From 1 July 2023, work restrictions for student visa holders will be re-introduced and capped at the increased rate of 48 hours per fortnight (24 hours per week).
Australia currently has over 550,000 international students.
The new cap will help them support themselves financially, gain valuable work experience in Australia while they study, and contribute to Australia’s workforce needs.
Even though there is flexibility in the number of hours they can work, students must still:
- maintain their course enrolment
- ensure satisfactory course attendance, and
- ensure satisfactory course progress.
- Student visa holders who cancel their enrolment and stop attending classes, or fail to meet satisfactory course progress, may be in breach of their visa conditions.
Employers must continue to follow Australian workplace law. Overseas workers, including international students, have the same rights under Australian workplace law as all other employees.
Employers with student visa holders are encouraged to make arrangements to prepare to reduce work hours to the capped level or explore other possible visa options to maintain more work hours.
There is an exception to this – Student visa holders already working in the aged care sector on 9th May 2023 can continue to work unrestricted hours in the aged care sector until 31st Dec 2023.
The information provided is for general use only and should NOT be taken as Migration Advice. For information about your circumstances, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Milestone Migration for immigration assistance.
