- From July 2023 onwards the students of international schools in Australia can work up to 48 hours per fortnight.
- In July, additional rights to work after study will be offered for international students who have graduated with specific degrees linked to the Australian economy’s lack of skilled labor.
- The list of degrees that are eligible has been made public
The recovery from the post-pandemic era in Australia’s international education sector was supported by the generous policies governing the rights of post-study as well as in-study for students from abroad. These policies are changing as we review the latest regulations regarding working rights in Australia that will go into effect on July 1, 2023.
Caps will be introduced again on working during studies
The first is that this temporary rule eliminating limitations on the hours that students from abroad can work studying in Australia will expire on July 1, 2023. The new hours limit of 48 hours per two weeks is more than what it was before (40 hours).
The objective is to find the right balance between making sure that foreign students are able to participate completely in their primary goal (i.e. studying at a university in Australia) and providing them with a means of supporting themselves financially in the event of need as well as gaining experiences in the country.
Both currently enrolled and new international students will be subject to the 48-hours-per-fortnight (24 hours per week) cap beginning in July.
Some international students aren’t thrilled with the slight increase in the number of hours they can work. Talking to SBS Punjabi, Gunveer Singh is who is an Indian business student from Melbourne who works at an upscale supermarket to pay for his education, said
“Currently the majority of students are working for hours that are not set to pay for their education and to manage their overall cost of living in Australia which is soaring. The 24-hour limit per week could cause a sigh of relief to many students who are coming to Australia with money for their first semester, and depend on jobs onshore to earn tuition costs for the rest of their studies.”
Dahlia an Indonesian student studying in Australia agreed with her statement to ABC News: “At the moment I am working around 40 hours per week, and that is barely enough to cover all my living expenses.”
But, some students are pleased that the return of limits on hours of work can help curb the desire to work as long as possible for international students. Indian engineering student Niraj Kumar told SBS Punjabi:
“Most of my friends are working long hours in order to make as much money as they are able to. They’re sacrificing their education to save money and, in the end, they are not doing their best in their work.”
In an interview with ABC News, a dual citizen of Spain and Canada Macarena Alamo Santos also said:
“Unless your job is linked to your studies, the time you are at work is typically the time you aren’t able to spend studying or practicing your abilities. If you work longer than 40 hours per fortnight gives you the opportunity to earn more money in the short term. However, it may hinder you from completing your studies, which could affect the validity of your visa as well as your job prospects.”
The diverse perspectives of students highlight how it can be difficult for international students in many of the host countries to able to study and pay for tuition as well as rent and food. International students not only pay higher tuition than students from the country however, but they also have to contend with the increased costs of living and rent that all students face in their country of residence. They also face pressure because of the exchange rates that are associated with their respective currencies.
In Canada For instance the director for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Canada reported to The Toronto Star in the year 2000 that the majority of the 22,000 students who depended on the organization to eat enough were students from abroad, and that the most common reason mentioned by these students was the cap of 20 hours a week working rights during their studies.
Certain degrees can give you an additional two years after the completion of your studies. rights
The Australian government made it clear last year that international students who graduate with certain degrees will be qualified for extended post-study employment rights starting on the 1st of July in 2023. The government has now revealed which degrees are linked to areas of shortage of skilled workers that are a problem for Australia’s Australian industry – grant:
- Bachelor’s graduates who have 4 years of post-study rights to work
- Graduates with Master’s degrees with five years of post-study rights to work
A list of degrees that are eligible for the work rights of 4-5 years is extensive and is a welcome relief to those who be worried that it will be restricted to a small number of areas. The most sought-after areas are teaching, health, engineering, and agricultural fields.
If a student has graduated with a degree not listed The post-study period is two months for the bachelor’s degree, and three years for a master’s degree.
All doctoral students regardless of their subject field – will be given six years of study, which is an increase from the current limit of four years.
On the post-study work rights that are available to students who have selected degree programs, Minister of Education Jason Clare said:
“Businesses are crying out needing skilled laborers, especially in the areas. We are experiencing the second-highest skills shortage among the developed nations according to the OECD. There are a lot of shortages in the field of skills. We provide training and education to skilled workers. This will allow them to stay longer and apply the knowledge they’ve acquired through their time in Australia to fill in certain of the recurring skill shortages we’re facing in the present. Along with providing the necessary qualifications and qualifications Australia requires, this measure will help make Australia more appealing as a destination for study which will aid in the revival of the education sector in the world and increase the earnings of the exports of education from Australia.”
Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil added:
“Enabling students to gain the education they need in Australia to stay for longer periods of time and contribute to the economy is beneficial for all. After a decade of decline in the issue of immigration and skills, we are exploring methods to attract skilled migrants through better training and more targeted, less exploitation-based programs for temporary visa employees and students. This effort is underway in the lead-up to the conclusion of our immigration review and works to improve our broken immigration and skills system.”
Indian education associations welcome the news
Ravi Lochan Singh, the president of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI), said to SBS Punjabi:
“With this choice, Australia now offers the best post-study options among Canada as well as the US and as well as the UK, and New Zealand. Students who are postgraduate in the major cities have the option of taking the possibility of up to 5 years post-study.”
Mr. Singh has also stated, “The list of qualifications that have been announced is fairly vast and includes almost all the popular programs that interest students from the South Asian markets.”
“Enabling students to gain the education they need in Australia to stay for longer and contribute to the economy is beneficial for all. After a decade of stagnation in immigration and skills, we are trying to find ways to utilize skilled immigrants through better training and more targeted programs that are less exploitation-based for temporary visa employees and students. This is the work being done in the lead-up to the end of our migration review, and will continue to overhaul our broken migration and skills system.”
Details about eligibility
The government declares:
“Eligible graduates who have an active Temporary Graduate Visa on 1 July 2023 or who have applied for a Temporary Graduate Visa after 1 July 2023 will be eligible for the two-year extension.
Graduates whose visa is due to expire or on or before July 1, 2023, may request extensions of working rights through a visit to Temporary Activity Visa (subclass 408) Australian Government endorsed events (COVID-19 Pandemic event).”
