Permission to Work

You cannot work in Australia until you have received permission from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).  Most people granted student visas on or after 26 April 2008 will receive permission to work with their visa grant. As a result, most student visa holders will no longer need to apply separately in Australia for permission to work.

To check how these new arrangements effect you, see DIAC's fact sheet:  "New permission to work arrangement for student visa holders"

If your visa was issued before 26 April 2008 and you plan to work in Australia, and you do not currently have work rights attached to your visa grant please see the how to apply section below or visit the DIAC web site.

Please note that you can only apply for work rights:

• after you have arrived in Australia; and
• after you have commenced your study program.

DIAC define work as 'an activity that, in Australia, normally attracts renumeration'. An example is:

• a student who is living with a home-stay family and helps out in the family business, a fruit and veg shop. The student is not paid. As shop assistants normally receive pay, this is considered work.

Therefore, the student needs to have work rights on his/her visa.

Voluntary, unpaid work, is not defined as work, or included in the maximum hours able to be worked each week if it:

• is of benefit to the community
• is for a non-profit organisation
• is a designated volunteer position and would not be undertaken in return for wages by an Australian resident, and
• is genuinely voluntary (that is, no remuneration, either in cash or kind is received, – board and lodging is acceptable).

There are strict restrictions on how many hours you can work per week. This can vary according to what visa subclass you are on. It is important that you are aware of the relevant conditions: visit the DIAC web site.

Please note that students found to be working in excess of their limited work rights may have their visas cancelled.

Postgraduate Research students

You can work unlimited hours if you are a PhD or Masters student and you have submitted your thesis for marking, regradless of whether your CoE is still in effect.

How to Apply for a Visa with Work Rights

There are two ways you can apply for a visa with work rights: the preferred (and quickest) method is to apply online. You can ONLY apply online if you have a credit card. If you do not have a credit card you can follow the steps below under the heading "Applying with a Form".