Working on a Student visa: the 48-hour limit

Department of Home AffairsVerified 22 Oct 2026Official pages checked daily

If you hold a Student visa (subclass 500), you can only start work once your course has started. While your course is in session you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight; during holidays there is no limit. Master's by research and PhD students have no limit once their course has started. This is visa condition 8105; the work limit for family members is condition 8104. Student workers have the same minimum wage and workplace rights as everyone else under Fair Work rules, and you need a tax file number (TFN) before you start work.

Key facts

Work limit while your course is in session (condition 8105): Once your course has started, you can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session. A fortnight is a period of 14 days starting on a Monday.²
No work before your course starts: Students and their family members cannot work until the course has started, unless you already held a visa that allowed you to work when you applied for the Student visa.²
When your course counts as in session: During term time, including exam weeks. If you take another course during a holiday and it counts towards your main course, that time is also in session.²
No limit on hours when your course is not in session: You can work unlimited hours when your course is not in session: during holidays scheduled by your education provider; when your course is deferred or suspended under Standard 9 of the National Code; when your visa is still valid and you have finished the course on your CoE; or when your enrolment was cancelled because your provider closed and you have not started a new course.²
Master's by research and PhD students: If you hold the relevant Student visa and your master's by research or doctoral course has started, you can work more than 48 hours a fortnight.²
Compulsory work placements: A compulsory work placement that is registered as part of your course on CRICOS does not count towards the 48 hours. A placement that is not compulsory, or goes beyond what the course requires, counts as work whether it is paid or unpaid.²
More than one job: You can have more than one job, but all your jobs added together must not be more than 48 hours a fortnight.²
What counts as working: Attending work according to a roster or timesheet (not counting unpaid breaks), clocking on in an electronic system, or being paid for hours shown on a payslip all count as working.²
Example from the Home Affairs website: Week 1: 15 hours; week 2: 30 hours; week 3: 30 hours; week 4: 10 hours. Weeks 1 and 2 total 45 hours and weeks 3 and 4 total 40 hours, both within the limit. But weeks 2 and 3 together total 60 hours, which is over the limit while the course is in session.²
Family members (condition 8104): Family members of a student cannot work until the student's course has started. While the course is in session they can work up to 48 hours a fortnight. If the student is doing a master's by research or a doctorate, family members have no limit. If the student is doing a master's by coursework or an extended master's, family members can work more than 48 hours, but the student is still limited to 48. During holidays the student has no limit, but family members are still limited.²
Breaching your visa conditions: Your employer cannot cancel your visa. Only the Department of Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel a visa. Breaching your visa conditions can still have consequences under migration law, but it does not affect your pay and rights under the Fair Work Act.³
Minimum wage and workplace rights: Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia: pay, leave, protection from discrimination, notice of termination and final pay. Your employer must give you a payslip every time you are paid.³
Help from the Fair Work Ombudsman: Call 13 13 94. For a free interpreter, call 13 14 50 first. You can report a problem anonymously. Asking the Fair Work Ombudsman for help or information will not lead to your visa being cancelled.³
Tax file number (TFN): Free. If you are in Australia and hold a valid visa with work rights, apply online using the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration; you do not need to post any documents. Your TFN usually arrives by post within 28 days.⁵
Work starts only after your course starts: If your Student visa was granted while you were outside Australia, you must wait until your course starts before you work. Work rights differ between visas, so check your own conditions in ImmiAccount or VEVO.⁴
After you graduate: If you hold or have held a Student visa and completed an eligible qualification in Australia in the last 6 months, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).¹
Check your visa conditions: VEVO shows the conditions and expiry date of your current visa. You can also send your VEVO result to your employer as proof of your work rights.⁷
New rules from 2 October 2026: Most Student visa applications can no longer include family members, and family members cannot apply to join you after the visa is granted. Student visas that have already been granted are not affected. Applications lodged before 2 October 2026 are assessed under the old rules.¹

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

Student visa (subclass 500) holders: you can work once your course has started, up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session, and with no limit when it is not.
Students doing a master's by research or a doctorate: no limit on work hours once the course has started.
Family members on a Student visa (spouse or children, condition 8104): up to 48 hours a fortnight once the student's course has started. The limit is relaxed if the student is doing a master's or a doctorate; see the figures above.
In every case, the conditions on your own visa apply. Check your visa grant letter or use VEVO.

How do I do it? Steps and process

Check the conditions on your visa
Open your visa grant letter or check your current visa in VEVO. Confirm whether it has condition 8105 (students) or 8104 (family members), and when your course starts. If your Student visa was granted outside Australia, you cannot work before your course starts.
Wait until your course has officially started
Home Affairs advises employers who hire Student visa holders to ask for proof that the course has started, such as your CoE or a letter from your education provider. Working before then is a breach of your visa conditions.
Get a TFN and give it to your employer
Once you hold a visa with work rights, you can apply for a TFN free online on the ATO website using Individual Auto-Registration. It usually arrives within 28 days. When you start a job, complete a Tax file number declaration for your employer so they withhold the right amount of tax.
Count your hours every fortnight
A fortnight is 14 days starting on a Monday, and all your jobs are added together. Because the fortnight is rolling, any two consecutive weeks must also stay within 48 hours. The Fair Work Ombudsman's Record my hours app can help you track your hours.
Keep your rosters and payslips
Your employer must give you a payslip every time you are paid. Rosters, clock-on records and payslips are your evidence if you are underpaid, and they also show that you stayed within the limit.
Underpaid or pressured to work extra hours? Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman
Call 13 13 94 (for an interpreter, call 13 14 50 first), or use the anonymous report form. In an example on the Fair Work website, a student was asked to work 60 hours a fortnight but was paid for only 48; the employer must pay for the extra hours too. Asking the Fair Work Ombudsman for help will not lead to your visa being cancelled.

