International students can work for unlimited hours, says Australian govt

The Australian government has decided to waive-off the restrictions on weekly work hours for international students till at least mid-2023. The removal of the 20 hours a week or 40 hours a fortnight cap on work hours meant that the international students could now practically work for unlimited hours per week or month. 

However, according to them, in order to adhere to their visa requirements, the students should remain enrolled in their university program as well as ensure “satisfactory course attendance” and “satisfactory course progress” while working on the side. 

According to Clare O’Neil, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, the 40-hour fortnightly restriction, a supposedly temporary measure, on international students’ working hours will remain in place for another 10 months. “June 2023 feels…like the right time,” The Times Higher Education reported her saying. “We need it to continue while the skills crisis is so acute, but we also need it to end because this is not what our education system is about,” she added.

Recently, the Australian Government also announced that it would increase its permanent Immigration intake from 35,000 to 195,000 in 2022-23. This announcement comes after Australia faces an acute shortage of skilled labour worsened by the pandemic after introducing some of the world’s strictest border closures.

The announcement came during a two-day summit to address skills shortages attended by 140 representatives of trade unions, government, businesses, and industry.

Moreover, now international students no longer have to prove their Covid-19 vaccination status when they enter the country. All these measures have been introduced so that international students are encouraged to choose Australia as a study destination. 

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