Working While Studying in Brisbane: The Current Visa Work-Hour Rules

If you're moving to Brisbane on a student visa, working part-time is probably part of the plan — whether to cover living costs, gain local experience, or both. Here's what the current rules actually say, including the parts most guides skip.

The short answer

Most international students in Australia on a Subclass 500 student visa can currently work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, with no limit during scheduled course breaks. Students undertaking a Masters by Research or PhD are exempt from the work-hour cap entirely once their course has started.

This is visa condition detail, not general advice — always confirm the current rule directly on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before relying on it, since work-hour limits have changed before and can change again. A proposal to lift the cap to 60 hours per fortnight from July 2026 has been publicly floated but had not become law as of this guide's last check — the 48-hour figure below is the current, binding rule.

What counts toward the cap

This is the part most study-abroad content glosses over: the 48-hour limit isn't per job — it's a total across every employer combined. If you work 30 hours at one job and 20 at another in the same fortnight, that's 50 hours total, over the limit, even though neither job alone breaks it.

This also includes gig-platform work — food delivery, rideshare, and similar app-based work count toward your total the same as a traditional job would. It's easy to lose track of this when the hours are spread across a few different apps rather than one payslip, so it's worth actually tracking your total hours yourself rather than assuming each platform is tracking it for you.

What happens during breaks

The unlimited-hours allowance only applies during your institution's official, scheduled course breaks — not just whenever you personally feel like taking time off from study. Check your enrolment provider's academic calendar for the actual break dates, since this is what determines whether the cap applies, not your own judgment about how much study you're currently doing.

Exemptions

Masters by Research and PhD students are not subject to the fortnightly work-hour cap once their course has commenced. If you're on a research-based postgraduate visa and have been budgeting around the 48-hour figure, this may not apply to you — confirm your specific visa conditions rather than assuming the general undergraduate/coursework rule applies.

Practical implications for your budget

At 48 hours per fortnight — the maximum during study periods — that's an average of 24 hours a week. Rather than quoting a single pay figure here, since minimum pay varies by award, your age, and the type of role, check your actual minimum entitlement using the Fair Work Ombudsman's free Pay and Conditions Tool, based on your specific job and hours. It's the authoritative government source for what you're legally owed, and it stays current automatically as minimum wage rates change — which a fixed number in this post wouldn't.

Combined with the cost of living near your campus guide, this gives you a realistic picture of how far part-time work income can go toward rent and everyday costs.

What happens if you go over the cap

Working beyond your visa's permitted hours is a breach of your visa conditions, not just a workplace issue — it can put your current visa at risk and affect future visa applications, including permanent residency pathways down the track. This isn't meant to scare you off working within the rules — it's a reason to actually track your hours across every job, rather than a reason to avoid working altogether.

Current as of 14 September 2026. Visa conditions, including work-hour limits, are set by the Australian Government and can change — always confirm your specific visa conditions directly with the Department of Home Affairs rather than relying on this or any third-party summary.