Australia Announces How Many Hours Foreign Students Are Allowed to Work Every Week
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined specific work hour conditions for foreign nationals holding a Subclass 500 student visa
- International students are permitted to work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their academic course is actively in session
- Australian immigration authorities warned that exceeding the work hour cap could jeopardise a student's right to remain in the country
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Australia has formally set out how many hours international students are allowed to work while studying in the country, with the Department of Home Affairs publishing clear employment conditions for Subclass 500 visa holders.
Foreign nationals on this visa category are permitted to work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight during periods when their academic programme is actively running.
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This effectively limits students to an average of 24 hours of paid employment each week during term time.
What the Subclass 500 Visa covers
The Subclass 500 is Australia's principal visa pathway for overseas nationals who wish to complete educational programmes in the country.
It allows holders to reside in Australia for the duration of their studies and includes restricted work rights designed to help students meet their living expenses.
The visa applies across a broad range of academic disciplines and levels, from intensive English language courses to postgraduate university degrees at registered training institutions.
Students are permitted to work without hour restrictions during scheduled academic breaks, as the fortnightly cap applies strictly to active study periods.
Compliance is a condition of the visa
Australian immigration authorities have stressed that staying within the prescribed work limits is not optional, it is a formal condition of holding the Subclass 500 visa.
Any student who exceeds the permitted hours is considered to have breached their visa conditions, which may expose them to legal consequences or threaten their continued lawful stay in the country.
This is particularly relevant for students from countries such as Nigeria who rely on part-time work to supplement their income while pursuing qualifications abroad.
Understanding and respecting these boundaries from the outset is essential for maintaining valid immigration status throughout the period of study.
UK announces weekly work hours for international students
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the UK government had published official guidelines in 2026 outlining how many hours international students on student visas could work weekly.
The framework had set different employment limits depending on whether a student was studying at degree level or below degree level.
Certain exceptions had applied to students on assessed work placements and those elected to Student Union roles.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
