Many students will have to start changing their lifestyles due to the new work-hour cap. During the pandemic, the restrictions for international students were relaxed and removed entirely in January 2022 in order to help meet workforce shortages. But from July 1st  2023, the number of work hours allowed will be 48 per fortnight, which means 24 per week. 

This has caused concern and uncertainty in the student community because a lot of international students depend on work income to pay for their expenses, including tuition fees and living costs. The government argued that they intended to ensure that international students focus on their studies and will not be overwhelmed by the demands of work.

Image: Image: Shutterstock – mavo

Produced By: Juana Vargas

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 22 March 2023