International Student Work Hours Australia 2026: 48 Hours a Fortnight
48 hours a fortnight on a subclass 500 student visa in session, unlimited on breaks. What a fortnight means, what counts, and shift patterns that pass.
Leave & Entitlements Specialist · JD, Monash University — Admitted in Victoria (non-practising)
The rule: 48 hours per fortnight while studying
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.
What 48 hours a fortnight looks like: shift patterns that pass and fail
48 hours per fortnight averages out to 24 hours a week, but the rule is tested over the 14-day block, not the week. That gives you some flexibility — and some traps.
| Pattern (Mon–Sun fortnight) | Week 1 | Week 2 | Fortnight total | Allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 8-hour shifts each week | 24 h | 24 h | 48 h | Yes — exactly at the cap |
| 6 × 4-hour shifts each week | 24 h | 24 h | 48 h | Yes |
| Heavy week then light week | 32 h | 16 h | 48 h | Yes — uneven weeks are fine |
| 4 × 8-hour shifts, then 2 × 8-hour shifts | 32 h | 16 h | 48 h | Yes |
| Two 25-hour weeks | 25 h | 25 h | 50 h | No — 2 hours over |
| Two jobs over the fortnight: 20 h at a café + 30 h delivery | — | — | 50 h | No — hours across all jobs add up |
| Full-time during scheduled semester break | 38 h | 38 h | 76 h | Yes — no cap while the course is not in session |
The trap in the third row: because the fortnight is any 14-day block starting on a Monday, a 32-hour week is only safe if the weeks either side of it are light. Run the numbers on the block before and the block after every heavy week. A simple spreadsheet with one row per Monday-start fortnight is enough.
What counts toward the 48 hours
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 pay and rights are the same as everyone else's
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.
Going over the cap — and the "60 hours" claims
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 was rising to 60 hours per fortnight from 1 July 2026. It didn't happen. As at 3 September 2026 the Department's Subclass 500 page still states 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session, and that is what is enforced. Don't plan your hours around a change that hasn't been made — check the Home Affairs page linked below rather than social media. If you're worried you've been underpaid but scared of the visa consequences of complaining, the visa worker rights checker sets out the visa-safe ways to recover wages. Ask FairWork Mate AI if you're unsure how the rules apply to your job.
Official resources
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General information and estimates only — not legal, financial or tax advice. Always check your specific award, agreement or contract, or a qualified professional, before you rely on the result.
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Former Fair Work Commission Associate (2021–2024) after two years as a plaintiff-side employment paralegal in Melbourne. Juris Doctor from Monash University (2020). Writes about unfair dismissal, leave entitlements, termination, and enterprise bargaining. Admitted in Victoria, currently non-practising. Based in Fitzroy North.