Almost every international student asks the same question before they arrive: can I work while I study, and how much? The short answer is yes in the four most popular destinations — the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia all let full-time students work part-time. But the rules are not interchangeable. Each country counts your hours differently, restricts where you can work in different ways, and punishes breaches harshly. Working one hour over the limit can cost you your visa.
This guide lays out the 2026 rules side by side, then digs into the detail and the compliance traps that catch students out. It is preparation guidance, not legal advice — always confirm your exact conditions on your own visa grant and the official government source before you accept a job.
The quick comparison (2026)
| Country | Term-time limit | During breaks | Where you can work | Counted as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States (F-1) | 20 hrs/week (on-campus only in year 1) | Full-time on-campus | On-campus; off-campus only via CPT/OPT or hardship | Per calendar week |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (Student) | 20 hrs/week (degree level); 10 hrs (below degree) | Full-time | Almost any employer; no self-employment | Per Mon–Sun week |
| 🇨🇦 Canada (study permit) | 24 hrs/week off-campus | Unlimited (max 180 days/yr) | On- and off-campus | Per week |
| 🇦🇺 Australia (subclass 500) | 48 hrs/fortnight | Unlimited | Almost any employer | Per rolling 14 days |
The headline numbers hide the real differences. Below is what each one actually means.
United States — F-1: the most restrictive
The US has the tightest student work rules of the four. On an F-1 visa you may work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session, and full-time during official breaks — but in your first academic year that work must be on-campus only. Off-campus employment is not freely available; it requires one of three things:
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT) — work tied to your program of study (an internship or co-op that’s part of your curriculum), authorised by your school’s Designated School Official (DSO).
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) — up to 12 months of work in your field, usually taken after graduation, with a 24-month STEM extension for eligible majors.
- Severe economic hardship or emergent circumstances — granted by USCIS only in narrow cases.
If you hold multiple on-campus jobs, the 20-hour cap is the total across all of them. A significant trap: using full-time CPT for 12 months or more eliminates your OPT eligibility, so many students keep CPT part-time. None of this work is freelance or self-employed — F-1 employment must be authorised and tied to an employer or your school.
For the full picture, see our US student visa (F-1) guide and the F-1 document checklist. Source: USCIS — Students and Employment and ICE SEVIS — Employment.
United Kingdom — Student visa: generous, but watch the week
The UK is more open than the US for general part-time work, but the rules are precise. If you’re studying at degree level or above at a higher-education sponsor, you can work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Below degree level, the limit is 10 hours per week.
Three things trip students up:
- It is a hard weekly cap, not an average. You cannot work 30 hours one week and 10 the next to “balance out”. Every single week must stay within the limit.
- A “week” runs Monday to Sunday. Hours reset on Monday, so a Friday-to-Saturday shift pattern can straddle two weeks in ways you don’t expect — track it carefully.
- No self-employment, freelancing or running a business, and no work as a professional sportsperson or entertainer. Part-time postgraduate students generally cannot work at all.
Outside term time — vacations, after your course ends, on a placement — you can work full-time. “Term time” means whenever your sponsor expects you to be studying. Breaching the hours is a visa condition violation that can end your studies and harm future UK applications, so keep detailed records if you work irregular hours or have more than one employer.
See our UK student visa guide for the wider requirements and CAS explainer. Sources: UKCISA — Working as an international student and GOV.UK — Student visa: Work.
Canada — study permit: 24 hours, off-campus
Canada raised its off-campus limit to 24 hours per week while classes are in session — a permanent change that took effect on 8 November 2024, replacing the old 20-hour cap. During scheduled breaks (summer, winter holidays, reading week) you can work unlimited hours, but only for a total of 180 days per calendar year.
You don’t need a separate work permit, but you must meet all the conditions:
- be a full-time student at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI),
- be enrolled in a program at least 6 months long leading to a degree, diploma or certificate,
- have started your studies and hold a valid study permit with the work condition printed on it, and
- have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
Working more than 24 hours per week breaches your permit conditions: you can lose your student status, be refused future study or work permits, and may have to leave Canada. Canada also distinctively recognises dual intent, so working toward future permanent residence does not by itself undermine your study permit.
More detail is in the Canada study permit interview prep and study permit checklist. Source: Canada.ca — Work off campus as an international student.
Australia — subclass 500: counted by the fortnight
Australia is the outlier in how it counts. A Student visa (subclass 500) lets you work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session — and a “fortnight” is any rolling 14-day period beginning on a Monday, not a fixed calendar fortnight.
That rolling window is the trap. If you work 25 hours in one week and 30 the next, that’s 55 hours across a 14-day span — a breach — even though each calendar fortnight might look compliant on paper. During official course breaks you can work unlimited hours. Students doing a Masters by Research or a Doctoral degree are exempt and may work more than 48 hours per fortnight once their course has started.
A note on rumours: a 2025 proposal floated raising the limit to 60 hours per fortnight, but it is not law — the 48-hour cap still applies in 2026. See our Australia student visa (subclass 500) checklist. Source: Study Australia — Student visa (subclass 500) and Department of Home Affairs — Subclass 500.
How much can you actually earn — and should you rely on it?
It’s tempting to budget your studies around part-time work, but every government above expects you to fund your course and living costs independently before you arrive — that’s the whole point of the proof-of-funds requirement. Work income is a supplement, not your tuition plan. Two reasons to treat it that way:
- Funds tests assume you don’t work. Your visa is granted on the financial evidence you show up front, not on a job you hope to find. Read our proof of funds for a student visa guide.
- The caps are low for a reason. Immigration authorities want you studying, not working full-time. Consistently breaching the limit is one of the fastest ways to lose your status.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work full-time during the holidays? Generally yes in all four countries — but with conditions. Canada caps unlimited-hours breaks at 180 days a year; the US allows full-time on-campus work during breaks; the UK and Australia allow full-time work outside term/course-in-session periods. Always confirm your institution’s official term dates define when “in session” starts and ends.
Does an internship count toward my hour limit? It depends. In the US, course-related work runs through CPT/OPT, not the on-campus 20-hour rule. In the UK and Australia, an assessed work placement that’s part of your course is typically treated separately from the term-time cap. Check with your university’s international office first.
What happens if I work too many hours? It’s a breach of your visa conditions in every one of these countries — and the penalties are real: loss of student status, possible removal, and refusal of future visas. There is no “small overage” exception; treat the cap as absolute.
Can I be self-employed or freelance? Not on a UK Student visa. The US restricts you to authorised employment (CPT/OPT). Canada and Australia are more flexible but still expect you to meet all permit conditions — verify before registering any business or taking gig work.
Get this right before you accept a job
Work rights are one of the easiest things to get wrong as an international student, because the rules look similar but differ in the details that matter — the unit of counting, the first-year restriction, the self-employment ban. VisaMet is building tools to check your eligibility, screen your documents, and run mock interviews so you arrive knowing exactly what your visa lets you do. Join the VisaMet waitlist for early access.
This guide is preparation guidance, not legal advice. Work conditions are printed on your individual visa or permit and can change — always confirm your exact entitlements with the official government source and your institution’s international student office before you start any job.