One of the first questions for anyone studying in Australia is whether they can work, and under what conditions. This is a general information guide — not an assessment of your case — so you arrive at the conversation with a clear picture of how this is usually structured.
Does the student visa allow work?
Broadly, the student visa (subclass 500) usually comes with work permission attached, subject to conditions. It is not unlimited or automatic in every circumstance: the official information sets out conditions tied to the visa, and those rules change over time.
During term and during breaks
The general idea is that the work-hours limit is counted per fortnight while your course is in session, with more flexibility during the scheduled breaks in the academic calendar. The exact number changes from time to time, so we don’t fix it here: the right move is to check the current limit at the official source before planning.
What about your partner?
If you’re coming with a partner, the work conditions for a partner included on your student visa follow their own logic and depend on the details of the application. We cover that separately in Studying in Australia with your partner.
Things worth keeping in mind
Without this being a checklist for your case, in situations like this it usually helps to be clear that:
- Work permission usually starts once the course has begun, not before.
- The conditions are attached to the visa; going beyond them can affect the visa itself.
- Some courses and programs (for example, certain research postgraduate degrees) may be treated differently.
- The rules update; what was true a year ago is not always true today.
After you study
Many people ask what happens with work once the course ends. Broadly, there are pathways designed for after study, each with its own criteria. It isn’t settled by a single rule: it depends on your program, your profile and the current rules, and it’s worth reviewing case by case with the official information in view.
The next step
Every program and every country of origin has its nuances. If you’d like to look at how this applies to your situation, contact us and we’ll go through it with you.
Want to review your situation? Contact us →
General information · not individual legal advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-03 · Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au