Work Rights for International Students in Australia: Hours, Pay, and What No One Tells You

When Femi arrived in Melbourne from Lagos, he had a plan. Study during the week, work weekends, send some money home, and cover his groceries. Simple.

What he didn't know: his student visa had a limit on how many hours he could work, and that limit had recently changed. He also didn't know that some employers actively exploit international students by paying below minimum wage, knowing most won't complain. And he definitely didn't know he had legal rights, and that Fair Work Australia would actually investigate if he called them.

This article is for students like Femi. Those who need to work want to do it legally and be paid fairly.

How Many Hours Can You Work?

As of July 2023, international students in Australia on a Student visa (subclass 500) are permitted to work 48 hours per fortnight during the semester. A fortnight is any two weeks, not a fixed calendar window.

During official university vacation periods, there is no time limit. You can work full-time.

A few important details:

• The 48-hour limit includes all paid employment; if you have two jobs, their combined hours count
• "Fortnight" is rolling, not fixed; it's not simply weeks 1–2, then 3–4; it's any consecutive 14-day period
• This rule applies while your course is in session, not just when you personally have classes

Why this changed: Before July 2023, the limit was 40 hours per fortnight. A temporary suspension during the pandemic years allowed unlimited work, which ended when the government reimposed a new, slightly higher cap.

Postgraduate research students (subclass 574, or research-stream subclass 500 students) are typically permitted to work unlimited hours. Check the specific conditions on your visa grant letter.

What Is the Minimum Wage?

As of July 2024, the national minimum wage in Australia is $24.10 per hour for adult workers (18 and over). This is among the highest statutory minimum wages in the world.

However, most industries are governed by awards, industry-specific minimum rates that are often higher than the base minimum. For example:

• Hospitality (restaurants, cafes, bars): the Hospitality Industry General Award sets specific rates that include penalty rates for weekends and public holidays
• Retail: covered by the General Retail Industry Award
• Fast food: covered by the Fast Food Industry Award

Penalty rates matter. Working on a Saturday typically earns 125% of the base rate. Sundays are often 150%. Public holidays can be 225% or more. These are not optional extras; they are legal entitlements.

Casual loading is also standard in Australia. Casual employees (those without guaranteed hours or leave entitlements) receive a 25% loading on top of the base rate to compensate for the lack of sick holiday and annual leave. If you're hired on a casual basis, your hourly rate should already reflect this.

Where International Students Actually Work

The honest answer is: hospitality, retail, and cleaning make up the majority of student employment. These industries are accessible, don't require Australian work history, and have constant turnover.

Cafes and restaurants are the most common entry points. Counter staff, kitchen hand, barista, food runner. Melbourne, in particular, has a hospitality culture that depends heavily on student labour.

Supermarkets and retail, Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and other retail chains regularly hire international students. Hours are relatively predictable, which makes managing the fortnightly cap easier.

Tutoring and teaching suit students in education, sciences, or languages. Rates vary widely; private tutoring can reach $40–$80 per hour. Platforms like Cluey, Tutero, or direct private arrangements through university noticeboards are starting points.

Campus jobs: library assistants, lab demonstrators, research assistants, student ambassadors. Competitive but valuable. Check your university's student employment portal.

Gig economy (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Menulog), these platforms classify workers as independent contractors, not employees, which has implications for wage protections. Many students use them for flexibility. Be aware that hours on gig platforms still count toward your 48-hour fortnight cap if the work is paid.

Tax: The Part Most Students Get Wrong

If you earn money in Australia, you need a Tax File Number (TFN). Apply through the Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au) as soon as you have an address. It's free, straightforward, and takes 10–28 days to arrive.

Without a TFN, employers are required to withhold 47% of your earnings as tax. With a TFN, your rate will be much lower. As an international student, you're typically a resident for tax purposes if you're here for more than 6 months, which means you're taxed on a progressive scale similar to Australian citizens.

The tax year runs from 1 July to 30 June. You lodge your tax return between July and October for the previous year. Use myTax through the ATO's online portal. It's genuinely simple. Do not pay a tax agent to do something you can do for free in 20 minutes.

Superannuation: if you earn more than $450 in a calendar month from one employer (threshold has been discussed for removal; confirm current rules), your employer must contribute 11% of your earnings into a superannuation (retirement) account. As a temporary visa holder, you can claim this money back when you permanently leave Australia through a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). The tax on this refund is high (65%), but it is money you are entitled to.

Wage Theft: It Happens, and Here's What to Do

Wage theft targeting international students is not rare. Common forms:

• Being paid below the minimum wage or award rate
• Not being paid penalty rates for weekends or public holidays
• Being paid in cash with no payslip and no super contributions
• Having tips withheld that should flow to workers
• Being asked to work a "trial shift" without pay

You have legal protections regardless of your visa status. Your migration status is not relevant to your workplace rights.

Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) is the government body that enforces workplace laws. You can use their Pay and Conditions Tool to check what you should be earning, and you can lodge an anonymous complaint. They investigate, and they have taken action against employers who exploit international students.

If you're worried about reporting, the Fair Work Ombudsman has a Vulnerable Workers team specifically for international students and visa holders. They are not an immigration enforcement body. They will not report your visa status. What they will do is recover unpaid wages and fine employers.

Keep your own records. Screenshot your roster, save your payslips, and note your hours. This is your evidence if something goes wrong.

Balancing Work and Study: An Honest Picture

The 48-hour fortnightly cap exists because the visa is primarily for study. Universities are required to report students who aren't meeting academic requirements, and chronic overwork is one of the most common reasons students fall behind.

Most students who struggle academically in their first semester work too many hours. Not because work is bad, but because the adjustment to a new country, a new education system, and a new social environment already consumes significant cognitive bandwidth. Adding 24 hours a week of physical work on top is genuinely hard.

A practical approach that works for many students:

• Start with fewer hours in semester one while you find your footing
• Build-up in semester two once you know your workload
• Use vacation periods to work more intensively and save a buffer

The students who manage it best aren't working as much as they can; they're working as much as they can without it affecting their grades or their health.

Quick Reference

Australia's labour laws are genuinely strong. The problem isn't the law; it's that too many international students don't know what they're entitled to, and some employers count on exactly that. Knowing your rights before you start your first shift is the single most useful thing you can do.