Working in Australia
All you need to know about your work rights as an international student in Australia.
If your student visa has been granted on or after 26 April 2008, you will automatically receive permission to work with your visa. This applies to both you (as the primary student) and any dependent family members travelling with you on your student visa.
You do not need a visa label to show your employer your work entitlements. Your visa information is held electronically and you can access it at any time using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system. Employers, banks and government services can also check details about your visa entitlements on VEVO once they have your consent to do so.
Hours you can work
Student visa holders are entitled to work up to 40 hours each fortnight while their course is in session (excluding any work undertaken as a registered component of their course of study or training). Students can also work unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks.
Family members are not allowed to work until you begin your course. They are allowed to work up to 40 hours a fortnight at all times. Family members of students who have started a postgraduate research course may work unlimited hours. For more information, visit the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs.
Tax File Number
The Department of Home Affairs randomly checks workplaces and your employer will be legally obliged to provide the Department of Home Affairs with information, if requested. If you decide to work you will need to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) from the Australian Taxation Office. Read more on detailed steps on how to apply for your TFN as an individual.
Temporary relaxation on hours you can work
The Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force will take a flexible approach to student visa holders, to support the supply of certain services during the COVID-19.
You can work for more than 40 hours a fortnight if you are employed:
- by an aged care Approved Provider or Commonwealth-funded aged care service provider with a RACS ID or a NAPS ID, before 8 September 2020
- by a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme provider
- enrolled in a health care related course and you are supporting the health effort against COVID-19, as directed by health officials.
- in the agriculture sector
- in the tourism and hospitality sector
These are temporary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and will be reviewed by the Government. For more information visit the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs.
Work conditions
People working in Australia have basic rights and protections in the workplace. These include, but are not limited to:
- Right to minimum pay.
- Right to certain conditions in any job you are employed to do.
More about work rights and conditions is available from Fair Work Ombudsman.
Most people who hire you for a job (employers) want to do the right thing. However, be careful about:
- Unpaid work trials
- Fake contracting agreements
- Cash-in-hand pay arrangements.
Always make sure that you know the full name and contact details of your employer. It will be difficult to solve problems if you do not have this information.
Please contact the Welfare Services, Student Wellbeing or the Careers and Employment Services at Macquarie University if you believe you are being unfairly treated at work, or have any questions about your work rights and conditions. Advice from both services is free, and confidential.
Finding a job
Visit the Macquarie University Career Service for assistance in developing your career. Regular Career Service workshops provide career education and generic skills development and employment opportunities including resume writing and interviewing skills. Macquarie Student Employment (MQSE) also co-ordinates part-time and casual work for students and arranges for employers to meet with and recruit students.