Jobs summit: Push to hold off cap on international student work hours

A peak tourism body is calling for international student working hours to not be capped for at least another 18 months.

Jonathan Chew.

A peak tourism body is calling for the age limit for the working holiday visa to be raised from 35 to 50 in an attempt to fill worker shortages, and for international student working hours to not be capped for at least another 18 months.

Before the pandemic, students were not allowed to work more than 20 hours because of concerns many would not attend classes. The cap was removed after the outbreak of Covid and emergence of skill shortages.

One of the country’s leading experts in international education market trends, Jonathan Chew, warned student visas were becoming “de facto work visas”.

“We are attracting a different cohort of arrivals. It’s really clouding the story of our recovery,” he told The Australian. “As convenient as it may be, it’s a significant compromise on the integrity and purpose of the visa.”

Mr Chew said the commencement rates of Nepalese students in particular, up more than 70 per cent on last year, were “implausible” and suggested the cohort were coming to the country to work.

However, Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said skill shortages were too extreme for hours to be capped again.

“Nobody is suggesting uncapped hours should go on forever. But I do think, in the short term, so the next 18 months to two years, we’re still going to need them while we build up locally trained people,” she said. “We’ve got to be realistic about how quickly we can solve this problem.”

International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood said uncapped work rights were dangerous for universities and they would suffer if rates of students failing increased.

“This will severely compromise academic progress,” he said.

The Education Department said students were still required to balance study and work commitments.

“Student visa holders who cancel their enrolment and stop attending classes, or fail to meet satisfactory course progress, may be in breach of their visa conditions,” a spokesman said.

Ms Osmond suggested the age limit on the working holiday visa be lifted. “We need to shift that limit from 35 up to 50,” she said. “That will open it up to people who have a little more money to spend … in addition to offering a range of skills.”

The working holiday visa allows people from eligible countries to stay and work in Australia for 12 months, before applying a second or third time.