(AUSTRALIA) — The Australian Parliamentary Budget Office recorded a federal election proposal to lift the cap on international students’ paid work during study from 48 hours to 60 hours per fortnight, a change supporters frame as relief for living costs and employers.
The proposal, set out in the Australian Parliamentary Budget Office 2025 Election Commitments Report (ECR-2025-2848), would add 12 hours per fortnight to what student visa holders can work during teaching periods. Backers say the extra hours could help students cover expenses while easing staffing pressures in parts of the economy.
With an election platform now in circulation, universities, education agents and employers have started watching for signals on whether the plan becomes law, and how quickly it could take effect. Students, meanwhile, must still follow the current limit while the proposal remains unlegislated.
The PBO described the change as an ongoing measure that would start on 1 July 2026. The report, published on February 19, 2026, sets out the work-rights increase as part of a broader package of election commitments.
As of February 28, 2026, the change does not operate as an enforceable rule. Student visa conditions remain as they are today, and the Department of Home Affairs continues to treat breaches as a compliance issue.
Home Affairs issued a reminder on January 3, 2026, warning students not to assume the rules have shifted. “Student visa holders must continue to comply with the 48-hour per fortnight limit. Breaching work restrictions may lead to visa cancellation.”
The PBO reporting matters in Australia because it documents what parties and candidates take to voters, but it does not itself amend visa conditions. Any increase to 60 hours per fortnight would still depend on legislation and implementation steps that convert a commitment into a change students can rely on.
Under the plan, the term-time limit would rise to 60 hours per fortnight during active study terms and semesters. The PBO set out the change plainly: “The proposal would increase the work hour cap for student visa holders during study terms and semesters by 12 hours per fortnight, from 48 hours to 60 hours. The proposal would be ongoing and start on 1 July 2026.”
The policy centres on the Subclass 500 (Student Visa). In practice, moving to 60 hours per fortnight sets a higher weekly average workload during teaching weeks than the current settings, a shift that education providers and employers read as both an opportunity and a risk.
The proposal keeps a long-standing feature of student work rules unchanged: students can work unlimited hours during official course breaks. That matters for students who rely on concentrated work during holiday periods to pay rent, transport and tuition-related expenses.
Research higher degree candidates would also see continuity under the proposal. Masters by Research and PhD students already have no work hour limits once their research begins, and the plan indicates this would remain unchanged.
Supporters cast the change as part budget measure and part labour-market response. The PBO estimates the change would increase tax revenue by AU$334 million through 2028–29, an effect it described in the context of revenue raising.
Employer groups in hospitality, aged care and retail back the idea as a way to widen the pool of available workers. Those sectors often rely on international students for casual and part-time shifts, particularly in major cities and regional centres where rosters can be difficult to fill.
For students, the pitch focuses on everyday affordability in Australia, where rent and other costs can strain budgets that depend on savings and permitted work. The additional 12 hours of work per fortnight could provide an estimated AU$600+ extra per month, the proposal says, to help cover living costs and travel.
The travel framing has become part of the public conversation around study abroad, with the proposal describing extra work capacity as a way to fund trips to destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef or Melbourne. That messaging sits alongside more formal arguments about workforce supply and government revenue.
Universities and education providers, however, warn that the shift could cut into study time and undermine academic progress if students take on too much paid work. Universities Australia cautioned that working 30 hours per week during terms could “jeopardize study outcomes and academic progression.”
That concern goes beyond grades, providers say, because visa conditions and course requirements are tied together. Students who fail subjects or fall behind can face separate academic and enrolment consequences even if their work hours remain inside visa limits.
Compliance advisers also note that term-time hours are not always simple to track when rosters change week to week. Fortnightly caps can catch students off guard if they take extra shifts to cover unexpected expenses, and the enforcement risk remains real while the limit stays at 48 hours per fortnight.
Employers have a different set of calculations. A higher cap would give more flexibility to schedule weekend and evening shifts and reduce last-minute shortages, but it also increases the need to keep accurate records and confirm what “during study terms and semesters” means in practice.
The election proposal bundles the work-rights increase with an integrity measure aimed at the composition and size of new intakes. It includes a potential cap on new student commencements, limited to 240,000 annually, to keep the focus on “genuine, high-quality students.”
That pairing reflects a recurring tension in Australia’s student visa system: expanding work rights can make study more financially viable, but it can also raise concerns that some applicants prioritise work over education. The proposed cap signals an attempt to balance those pressures, even as the work limit rises.
Because the PBO recorded the 60-hours-per-fortnight plan as a proposed commitment rather than a regulatory change, students and employers cannot treat it as a green light. The only enforceable setting today remains the 48-hours-per-fortnight condition during study periods.
That practical distinction matters because visa compliance does not depend on whether a workplace manager thinks rules have changed. Home Affairs can enforce conditions based on the official rules in effect, and the department’s January reminder put students on notice.
The proposal’s timing also carries uncertainty in the way election platforms often do. Even with a stated start date of 1 July 2026, the change would still be contingent on legislation and implementation, and details can shift during drafting.
Students already in Australia on Subclass 500 visas would likely be among the first to watch for confirmation because term calendars can overlap the proposed start date. Course timetables vary, and students often plan work around assessment periods, placement requirements and holiday breaks.
Education providers will also monitor how the policy interacts with workload expectations and support services. Universities, colleges and English-language schools often provide guidance on balancing employment and study, and a higher cap can change the advice staff give to students under financial strain.
Agents and advisers may face an uptick in questions from new applicants as well. Work rights frequently shape destination choice among study-abroad students comparing Australia with other countries, and a move to 60 hours per fortnight can influence enrolment decisions even before it becomes law.
For employers, the policy debate arrives amid continued scrutiny of labour standards in sectors that hire large numbers of temporary migrants. A higher cap could increase student participation in the workforce, but it also puts more weight on employers’ processes for hours tracking, pay compliance and clear roster communication.
In the near term, the compliance message remains straightforward. Until a formal change is enacted and reflected in official guidance, student visa holders must treat 48 hours per fortnight during study periods as the binding rule.
Students looking for official confirmation can check the Department of Home Affairs guidance on student visa work conditions at the Australian Department of Home Affairs – Student Visa Conditions. The PBO commitment itself appears in the Parliamentary Budget Office – 2025 Election Commitments Report (ECR-2025-2848), which sets out the proposed move to 60 hours per fortnight and the planned start on 1 July 2026.
Universities and student support groups often translate policy changes into practical instructions, but students still need the official position before changing their work patterns. Study guidance also appears on Study Australia – Working in Australia, as the election debate continues and students watch whether ECR-2025-2848 turns from a proposal into enforceable policy.
Australian Parliamentary Budget Office Warns Against 60-Hour Fortnight Work Rule
Australian authorities are considering increasing international student work limits from 48 to 60 hours per fortnight by July 2026. While the proposal aims to boost tax revenue and student income, it faces criticism regarding academic integrity. Students are reminded that the 48-hour cap remains the current legal limit, and any changes depend on future legislation following the upcoming federal election.
