Student Visa - Working Rights for Students in Australia
The Student Visa 500 allows you to stay in Australia for the next 5 years while you are pursuing an academic program from a recognized university/college. The work rights comprising the 8105 conditions clearly state that the concerned visa holder should not preside over any job prior to his/her academic program begins. Besides, the visa holder must not preside over any type of job as well as cannot work for 40 hours a fortnight during the time when his/her course of study remains ongoing.
When can you work on a full-time basis?
You certainly can work on a full-time basis only if you have complied with any of the conditions mentioned below:
- If you have applied for a student visa pertaining to a post-graduation degree or that of a doctoral degree and if you have already commenced your chosen academic course by now.
- If you have opted for a work that is required essentially as a part of your course when the various particulars of your course were being incorporated into the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.
Here, the term fortnight implies a period of 14 days which begins from a Monday itself and nothing else.
Below mentioned is an apt example of how the period of 40 hours is divided judiciously across a period of a fortnight. After the student has commenced his/her course of study he/she can work for the following hours over a time-frame of 4 weeks:
- Week One: 15 hours
- Week Two: 25 hours
- Week Three: 25 hours
- Week Four: 10 hours
In the information given above the total number of hours comprising week two and three is 50 hours in total which exceed the number of 40 hours by 10 hours. This may make the student susceptible to his/her abrupt visa cancellation.
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Student Work Hour Restrictions
| STUDENT TYPE | WHEN COURSE IS IN SESSION | WHEN COURSE ISN’T IN SESSION |
| Coursework students who have started their degree | 40 hours per fortnight | Unlimited hours |
| Research students who have started their degree | Unlimited hours | N/A |
| AusAwards or Defence students | 40 hours per fortnight | Unlimited hours |
A lucrative Course for Secondary Applications
Although the 8105 conditions are meant for the primary applicant, the 8104 condition also allows your partner to stay in Australia either while pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree.
| CONDITION NUMBER | WHO THIS APPLIES TO | DESCRIPTION |
| 8104 | All family member visa holders | You cannot work more than 40 hours per fortnight. A fortnight means a period of 14 days starting on a Monday. You must not start work until the primary student visa holder has started their course. Exceptions – family members of the following students can work unlimited hours once the primary student visa holder has started their course: students studying a master’s by coursework or research degree students studying doctorate degree. |
What’s Next?
If you are furthermore interested to stay in Australia after completing your Graduation course, you need to apply for a new visa prior to your existing student visa expires. As an overseas graduate candidate, you will get the following privileges:
- Territory and state government nomination for business and skilled migration
- You will have to submit an Expression of Interest from a recognized Australian government Skill Select to ask for legal approval to work in Australia as a professional worker
- You need to apply for the Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 Post Study Work Stream after you have completed a Bachelor, or Masters or that of a Doctoral degree
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Remember, the restriction in terms of being able to work for not more than 40 hours every 14 days will remain the same no matter which academic course you opt for pertaining to any recognized college/university.