International Student Work Hours in Australia (2026): The 48-Hour Fortnight Cap Explained

If you hold a Subclass 500 student visa, you can work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks (such as semester holidays). This is set by visa condition 8105.

A "fortnight" means any period of 14 days starting on a Monday — not a calendar month or your pay cycle. You don't have to split the hours evenly across the two weeks, but you must never exceed 48 hours in any rolling fortnight while studying. Track it yourself; your employer won't track it for you.

All paid work counts, including:

• Part-time and casual employment;
• Gig and platform work — Uber Eats, DoorDash, Menulog, rideshare and similar;
• Freelance and contract work; and
• Paid internships and placements — unless the placement is a formal, registered (CRICOS) requirement of your course, which is exempt.

Two important exemptions: if you're enrolled in a Masters by research or a PhD, the cap doesn't apply once your course has started. Voluntary, genuinely unpaid work for a not-for-profit generally doesn't count either.

Your visa limits your hours — it does not reduce your rights. As an international student you're entitled to the same workplace protections as any other employee in Australia: at least the minimum wage, casual loading where you're casual, superannuation, breaks, and protection from unfair treatment. From 1 July 2026 the national minimum wage is $26.44 per hour (a 6% rise from the 2026 Annual Wage Review).

Being paid in cash, or below the minimum, is not legal just because you're a student or on a visa — and the Fair Work Ombudsman helps all workers regardless of visa status. If you think you've been underpaid, you can act on it without it affecting your visa.

Exceeding 48 hours per fortnight while studying breaches condition 8105, and the Department of Home Affairs can cancel your visa, which may lead to removal and problems with future visa applications. If your hours are creeping up, it's the visa risk — not the employer — that matters most.

You may have seen claims that the limit is rising to 60 hours per fortnight from 1 July 2026. As of now that is a proposal only — there is no legislative instrument, and the Department continues to enforce the 48-hour ceiling. Don't plan your hours around a change that hasn't happened. Ask FairWork Mate AI if you're unsure how the rules apply to your job.