Key Points
- The government will restrict student visa holders to working 48 hours a fortnight from July 1.
- A student support group claims to cap on hours will lead to financial hardship and work abuses.
- The 'Scrap the Cap' campaign has been launched to protest the work hours limit.
International student Abigail Ildefonso says the re-introduction of a cap on the number of hours international students can work is "unfair" and will lead to financial hardship.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, student visa holders were restricted to working no more than 40 hours a fortnight.
During the pandemic, the cap was removed altogether.
However, from July 1, the government will reinstate the cap, slightly increasing it to 48 hours a fortnight.
“Why do international students get capped working hours when domestic students with the same academic needs can work unlimited?” she asks.
In her final year of a Bachelor of Nursing course at a Melbourne university, she says her tuition fees are more than $30,000 a year.
International student Abigail Ildefonso
“Since I got here in 2019, there’s an estimated $100 difference in our weekly grocery [bill] as prices are going up.”
Not entitled to subsidies
The 23-year-old from the Philippines is currently working 60 hours per fortnight in her healthcare job but fears the cap will greatly limit her ability to pay for all her family's basic needs, including childcare.
“One of the reasons I get to balance work, study, and life is childcare. International students are not entitled to subsidies, so I pay the full fees, equivalent to $140 a day,” she says.
“If they reduce the working hours, my capacity to pay for childcare will be reduced as well, and if I cannot pay, I need to be the one taking care of my son, which will take me out of the workforce.”
Ms Ildefonso is just one of the international students that the federal government tapped during the height of the pandemic to address the labour shortage in various sectors such as agriculture, aged care, hospitality, and more.
During the pandemic, the federal government temporarily removed the work-hour cap, allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week; however, this is set to end on 30 June.
The government said the move is to ensure that student visa holders are able to focus on obtaining a quality Australian education and qualification while remaining able to support themselves financially, gain valuable work experience, and contribute to Australia’s workforce needs.
As of 31 March, there were over 586,800 student visa holders in Australia, with another 68,100 currently offshore who can travel to Australia.
'Scrap the Cap' campaign
One group working for the welfare of international students, the Support Network for International Students (SNIS), is challenging the reimposition of limited working hours through the ‘Scrap the Cap’ campaign.
SNIS was established in September 2020 as a collaborative effort between numerous organisations and individuals, including international students and their supporters. Its primary goal is to promote the well-being and rights of international students through a range of initiatives and strategies.
According to its coordinator, Ness Gavanzo, the group aims to acknowledge the significant economic contribution of international students in Australia and to eliminate restrictions on their working hours.
“During the pandemic, international students were mostly the ones working the essential jobs and services because citizens and permanent residents could receive Job Keeper allowance or ask for financial support from Centrelink, but these students were not eligible,” Ms Gavanzo says.
This is when these international students proved that they could balance working more than 40 hours while maintaining their studies.Ness Gavanzo, Support Network for International Students
Reduced working hours will open ‘floodgates to abuse’
There is information on workplace rights, entitlements in visa grant letters and migrant worker resources in multiple languages on the . However, Ms Gavanzo says there was still a “...pervasive problem of wage theft and workplace abuses many international students face”.
“The work-hour cap will open the floodgates for more abuse of international students because they will have no choice but to accept available jobs,” Ms Gavanzo adds.
The threat of visa cancellation keeps students quiet as it means the end of their futures in Australia.
The recent revealed widespread discrimination against workers on temporary visas and that they frequently encountered exploitation and discrimination in their workplaces.
Government seeks an ‘appropriate balance’ between work and study
In a statement provided to SBS Filipino, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs says that the Australian government recognised the important contribution that international students made to Australian society.
“The Government considers 48 hours a fortnight as an appropriate balance between work and study, acknowledging that study is the primary purpose of the Student visa,” they say.
They added that as “...part of the requirements for a Student visa, students must declare that they have enough money to support their stay in Australia, including the cost of living, the course and travel expenses.”
“This modest increase will help students to gain valuable work experience and contribute to Australia’s workforce needs while they study,” the spokesperson says.
Online petition and open letter
As part of the campaign, SNIS is organising various activities, including an videos, an open letter, lobbying, and protests.
“International education is worth. International students have long been treated as a source of income and labour for Australia,” Ms Gavanzo says.
“Our resounding call is ‘Scrap the Cap!' as permanently lifting the cap means that students have the same rights at work and wage theft and workplace abuses will be avoided.”
