Working While Studying Abroad: Student Work Rules in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France
A part-time job can help pay the rent, build a CV and make friends outside the classroom. But for international students, work is tightly regulated: breaking the rules can cost you your visa. Each country sets its own limits, and they change. This guide summarises the rules published by immigration authorities in six major destinations.
Country by country
| Country | During term | During breaks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (F-1) | On campus up to 20 hours a week | On campus full time | Off-campus only through CPT, OPT or special authorisation |
| United Kingdom (Student visa, degree level) | Up to 20 hours a week | Full time in official vacations | 10 hours a week below degree level; no self-employment |
| Canada (study permit) | Off campus up to 24 hours a week | Full time in scheduled breaks | 24-hour limit in force since November 2024 |
| Australia (subclass 500) | Up to 48 hours a fortnight | Unlimited in scheduled breaks | 48-hour fortnightly cap since July 2023 |
| Germany (non-EU students) | 140 full days or 280 half days a year | Raised from 120/240 in 2024; student assistant jobs at universities are treated separately | |
| France (student residence permit) | Up to 964 hours a year | Equivalent to 60% of the legal annual working time | |
Rules are summarised from the official sources listed below. Conditions, such as whether you must have started your programme, apply in each country; always read the full page for your visa or permit, and ask your university's international office.
The United States in more detail
F-1 students may work on campus, for the university or for a business serving students on campus, up to 20 hours a week while classes are in session. Off-campus work is only allowed in specific forms:
- Curricular Practical Training (CPT): work that is an integral part of your curriculum, such as a required internship, authorised by your school's designated school official.
- Optional Practical Training (OPT): up to 12 months of work related to your field, during or after your studies, authorised by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Form I-765.
- STEM OPT extension: a further 24 months for graduates in eligible science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields working for an employer enrolled in E-Verify.
- Severe economic hardship: off-campus work authorisation in limited cases of unforeseen financial difficulty.
J-1 students may be authorised for "academic training" by their programme sponsor. Unauthorised work is a serious status violation. See our US visa guide for the wider rules.
Post-study work routes
- United States: OPT and the STEM extension, above.
- United Kingdom: the Graduate route lets eligible graduates stay and work for two years (three for doctoral graduates). For applications made from 1 January 2027, bachelor's and master's graduates will receive 18 months instead of two years; doctoral graduates keep three years.
- Canada: the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), whose length depends on the programme; eligibility rules on fields of study and language levels were tightened in 2024.
- Australia: the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
- Germany: graduates can receive a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for a job matching their qualifications.
Practical advice
- Read your visa conditions, which may be printed on your permit or visa grant letter.
- Count your hours carefully. Limits are usually per week or fortnight, across all jobs combined.
- Get a tax number. In the US you need a Social Security number for paid work; in the UK a National Insurance number; in Canada a Social Insurance Number; in Australia a Tax File Number.
- Look on campus first. University jobs are flexible around classes and usually within the rules.
- Keep records of contracts, payslips and hours worked.
- Budget without work income for at least the first months: jobs take time to find, and rent, usually the largest cost, is due from day one (see finding housing near your new campus). Our cost guide explains proof-of-funds rules.
Job scams aimed at students
- Be wary of jobs that ask you to receive and forward money or goods, or to pay for training or equipment upfront.
- "Cash in hand" work outside the rules can lead to the loss of your visa.
- Your university careers service and the official job boards it lists are safer starting points.
Volunteering, internships and taxes
Unpaid work is not automatically outside the rules. In the United States, an unpaid internship with a company can still count as employment for F-1 purposes and may need CPT or OPT authorisation; genuine volunteering for a charity, with no expectation of payment or benefits, is treated differently. In the UK, the Home Office distinguishes "volunteering", which has no contractual obligations, from "voluntary work", which counts towards your weekly hours. Ask your international office before you accept any role.
Students who earn money usually pay income tax in the host country. In the United States, F-1 and J-1 students who are nonresident aliens for tax purposes are generally exempt from Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes, and some countries have tax treaties with the US that reduce income tax on scholarships or wages. Every student with US income, and many without, must file a form with the Internal Revenue Service each year. Your university will usually provide guidance or software for this.
Sources
- Department of Homeland Security, Study in the States: working in the United States; USCIS, OPT for F-1 students.
- UK Visas and Immigration, Student visa: what you can and cannot do; Graduate visa.
- IRCC, Work while studying in Canada.
- Australian Department of Home Affairs, Student visa conditions.
- Make it in Germany (federal government portal), working while studying.
- Campus France, working in France as a student.
Study abroadUS student visas, step by step
F-1, J-1 or M-1, the I-20, the SEVIS fee, the interview and the 2025 changes: the US student visa process from the official sources.
Study abroadThe real cost of studying abroad
Tuition, living costs, health charges and the proof-of-funds figures visa officers use, country by country, with dated official sources.
Study abroadFinding housing near your new campus
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