The rules for working on a student visa cover employment, industry experience, internships and placements.

If you’re on a student visa, make sure that you’re aware of any changes to work restrictions and other visa conditions. For the most up-to-date information, check your visa details and conditions (Department of Home Affairs).

You’ll need to continue balancing your study and work commitments even though there’s flexibility in the number of hours you can work.

The current rules

You can work up to 48 hours every two weeks once the teaching period begins for your course. The 48-hour limit applies during teaching and assessment periods. You must not work before your course starts.

You can work unlimited hours:

• when the final assessment period has ended
• during scheduled course breaks
• when you’ve finished your course.

Exceptions

The 48-hour work restriction doesn’t apply if:

• the work is a registered component of your CRICOS registered course – e.g. some industry experience, placements, internships and work-based training units (to check, enter your CRICOS course code and make sure there's a ‘YES’ next to Work Component), or
• you’ve started a master's by research or a doctorate degree.

See visa condition 8105 for more details about work restrictions.

You can confirm your work restrictions and other visa conditions by using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system.

Work rights for family members

If your family members are travelling with you on your student visa, they’ll receive permission to work when the visa is granted. Your family members won’t be allowed to work until you have started your course. Conditions of their working rights vary depending on the type of course you'll be studying.

For more information, go to bringing a partner or family (Department of Home Affairs) and visa condition 8104.

Seeking work in Australia

If you’ll be working while in Australia, you’ll need to understand your workplace rights about things like pay, working conditions, and health and safety.

If you have any concerns about your work rights and restrictions in Australia, you should get independent legal advice. Take a look at Study Melbourne’s free work rights legal services for international students.