Foreign students in Australia have expressed their concern about the re-introduction of a cap on the number of hours they can work. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, international students were limited to working no more than 40 hours a fortnight, which was temporarily lifted during the pandemic. However, from July 1, the cap will be reinstated, but slightly increased to 48 hours per fortnight.
Online petition
As part of the campaign, SNIS is organising various activities, including an
online petition, videos, an open letter, lobbying, and protests.
The SNIS letter to the Albanese government urged not to re-impose the 48 hour per fortnight rule for the following reasons:
- Imposing a cap on working hours will re-expose students to the dangers of unfair working conditions, which are harder to monitor such as wage theft and payment on hand.
- Students are re-exposed to harsh penalties whenever the cap is breached.
It further state that daily foreign students face the same challenges as domestic students such as the rising cost of living and accommodation. However, foreign students are ineligible for government support such as the Medicare and Child Care Subsidies. They are subject to changing policies affecting their pathway to permanent residency, a non-guarantee to our future. Foreign students pay almost triple the course fees and some of them who come from lower tier countries need to work for it, realistically more than 48 hours a fortnight.
The letter contends that students face a host of other conditions such as dodgy providers who exploit the loopholes in the ESOS Act to bind them to their institutions, sometimes with lack of facilities, exorbitant fees, substandard teaching.
With more than $30,000 a year in tuition fees and an estimated $20,000 in healthcare costs, some students are currently working 60 hours per fortnight.
The Australian government, on the other hand, considers 48 hours a fortnight as an appropriate balance between work and study, acknowledging that study is the primary purpose of the Student visa.
As of March 31, there were over 586,800 student visa holders in Australia, with another 68,100 currently offshore who can travel to Australia. The international education industry is worth $40.3 billion a year and creates 250,000 jobs. The Support Network for International Students (SNIS), an organisation working for the welfare of international students, is challenging the reimposition of the limited working hours through its ‘Scrap the Cap’ campaign.
According to SNIS coordinator Ness Gavanzo, international students contributed significantly to the Australian workforce during the pandemic, working in various sectors such as agriculture, aged care, and hospitality. However, many were not eligible for financial support, and lifting the cap will avoid wage theft and workplace abuses.
According to a announcement by the Department of Home Affairs student visa work restrictions were relaxed throughout the pandemic, and completely removed in January 2022 to allow primary and secondary student visa holders to work over their normal limit of 40 hours per fortnight to address workforce shortages. This will end on 30 June 2023.
“From 1 July 2023, work restrictions for student visa holders will be re-introduced and capped at the increased rate of 48 hours per fortnight. This ensures 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” the statement added.
They further added that students must declare that they have enough money to support their stay in Australia, including the cost of living, the course, and travel expenses.
To support the well-being and rights of international students, SNIS is organising various activities, including an online petition, videos, an open letter, lobbying, and protests.
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