Working 48 Hours a Fortnight on an Australian Student Visa: What It Means and How to Track It
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Reviewed Oct 08, 2026 by Muntasir Minhaz • Visas & Student Mobility, Canadians Studying Abroad
Student visa (subclass 500) holders work up to 48 hours in any fortnight while their course is in session, with no limit during scheduled course breaks. Going over the cap puts your visa at risk, so track your hours every pay period.
⏱️ The cap sits at 48 hours per fortnight during term time. Australia reinstated this limit from 1 July 2023.
No hour limit applies during your institution's scheduled course breaks, as listed on your official academic calendar.
The cap covers all paid work combined, across every employer, not 48 hours per job.
📩 Breaching condition 8105 puts your visa at risk of cancellation, so keep payslips and rosters as your own record.
Ask your institution's international student office how they define a fortnight if you are unsure, since payroll cycles and the visa condition's own counting period are not always the same thing.
What Condition 8105 Actually Limits
Every student visa (subclass 500) carries condition 8105, which caps paid work while your course is in session. Australia set this cap at 48 hours per fortnight from 1 July 2023, after a period during the pandemic labour shortage when the government removed the work hour limit for student visa holders entirely. The 48 hour figure applies once your course runs again, whether you study full-time or the minimum course load your visa requires.
| Period | Work hour limit |
|---|---|
| While your course is in session | 48 hours per fortnight, combined across all jobs |
| Scheduled course break (per your institution's calendar) | No limit |
Unlimited Hours During Scheduled Breaks
Condition 8105 only limits your hours while your course is in session. During a scheduled course break, listed on your institution's official academic calendar rather than a personal reading week with no scheduled classes, you work unlimited hours. Confirm your course's official break dates with your institution rather than assuming a quiet week on your timetable counts.
48 Hours Covers All Your Jobs Combined
The cap is not 48 hours per employer. If you work two part-time jobs, your combined hours across both count toward the same 48 hour fortnightly limit. Add up every paid hour across every job when you check your total, including casual or gig work.
How to Track Your Fortnight
Keep your own running log of hours worked, separate from any single employer's payroll system, since each employer only tracks its own hours and you often work more than one job. A simple spreadsheet or a notes app entry after each shift is enough. If your institution's international student office publishes guidance on how it defines the fortnightly counting period for visa purposes, follow that guidance directly rather than assuming your employer's pay cycle lines up with it exactly. A mandatory unpaid work placement required to complete your course is not paid work, so check with your course coordinator whether it counts toward this cap or sits outside it.
A Worked Example
Say you work 20 hours at a cafe and 25 hours at a tutoring job within the same fortnight. That totals 45 hours, under the 48 hour cap. Add a third shift of 5 hours covering for a coworker and you reach 50 hours, over the limit. Small extra shifts across multiple jobs are the most common way students go over without meaning to, since no single employer sees the full picture of your week.
Who This Rule Applies To
Condition 8105 attaches to the subclass 500 student visa itself, so it applies whether you study at a university, a vocational (TAFE) provider, or another registered institution. It covers paid work broadly, including casual shifts, contract work and gig-style jobs such as food delivery or rideshare driving, not only a standard part-time job with an employer. If you are unsure whether a specific type of work counts, ask your institution's international student office before you start it rather than after.
What Happens If You Go Over
Working beyond the condition 8105 limit is a visa condition breach, and repeated or serious breaches carry a real risk of visa cancellation under Australian migration law. Keep your payslips and rosters as evidence you produce if your compliance is ever questioned. If you go over in a given fortnight, correct your hours going forward immediately and speak with your institution's international student advisor about your specific situation rather than waiting for it to come up.
Why the Cap Matters More at Certain Points in the Year
Employers in retail, hospitality and tutoring often want more hours from staff around peak periods such as the lead-up to Christmas or exam-season tutoring demand. That is exactly when it becomes easiest to drift over 48 hours without noticing, especially if you pick up extra shifts across two jobs. Plan your availability around your cap during these periods rather than after the fact.
Balancing Work With Your Study Load
The 48 hour cap sets a legal ceiling, not a target. Your course load, assignment deadlines and exam schedule set the real limit for how much paid work fits around your study without hurting your grades. Many students settle on well under 48 hours during a normal teaching week and use scheduled breaks, where the cap does not apply, to pick up extra shifts and cover a larger share of their living costs.
Before the 2023 Change
Before the pandemic, the standing limit for student visa holders was 40 hours per fortnight. The government removed the cap entirely from January 2022 to address labour shortages, then reinstated a limit from 1 July 2023, set at 48 hours rather than the earlier 40. Knowing this history explains why older posts and forum threads about student work hours in Australia sometimes quote a different number than what applies today.
Sources
- Work in Australia | Study Australia (accessed 2026-10-08)