Student Support
Employment
The below summary of information should be read in conjunction with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website.
If you are granted a student visa after 26 April 2008 you will automatically receive permission to work. This will apply to both the primary student and any family members travelling with them on thier student visa. As a result most student visa holders will no longer need to apply separately in Australia for permission to work.
Refer to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's (DIAC) Fact Sheet.
If you were granted a student visa before 26 April 2008 you can still apply separately for permission to work. To find out more go to - Working while studying - How to Apply
International Students are only permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during session and fulltime out of session. The type of work students find in Australia is usually manual work e.g. cleaning, waiting, cooking, kitchen hand, taxi driving and fruit picking, mostly during the summer vacation. It is not realistic to expect casual employment to meet your tuition and living costs.
Remember also, your student visa requires that any work you do will not interfere with your study progress. You must carefully consider the demands of your study program before deciding to work. For further student visa information, refer to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) .