Working Rights by Australian Visa Type: Complete Chart

Working Rights by Australian Visa Type: Complete Chart

Your right to work in Australia depends entirely on your visa subclass and its conditions. Some visas grant unrestricted work rights, some limit hours or employers, and others prohibit work entirely. This guide charts the work entitlements for every major Australian visa type, including hour limits, employer restrictions, and the specific visa conditions that govern your employment. Check your conditions using VEVO before starting any work.

Quick Reference: Work Rights by Visa

Detailed Work Rights by Category

No Work Rights (Condition 8101)

Visitor visas (600, 601, 651) carry condition 8101: "the holder must not engage in work in Australia."

This covers all forms of paid employment, self-employment, freelancing, and most unpaid work. Business visitor activities (attending conferences, meetings, negotiations) are permitted, but actually performing work for payment is not.

Breaching condition 8101 can result in visa cancellation, detention, and deportation. Read our detailed guide on working on a tourist visa.

Student Visa (Subclass 500) — Condition 8104/8105

Student visa work rights have changed several times in recent years. The current standard:

During study periods: Up to 48 hours per fortnight (a fortnight starts on Monday of the week your course begins, then every 14 days after). This replaced the previous 40-hour limit and the temporary unlimited work provisions during COVID.

During scheduled breaks: Unlimited work hours are permitted during scheduled course breaks, provided you remain enrolled.

Exceptions to the 48-hour limit:

• Work that is a registered part of your course (e.g., internships, practicums)
• Voluntary work for a non-profit organisation (genuinely voluntary, not in exchange for benefits)
• Commenced before the course starts (if your visa is granted before your course begins)

What "48 hours per fortnight" means in practice: This is approximately equivalent to 24 hours per week, but because it's measured per fortnight, you could theoretically work 40 hours in one week and 8 in the next. However, consistently working close to the limit while studying full-time will raise questions about whether you're meeting your study obligations.

Student guardian visa (590): Limited to 20 hours per fortnight during the student's study periods. Unrestricted during scheduled breaks.

Working Holiday Visas (417/462) — Unrestricted with Employer Limit

Working holiday visa holders can work unrestricted hours, but there's a limitation on how long you can work for any single employer.

Six-month rule: You cannot work for the same employer for more than 6 months unless you obtain written permission from the Department of Home Affairs. This rule is designed to prevent working holiday makers from simply taking up a permanent job.

Exceptions to the 6-month rule:

• Work in specified regional areas (plant and animal cultivation, fishing, tree farming, mining, construction, and some other sectors)
• Work for an Australian government entity
• Work that the Department has specifically approved

Specified work for visa extensions: Certain types of work in regional Australia can qualify you for second and third year working holiday visas:

• Plant and animal cultivation (farming)
• Fishing and pearling
• Tree farming and felling
• Mining
• Construction
• Bushfire recovery and flood recovery work (when declared)

You need 88 days (about 3 months) of specified work for a second year visa, and 179 days (about 6 months) for a third year visa.

Employer-Sponsored Visas (482/494) — Employer-Specific

Skills in Demand visa (482): You can only work for the employer who sponsored you, in the position you were nominated for. You cannot work for a different employer unless they lodge a new nomination and you apply for a new visa (or variation).

Conditions:

• Must work in the nominated occupation
• Must be employed by the sponsoring employer
• Must receive the salary stated in the nomination
• Can work full-time hours (no hourly restriction)
• Secondary applicants (partner/spouse) have unrestricted work rights

What happens if you lose your job: If your employment with your sponsoring employer ends, you have a limited period (typically 60-90 days) to find a new sponsor or make arrangements to leave Australia. During this time, your visa conditions technically still restrict you to working for your sponsor. In practice, people in this situation should seek migration advice immediately.

Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional): Same employer-specific restrictions as the 482, but the work must be in a designated regional area.

Permanent Skilled Visas (189/190/186/191) — Unrestricted

All permanent skilled visas grant unrestricted work rights:

• Work any number of hours
• Work for any employer
• Be self-employed
• Work in any occupation (not limited to your nominated occupation)
• Work anywhere in Australia (though 190 holders are expected to stay in the nominating state for 2 years)

These unrestricted rights apply from the date the visa is granted.

Provisional Visa (491) — Unrestricted but Regional

The subclass 491 grants unrestricted work rights in terms of hours and employer choice, but with a geographic restriction: you must live and work in a designated regional area.

Designated regional areas include: All of Australia except Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Cities like Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Newcastle, and Hobart are all classified as regional for 491 purposes.

Partner Visas (820/801, 309/100) — Unrestricted

Both the temporary and permanent stages of the partner visa provide unrestricted work rights. From the date your temporary partner visa (820 or 309) is granted, you can:

• Work any hours
• Work for any employer
• Be self-employed
• Work in any occupation

This is one of the significant advantages of the partner visa pathway, as you have full work rights throughout the processing period (which can be 2+ years).

Bridging Visas — Variable

Work rights on bridging visas depend on the circumstances:

Bridging Visa A (when your last substantive visa had work rights): Usually includes work rights matching your previous visa's conditions or the visa you've applied for.

Bridging Visa A (when your last substantive visa had no work rights): May not include work rights automatically. You may need to apply for a work permission (condition 8101 variation).

Bridging Visa E: Often does not include work rights. If you're on a BVE without work rights and need to work, you can apply for permission, but it's assessed case by case.

How to check: Use VEVO to verify your bridging visa conditions. Don't assume you have work rights just because you're on a bridging visa.

Common Work Condition Numbers

Tax and Superannuation

Regardless of your visa type, if you work in Australia, you're subject to Australian tax laws:

Tax File Number (TFN): You need a TFN to work. Apply online through the ATO within 28 days of arriving. Without a TFN, your employer must withhold tax at the highest marginal rate (45% + Medicare levy).

Tax residency: If you're living in Australia for more than 6 months, you're likely a tax resident and taxed on the same progressive scale as Australian citizens ($0 tax on the first $18,200, then increasing rates). Non-residents for tax purposes pay higher rates with no tax-free threshold.

Superannuation: If you earn more than $450/month from a single employer, they must pay superannuation (currently 11.5%) on top of your salary into a nominated super fund. You may be able to claim this super back when you permanently leave Australia (the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment).

Employer Obligations

Australian employers face legal obligations when hiring visa holders:

• Verify work rights: Employers must check your visa status and work conditions before hiring. Failing to do so can result in fines up to $99,000 per illegal worker.
• Maintain records: Employers must keep records of their visa verification checks.
• Pay award rates: Visa holders must be paid at least the same rate as Australian workers in equivalent positions.
• Report sponsor obligations: Sponsor employers (482/494) must report certain events to the Department within specified timeframes.

FAQ

Can I do volunteer work on any visa? Genuine volunteering for a non-profit organisation is generally permitted on most visa types, including visitor visas. The key is that it must be genuinely voluntary (no payment or benefits in exchange) and for a community benefit.

I'm on a student visa. Can I be self-employed or freelance? Technically, self-employment and freelancing count against your 48-hour fortnightly limit. You can freelance, but the hours must stay within your work hour cap during study periods.

My employer is asking me to work more than my visa allows. What do I do? Do not exceed your visa conditions, regardless of employer pressure. If an employer is pressuring you to breach your visa conditions, this may constitute exploitation. Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or the ABF's reporting line.

How do I check my work rights? Use VEVO to verify your current visa conditions and work entitlements. You can also show your VEVO results to employers as proof of your right to work.