On a Student Visa (subclass 500), you can work up to 48 hours every 2 weeks while your course is in session. During the official breaks on your course calendar, that general limit doesn’t apply. That’s the simple version. The details change if your course hasn’t started yet, you’re studying a research degree, or you’re asking about the work rights of a partner or family member on your application.
The short answer
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During study periods, including exam weeks, you can work up to 48 hours every 2 weeks.
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During official course breaks, there’s no general limit on your hours.
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You normally can’t work before the course starts.
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Once a master’s degree by research or doctoral degree has started, the student can work without an hours limit.
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A partner or family member on your visa can usually work up to 48 hours every 2 weeks.
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A work placement formally registered as part of the course doesn’t count towards the limit.
These are the general rules. Your visa grant letter and VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) show the conditions that apply to you.
How the 48-hour limit works
Since 1 July 2023, the work limit during study periods has been 48 hours every 2 weeks. Terms, semesters and exam weeks all count as study periods.
The important word is fortnight: a 14-day period that starts on a Monday. The limit isn’t calculated one week at a time.
You could work 30 hours in the first week and 18 in the second. That’s fine because the total is 48. Work 22 hours in that second week, though, and the fortnight reaches 52 hours. You’re 4 hours over.
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 |
| If you divide the hours evenly, the limit works out at about 24 hours a week. The Government describes that as roughly 3 workdays, but real rosters are rarely so neat. | All your jobs count together. If you work in a café and clean offices on the side, both sets of shifts go into the same fortnightly total. |
This is where students often get caught out. They track each week separately, then realise too late that the 2-week total is over the limit. Start your own record on a Monday and keep the fortnight visible.
The full rule is on the official page about work restrictions for Student Visa holders.
What changes during course breaks?
The general hours limit doesn’t apply during a scheduled break in your course.
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:
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Record every shift, with the date and hours.
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Keep your payslips.
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Add the hours from every job at the end of each fortnight.
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Tell each employer about the limit during study periods.
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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 compare providers, cities and schedules, then coordinate the enrolment and OSHC. We also stay with you while you prepare the Student Visa application.
Our guidance doesn’t cost you anything.
Tell us which course you’re considering, where you’d like to live and what budget you’re working with. We’ll help you compare the real weekly schedules, not just the course names. The conversation is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
