Work rights for Australia Student Visa holders + family members

The Australia Student Visa holders are permitted to stay study and work in Australia for the duration of their studies. How many hours are you permitted to work?

If you are pursuing an Undergraduate Course, you will be permitted to work maximum 40 hours per 2 weeks after your studies begin. This is at the minimum wage or above, as quoted by the Study International.

You must be aware that your employer cannot force you to work for more than 40 hours per 2 weeks. Your minimum wages also cannot be less than 18.29 AUD per hour. If an employer violates these work rights of Australia Student Visa holders, they can report this to the Immigration Officers.

Sometimes students may not report violations for extra cash. They may also be scared to lose the paid work. However, this need not necessarily be so.

Research Masters or Doctoral students are permitted to work for unlimited working hours parallel to their studies in Australia. Voluntary work beyond the 40 hours ceiling is permitted in certain cases. This is if your visa is subject to condition 8105 or 8104.

Nevertheless, the voluntary work must be secondary to your studies as an Australia Student Visa holder. It must not become your chief commitment while staying in Australia. Apart from this, no kind of cash-in-hand agreements or remuneration will be considered voluntary employment.

Receiving monetary aid in any form for the voluntary employment will be risking visa breach and it may also be revoked.

One of the best aspects of the Australia Student Visa is that it offers work rights to your dependent family members also. It is inclusive of your spouse, aging parents, and unmarried children below 18 years of age.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.