What documents do I need?

Your passport and visa grant letter, or your VEVO result (proof of your work rights)
Proof that your course has started, such as your CoE or a letter from your education provider (your employer may ask for it)
Your TFN (for the Tax file number declaration when you start a job)

What should I watch out for?

Work placements: a compulsory placement registered as part of your course on CRICOS does not count towards the 48 hours. A placement arranged by your provider that is not compulsory, or any part beyond what the course requires, counts as work whether it is paid or unpaid.
Course finished but visa still valid: as long as your visa is valid and you have completed the course on your CoE, your course is not in session, so you can work unlimited hours during this time.
Family members who want to work must wait until the student's course starts. During the student's holidays the student has no limit, but family members are still limited to 48 hours a fortnight.
If your employer makes you work 60 hours but records only 48: the employer must pay for the extra hours, and you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. But working over the limit may also breach your visa conditions. These are two separate issues.
Home Affairs says you should not rely on work to support yourself and your family. When you apply for a Student visa you must show you have enough money.
Visa conditions and work rights can change. Home Affairs recommends checking your conditions in VEVO regularly.
New Student visa rules from 2 October 2026: most applicants can no longer include family members in their Student visa application, and family members cannot be added later. Existing visas are not affected. See the Department of Home Affairs for details.
Want to stay and work after you graduate? If you completed an eligible qualification in the last 6 months, look at the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). This site has a separate guide.
This page is a plain-language summary of public information. The Department of Home Affairs and Fair Work Ombudsman websites have the final say. It is not immigration or legal advice; for your own situation, ask a registered migration agent or a lawyer.

What has changed recently?

2026-10-02
New rules for the Student visa (subclass 500) and Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) took effect: most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia, and Student visa holders can only apply for a further Student visa onshore if they meet an exemption. Most Student visa applications can no longer include family members, and family members cannot be added later. Student visas already granted are not affected.Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au ↗

Common questions

How many hours can I work on a Student visa while my course is in session?

Up to 48 hours a fortnight. A fortnight is 14 days starting on a Monday, and all your jobs are added together. Because the fortnight is rolling, any two consecutive weeks must also stay within 48 hours. There is no limit during holidays, and master's by research and PhD students have no limit once their course has started. Check condition 8105 on your own visa.

I have just arrived in Australia and my course has not started yet. Can I start working?

No. Students and their family members cannot work until the course has started, unless you already held a visa with work rights when you applied for the Student visa. This applies in particular if your visa was granted outside Australia. Your employer may ask for your CoE or a letter from your provider as proof that the course has started. Working earlier breaches your visa conditions.

Is there a limit on work hours during the holidays on a Student visa?

No. When your course is not in session you can work unlimited hours: during holidays scheduled by your provider, when your course is deferred or suspended under Standard 9 of the National Code, when your visa is still valid but you have finished the course on your CoE, or when your provider closed and you have not started a new course. A holiday course that counts towards your main course is still in session, and family members stay limited to 48 hours during holidays.

Is there a work limit for PhD and master's by research students?

No. Once your master's by research or doctoral course has started, you can work more than 48 hours a fortnight, and your family members have no limit either. You still cannot work before the course starts. The conditions on your own visa apply, so check your grant letter or VEVO.

Can my spouse or dependants on my Student visa work, and for how many hours?

Yes, under condition 8104. Once the student's course has started, family members can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while it is in session. If the student is doing a master's by research or a doctorate, family members have no limit. If the student is doing a master's by coursework or an extended master's, family members can work more than 48 hours but the student is still limited to 48. During holidays family members stay limited. From 2 October 2026 most new Student visa applications cannot include family members; existing visas are not affected.

What happens if I work more than 48 hours a fortnight? Will my visa be cancelled?

Your employer cannot cancel your visa; only the Department of Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel a visa. Breaching your visa conditions can still have consequences under migration law. It does not affect your pay and rights under the Fair Work Act, and your employer must pay for every hour you work. If you are underpaid or pressured to work extra hours, call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94; asking for help will not lead to your visa being cancelled.

Do I need a TFN before I start work, and do I get the same minimum wage as locals?

Yes, get a TFN first. It is free: if you are in Australia with a valid visa with work rights, apply online using the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration, and it usually arrives within 28 days. Complete a Tax file number declaration for your employer when you start. Your pay is the same: visa holders have the same pay, leave, protection from discrimination and notice rights as other employees, and your employer must give you a payslip every time you are paid.

Does a work placement in my course count towards the 48 hours?

It depends on whether it is compulsory. A compulsory work placement registered as part of your course on CRICOS does not count towards the 48 hours. A placement that is not compulsory, or any part that goes beyond what the course requires, counts as work whether it is paid or unpaid.

Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.

Where can I check the official information?

Student visa (subclass 500)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
See your visa conditions – Student visa (subclass 500)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Visa holders and migrantsFair Work Ombudsman · fairwork.gov.au
Work in AustraliaStudy Australia (Australian Trade and Investment Commission) · studyaustralia.gov.au
Permanent migrants and temporary visitors – TFN applicationAustralian Taxation Office · ato.gov.au
Student visa changes: October 2026 updateStudy Australia (Australian Trade and Investment Commission) · studyaustralia.gov.au
Check visa conditions online (VEVO)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

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