# Work Permit

Work-permit options:

International students receive permission to work along with their visa. Students are allowed to work 40 hours fortnightly during term and work unlimited hours during term Christmas breaks. But they cannot begin work until their course has started. Dependants (spouse ) are also allowed to work 20 hours a week once the course of student commences. In case of student pursuing a Masters or Doctoral degree the dependants may work unlimited hours.

Post study work arrangements

The Post-Study Work stream offers extended options for working in Australia to eligible graduates of a higher education degree. Under this stream, successful applicants are granted a visa of two, three or four years duration, depending on the highest educational qualification they have obtained.

The Australian study requirement has two equally important and related components. To meet this requirement, students must have:

- attained either a single qualification requiring at least two academic years study or multiple qualifications resulting in a total period of at least two academic years study; and
- undertaken this study in no less than 16 months.

For both streams of the subclass 485 visa, the Australian study requirement must have been met in the six months immediately before making a visa application.
To meet this requirement, the course/courses must also:

- be registered through the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
- have been successfully completed
- have resulted in an eligible qualification (see page 3 for further detail)
- have had all instruction in English
- have been completed while physically in Australia
- have been completed while holding a visa allowing study in Australia
- be counted only once towards the Australian study requirement.

English language proficiency courses or enabling programs cannot be used to meet the Australian study requirement.