Working in Australia for International Students

Work in a part-time or casual job during semester or full-time during the holidays.
Seek opportunities in your industry field which will give you experience related to your studies. For example, if you are studying accounting and are interested in taxation, seek to volunteer as a tax helper in your community.




Your employment rights in Australia

Your student visa enables you to work up to 40 hours per fortnight during semester, which allows you to earn an income to cover your living expenses while still leaving plenty of time for your studies. During semester breaks you are allowed to work unlimited hours.

Students are limited during the semester because of course conflictions, but during the holidays students can earn some nice extra cash by working full time. A lot of international students who do not travel back to their home country for the holidays can stay and work full time.

A lot of full time jobs during the holidays include jobs within the tourism industry. Some full time jobs that students should think about getting during the holidays include the following:

• Nanny at fun parks
• Assistant at zoo’s or museums
• Theme park attendant
• Sales or assistant in shopping malls
• Hotel assistant
• Life-guards
• Surf instructor
• Ski Instructor
• Ski assistant

It is important that you are aware of your employment rights. You should be paid a fair wage for any work you do, so beware of employers who insist on paying you ‘cash in hand’ or those who ask you to complete unpaid work on a ‘trial’ basis. You should also be familiar with the pay and conditions for your area of employment