the general conditions. Your specific conditions are shown on your visa award letter and on VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online), the official visa verification system of the Australian government.
During the course
From July 1, 2023, the limit during the academic term is 48 hours every two weeks . The academic term encompasses the study terms or semesters, including exam weeks.
It’s not a weekly limit. The Department of Home Affairs counts hours in two-week periods, which are called fortnights . Each fortnight is a 14-days The period always begins on a Monday.
That’s why you can work more hours one week and fewer the next. The limit applies to the sum of the two weeks, which cannot exceed 48 hours.
For reference, 48 hours every two weeks equates to about 24 hours per week if the work is divided equally. The government itself summarizes this as roughly three working days per week, although actual shifts are rarely that regular.
This table is an example of a two-week period with unequal weeks:
| Period | Hours worked |
|---|---|
| Week 1: Monday to Sunday, days 1 to 7 | 30 hours |
| Week 2: Monday to Sunday, days 8 to 14 | 18 hours |
| Total for the fortnight | 48 hours, within the limit |
With 22 hours in the second week, the total would be 52 hours: 4 more than allowed.
The limit applies to the total work you do in Australia, not to each job separately. With a job in a café and another as a cleaner, the hours from both are added together in the same two-week period.
Many people track their hours week by week and are surprised when the pay period ends. It’s a good idea to also start your shift log on Mondays.
You can review the full rule on the official page about Work limits for students with Student Visas .
On vacation
During your scheduled course breaks, you can work without the general time limit.
The provider’s calendar decides when that break begins and ends. Taking a few personal days off, or missing a week of class, doesn’t turn it into a holiday. If the course is in session, the 48-hour limit still applies.
Break dates can look very different across an English course (ELICOS), vocational course (VET) and university degree. Before you enrol, we ask for the course calendar so you can see exactly when the official breaks fall.
Can you work before the course starts?
Usually, no. Your Student Visa may have been granted and you may already be in Australia, but your work rights don’t normally begin until the course does.
There is an exception if you held another visa with work rights when you applied for the Student Visa. Check your own conditions before accepting a shift.
Arriving early can still be useful. It gives you time to find a room, open a bank account and get settled. Just budget for those weeks without work income.
Research master’s and doctoral degrees
Postgraduate research students have a different rule. After a Masters by Research or doctoral degree begins, the student can work without an hours limit, including during study periods.
This doesn’t extend to a coursework master’s degree, an English course, VET or a bachelor’s degree. Students on those courses remain under the general limit.
Work rights for your partner and family
A partner or family member included in the application can usually work up to 48 hours every 2 weeks.
If the main visa holder has started a master’s or doctoral degree, their family members can work without an hours limit. As always, check the exact conditions in VEVO rather than assuming.
What about a course work placement?
Some vocational and university courses include compulsory placements. Cookery, Childcare and Hospitality are common examples.
If the placement is formally registered as part of the course, those hours don’t count towards the work limit. A job you find yourself does count, even when it’s in the same industry as your course.Not sure which category your placement falls into? We ask the provider to confirm it in writing.
What happens if you go over the limit?
Working more hours than your visa allows is a breach of its conditions. The Department of Home Affairs can cancel a visa when those conditions aren’t followed.
That can end your current stay and make later Australian visa applications more difficult.
Most people don’t set out to break the rule. A manager asks them to cover one more shift, or a long week isn’t balanced by a short enough one. Your employer has responsibilities too, but keeping within the visa limit is ultimately your job.
A simple routine helps:
- Record every shift, with the date and hours.
- Keep your payslips.
- Add the hours from every job at the end of each fortnight.
- Tell each employer about the limit during study periods.
- Check VEVO again if you change your course or visa.
Having a work limit doesn’t reduce your workplace rights. The Fair Work Ombudsman says people on visas have the same rights at work as other employees in Australia.
Can part-time work cover your living costs?
It helps, but don’t build a plan that depends on a job from week 1. A room in a shared home usually costs around 250 to 550 AUD per week. Then there’s food, transport and your phone.
The first few weeks can also cost 1,000 to 2,500 AUD as you get set up. That figure doesn’t include the course, visa application charge, OSHC or flight.
Future wages can’t replace the funds you need to show when applying for the visa. Arrive with savings for several months. Treat work as part of the budget, not the whole budget.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can I work on a Student Visa?
Up to 48 hours every 2 weeks while the course is in session. The general limit doesn’t apply during official course breaks.
Can I work 30 hours in one week?
Yes, provided the full fortnight stays within 48 hours. If you work 30 hours in week 1, you can work no more than 18 in week 2.
Can I have two jobs?
Yes. Add the hours from both jobs together. The combined total can’t exceed 48 hours every 2 weeks during study periods.
Can I work full-time during the holidays?
Yes, during the official breaks shown on your course calendar. Your personal days off don’t count as a course break.
Can I work before my course begins?
Normally, no. The exception is when you held a visa with work rights at the time you applied for the Student Visa.
Can my partner work in Australia?
Yes. A partner can usually work up to 48 hours every 2 weeks. If you’ve started a master’s or doctoral degree, they can work without an hours limit.
Where do I check my conditions?
Use VEVO, the Australian Government’s official system for visa conditions. The same conditions appear in your visa grant letter.
How Australian Way helps
Before you enrol, we look at the course calendar, class times and break weeks with you. A timetable that works on paper can feel very different once you add travel time and a work roster.
We help you compare schools, cities, and schedules. Class schedules vary from school to school, and that difference affects how you can organize your class times.
We handle communication with the school, registration, and OSHC health insurance. We also assist you with the Student Visa application process.
This help is free at any stage of the process.
Write to us with the course you’re interested in, the city where you’d like to live, and your budget. With that information, Australian Way will compare courses and schedules with you and organize your plan from start to finish. Talking to us doesn’t commit you to anything, and the consultation is free.
