If you are joining your partner on a student dependent visa in Australia, your work rights can make a significant difference to your household budget. The usual limit is 48 hours per fortnight, but family members of students undertaking a master’s or doctoral degree can work beyond that limit once the relevant course has commenced.
Two details are particularly important. The master’s exception includes coursework master’s degrees, and the usual 48-hour limit for other student dependants continues during semester holidays. The student’s own work rules are different.
This guide explains the rules for family members holding a Student visa (subclass 500), what to check before accepting work, and when a change in circumstances needs closer attention.
What is a student dependent visa in Australia?
“Student dependent visa” is a common description for a subclass 500 visa granted to an eligible family member of an international student. It is not a separate visa subclass.
For Student visas, eligible family members include a spouse or de facto partner, and an unmarried dependent child under 18 of the student or their partner. The specific definition appears in regulation 1.12(6) of the Migration Regulations 1994.
This article focuses on work rights for a spouse or partner. A parent holding a Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) is in a different position: that visa does not permit work.
Which visa condition controls a dependant’s work rights?
Condition 8104 applies to subclass 500 visa holders who meet the secondary criteria as family members. It sets the work limit, the rules about starting work and the master’s or doctoral degree exception.
The primary student generally has condition 8105 instead. Although both conditions concern work, their exceptions are different. Your partner’s permission to work additional hours does not automatically give you the same permission.
Your visa grant notice and VEVO identify the conditions attached to your visa. Their legal meaning comes from the Migration Regulations, including conditions 8104 and 8105 in Schedule 8.
Student dependant work rights by course type
Once the relevant course has commenced, the position under condition 8104 is:
| Primary student’s course | Family member’s work limit |
| Bachelor’s degree, diploma, VET or another course below master’s level | Up to 48 hours per fortnight, including during scheduled course breaks |
| Master’s degree by coursework, including a master’s degree (extended) | No 48-hour fortnightly cap under condition 8104 |
| Master’s degree by research | No 48-hour fortnightly cap under condition 8104 |
| Doctoral degree, including a PhD | No 48-hour fortnightly cap under condition 8104 |
These are visa work limits. Other laws and employment requirements still apply.
Can the partner of a coursework master’s student work full-time?
Yes, condition 8104 allows a family member to work beyond 48 hours per fortnight where the student’s relevant course is for a master’s or doctoral degree. The exception is not limited to research master’s degrees.
The coursework master’s student usually remains subject to the student’s own 48-hour limit while their course is in session. By contrast, a student who has commenced a master’s by research or doctoral degree has a separate exception under condition 8105.
Home Affairs’ explanation of the work conditions expressly distinguishes these situations.
What about ELICOS or school courses?
A family member holding a subclass 500 visa is subject to condition 8104. An ELICOS or school course does not, by itself, create a separate blanket prohibition on that family member working.
The important first check is the visa subclass. A parent accompanying a school student on a subclass 590 Student Guardian visa cannot rely on the work rights of a subclass 500 dependant.
Can student dependants work more during university holidays?
The usual 48-hour cap continues during holidays. Condition 8104 does not limit the cap to periods when the student’s course is in session.
For example, the partner of a bachelor’s student who is subject to the 48-hour cap cannot increase to unrestricted hours simply because the university is on a scheduled semester break.
The primary student’s condition 8105 operates differently: its ordinary work cap applies during fortnights when the course is in session. This difference is why families should check each person’s work condition separately.
When can a student dependant start working?
The general rule is that a family member cannot work until the primary student has commenced a course of study. A visa grant or arrival in Australia does not, on its own, satisfy that requirement.
Condition 8104 contains exceptions where, at the time of applying for the relevant visa, either the family member or the primary student held a substantive or bridging visa that permitted work. It also provides a specific exception to the hour cap before the course begins when those provisions apply.
These exceptions depend on the previous visa and application history. If you intend to work before the course starts, have that history checked rather than assuming a previous job or visa is enough.
For a family relying on the master’s or doctoral degree exception, confirm that the relevant degree has commenced before planning unrestricted work hours.
How is the 48-hour fortnight calculated?
For condition 8104, a fortnight is a 14-day period beginning on a Monday. The limit concerns total work, so taking a second job does not create another 48-hour allowance.
For example, 30 hours with one employer and 18 with another totals 48 hours in the same fortnight. Keep records of your hours across all jobs, and check each applicable fortnight rather than relying solely on an employer’s pay cycle.
What should you check if the student’s circumstances change?
A course change can affect the facts on which a work-rights exception depends. The condition number does not have to change for the exception to require reassessment.
A move from a research master’s degree to a coursework master’s degree does not, by itself, remove the dependant’s master’s-degree exception: both are master’s degrees. A move to a bachelor’s degree raises a different question and should be checked before continuing to work unrestricted hours.
If the student withdraws, defers, completes a course or encounters a visa cancellation, review your own visa position as well. Do not assume the family’s visas and work rights remain unaffected, or that every family member automatically has the same outcome.
If you are on a bridging visa, check the conditions of the visa that is currently in effect. A pending application does not justify assuming unrestricted work rights.
Before you accept a job or increase your hours
Check these four things:
- Your visa: confirm the subclass, expiry and conditions in your grant notice and VEVO.
- The course: establish the course type and when it commenced.
- Your work limit: determine whether the ordinary cap or a specific exception applies.
- Your records: keep evidence of course commencement and hours worked across all jobs.
If you believe you have exceeded your permitted hours, seek advice based on your visa conditions and work records before deciding how to address the issue.
Discuss your student visa circumstances with AIM Lawyers
AIM Lawyers & Consultants provides student visa services and immigration advice from Melbourne. If you are unsure about your family’s work rights, speak with the team about your visa grant notice, course details and any changes to your circumstances.
Book a consultation with AIM Lawyers before accepting work or increasing your hours where your entitlements are unclear.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours can a student dependant work in Australia?
The ordinary subclass 500 dependant limit is 48 hours per fortnight under condition 8104. A master’s or doctoral degree exception permits work beyond that limit once the relevant course has commenced. Specific exceptions also concern work before course commencement.
Can the spouse of a coursework master’s student work more than 48 hours?
Yes, the master’s-degree exception includes coursework master’s degrees. The student and spouse have different work conditions, so the student’s own in-session cap may still apply.
Can student dependants work full-time during semester breaks?
A dependant subject to the ordinary 48-hour cap does not get unrestricted hours merely because the student is on a semester break. The cap under condition 8104 continues during holidays.
Is a student dependent visa the same as a Student Guardian visa?
No. Student dependants discussed here hold subclass 500 visas as family members. A subclass 590 Student Guardian visa does not permit work.
Does changing from a research master’s to a coursework master’s automatically reduce my partner’s work rights?
No. Both are master’s degrees for the condition 8104 exception. The actual course, its commencement and the family’s visa circumstances should still be checked.
General information checked on 1 October 2026. This article does not replace advice about your individual circumstances.
