I’ve hired a lot of international students at the cafe over the years, and the conversation always goes the same way: they hand over their resume, we talk about availability, and then I have to ask the slightly awkward question — “what are your visa work hours?” Most know the number 48. Fewer know how it’s actually calculated, what counts toward it, or what happens if they go over. One of my former baristas nearly got caught out juggling two casual jobs during exam block because nobody told her the cap applies to all her jobs combined, not each one separately.
Quick answer: If you’re on a Student visa (subclass 500), Condition 8105 limits you to 48 hours of paid work per fortnight while your course is in session — combined across every job you hold. Once your course goes on an official break, the cap lifts entirely and you can work unlimited hours. A “fortnight” is any rolling 14-day period, not a fixed calendar block, so you need to track it yourself. There’s been talk of raising the limit to 60 hours, but as of now that is not law — 48 hours is still the enforceable limit.
What Is Condition 8105?
Condition 8105 is the work-limitation condition attached to most Student visas (subclass 500). It’s what actually sets the hour cap — not a separate policy, but a formal visa condition you agree to when the visa is granted. You can check whether it applies to you, along with your other conditions, through VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) — it’s the only way to see your actual conditions rather than relying on what a friend or employer tells you.
How the 48-Hour Fortnight Actually Works
While your course is in session, you can work a maximum of 48 hours in any fortnight. The part people get wrong: a “fortnight” isn’t your pay cycle or a calendar-fixed two-week block — it’s any rolling 14-day period, and under Home Affairs guidance it’s generally treated as running Monday to Sunday, Monday to Sunday. You don’t need to spread the hours evenly (a big 30-hour week followed by an 18-hour week is fine), but at no point should a 14-day window add up to more than 48 hours.
The cap also applies across all your jobs combined — casual, part-time, and any work done under an ABN. If you work 25 hours at one job and 25 at another in the same fortnight, that’s 50 hours total and a breach, even though neither job alone went over the limit.
Unlimited Hours During Course Breaks
Once your institution’s official scheduled break begins — think end-of-semester or end-of-trimester breaks listed on your academic calendar — the 48-hour cap doesn’t apply, and you can work as many hours as you want until term resumes. This doesn’t include random gaps in your personal timetable (a light week isn’t a “break”); it has to be a formally scheduled break recognised by your education provider.
The 60-Hour Proposal — Not Yet Law
You may have seen headlines about the fortnightly cap rising from 48 to 60 hours. As of now, this is a proposal only — there is no legislative instrument in force changing the limit, and Home Affairs continues to enforce 48 hours. Don’t plan your work schedule around a change that hasn’t happened. If and when it does become law, we’ll update this page — but until then, treat 48 as the real number.
Exemptions: Masters by Research and PhD Students
If you’re enrolled in a Master of Philosophy, Master by Research, or Doctoral (PhD) degree, Condition 8105’s 48-hour cap generally doesn’t apply to you at all — postgraduate research students are treated differently because their “study” and “work” boundaries are less rigid than a coursework degree. Check your own grant letter or VEVO record to confirm your specific conditions, since exemptions are visa-condition-specific, not automatic just because you’re doing a research degree.
What Happens If You Breach Condition 8105
Breaching your work condition is treated seriously — it can lead to visa cancellation, and a cancellation can affect your ability to be granted future Australian visas. Home Affairs does have some discretion for genuine one-off mistakes, but the safest approach is to never rely on that discretion in the first place. If you’ve realised you’ve gone over the limit, the general advice is to stop, keep records of your hours, and seek advice from your education provider’s international student support office or a registered migration agent rather than waiting to see if it gets noticed.
Common Mistakes
The mistakes I see most often with student staff aren’t malicious — they’re just math errors. A few worth flagging:
- Forgetting to add up multiple jobs. The 48-hour limit is a household total across every employer, not per job.
- Assuming a quiet study week counts as a “break.” Only your institution’s official scheduled breaks lift the cap.
- Losing track of the rolling window. Because a fortnight isn’t tied to your pay cycle, it’s easy to accidentally stack hours across two different employers’ pay periods without noticing the 14-day total.
- Not checking VEVO. Visa grant letters and email confirmations can be misremembered — VEVO shows your actual current conditions.
FAQs
Does the 48-hour limit include unpaid work or volunteering?
Condition 8105 is about paid work. Genuine unpaid work experience or volunteering isn’t counted the same way, but if you’re ever unsure whether something counts as “work” under your visa, check with your provider’s international student office before assuming.
Can I work more than 48 hours in one week if I work less the next?
Yes — the limit is a 14-day rolling total, not a per-week cap, as long as the combined total across any 14-day period doesn’t exceed 48 hours.
Does the cap apply to ABN or freelance work?
Yes. Any paid work, including work done under an ABN, counts toward the 48-hour total.
What if my course is completely finished but my visa is still valid?
Once you’ve completed your course, different conditions can apply. This is a case where checking VEVO or speaking to a migration agent is worth it rather than guessing.
Final Thoughts
The 48-hour rule trips people up not because it’s complicated, but because nobody explains the rolling-fortnight and combined-jobs parts clearly. If you’re weighing up casual shifts alongside study, it’s worth reading how casual, part-time, and full-time work actually differ in Australia, and how casual loading affects what you’re paid per hour — useful context once you know how many hours you’re actually allowed to work. And if you’re still waiting on your first pay cycle to land, here’s what to expect. If you haven’t sorted your OSHC health cover yet, that’s the other non-negotiable box to tick alongside your work rights.
This article is general information, not migration advice. Visa conditions can change and individual circumstances vary — always confirm your specific conditions via VEVO or a registered migration agent before making work decisions based on this guide.