Working in Australia
Most international students with a student visa are allowed to work while studying in Australia.
Casual or part-time work is a great and flexible way to earn money.
Competition for casual or part-time jobs can be high, so they can be difficult to find. Jobs are usually offered in areas like retail, hospitality and customer service.
Before you work in Australia
- Check your visa conditions. For a Student visa (subclass 500), you can only work for a certain number of hours and only after your program has commenced. Make sure you understand all conditions that apply to you.
- Contact your scholarship provider. If you're studying at UQ on a scholarship, you will need to find out how many hours you're permitted to work each week.
- Apply for a tax file number from the Australian Tax Office. If you don't provide your employer with a tax file number, your income will be taxed at the highest tax rate.
- Understand your work rights in Australia. All international students are protected by Australian law while working in Australia.
Learn more about working while you study
Hours of work
If you have a student visa, you can work:
- up to 40 hours per fortnight (2-week period) during university semesters, and
- full-time hours during vacations.
In general, you shouldn’t expect a casual job to cover your tuition fees or expenses.
Help finding a job
All UQ students can access job listings, advice and services:
- UQ Career Hub (student login required) lists job vacancies from employers, both locally and internationally
- UQ Union job preparation service helps students find and apply for casual jobs
- UQ's Careers and Employability office helps students with job searching, networking and application writing.
To find out more about finding work as an international student:
- come to a session during Orientation week
- contact a Student Adviser.