Australia is a top destination for international students, and here’s another great reason why! In early 2022, the Australian government relaxed working limits for student visa holders. This allows international students to work unlimited hours, even during their course.
The federal government recently announced that these unrestricted work rights will stay in place until June 30, 2023. At that time, the hours will be capped again to 40 hours per fortnight (two weeks) while studying.
However, the government left the door open to those limits changing again, saying “the number of hours will be subject to consultation with a view to striking the right balance between work and study.”
The Benefits of Working Unlimited Hours
This buffer leaves plenty of time for current international students in Australia to work for as many hours as they need to. And it applies to anyone in Australia on a student visa—including both ongoing students and new student arrivals, who can work before even beginning their studies.
By lifting the usual cap of 40 working hours per fortnight and allowing students to work unlimited hours instead, Australia aims to address ongoing workforce shortages.
International students continue to stand to benefit greatly from this policy into 2023. They’ll have more flexibility to define their own work-while-studying schedule and can better support themselves financially. Of course, students are still responsible for balancing their own study and work commitments, and must continue succeeding in their studies to keep their student visa active.
More Reasons to Choose Australia
This news comes at a time when Australia is taking many different measures to attract and keep international students Down Under. Government support for international students is evident not only at the federal level, but at the state level too.
In addition to working unlimited hours into 2023, those studying in Australia can also benefit from:
- The recent post-study work rights extension, allowing graduates from high-demand programs to stay and work in Australia two years longer
- The increase of the skilled migration cap to 195,000 this financial year
- More Australian jobs being available for international students than ever before
- The removal of mask mandates on international flights to Australia, making it easier and more comfortable to travel there
- Incentives and bursaries offered by state governments, including the Western Australia state government
Visit our blog for a list of four beautiful places to visit while studying in Australia!
Australia continues to be an attractive destination for international students. Continued measures like these relaxed work rights show that international students in Australia can expect to find success both during and after their studies.
Ready to launch your own study abroad journey in Australia? Contact the team at ApplyBoard. We’re here to help!
