International students often find work in retail, hospitality and administration. Working students are covered by Australian workplace law and practice. For more information on the laws, pay rates and entitlements visit the Fair Work Ombudman’s website.

As an International Student, whilst holding a Student Visa with permission to work, you are allowed to work 20 hours per week when the university is in session, and have unrestricted work rights at other times (mainly the summer vacations and the winter break).

Dish washer/kitchen hand/convenience store clerk type jobs seem to be the kind that most International students gravitate towards, due to compatible hours / shifts. Also, most restaurants and stores these students work in tend to be owned by people from the same community, which makes such jobs easier to find through word of mouth.

Some students with drivers license and their own car also work jobs as delivery drivers for larger chains or smaller pizza restaurants. Others work as check out staff at supermarkets, getting paid by the hour.

However, some students who have been gainfully employed in other semi-skilled and skilled employments, viz. Call Centre (outbound/inbound), telemarketing, tech support and even programming/web development type roles. Infact, Accenture employed a few International Students a couple of years ago, during an expansion phase and allowed them part time work while university was in session.

Another opportunity that is certainly available to an International Student is to be a Undergraduate/Postgraduate tutor at their university.