This Content Is Only For Subscribers
The Restaurant Association has welcomed changes to international student work rights that came into effect on October 3, saying the increase in allowable work hours will help hospitality businesses heading into the summer season.
Eligible international students can work up to 25 hours per week, up from the previous 20-hour limit, under the Government’s International Education Going for Growth Plan.
Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois says the announcement comes at an important time for the industry.
“While small, this increase in hours will be a welcome boost to our workforce, particularly as our industry enters what we hope will be a busy summer period,” Marisa says.
However, the Association says the requirement for many students to pay for a variation to their existing visa in order to access the extra hours risks undermining the policy.
Almost 75 per cent of student visas with in-study work rights — around 30,000 visas — are due to expire within the next five months, meaning a large proportion of students will either have to pay more than $300 for a variation now or wait until their visa renewal, missing the summer peak entirely.
“We don’t see why students whose visas already contain a 20-hour work limit should have to pay hundreds of dollars for a variation,” Marisa says. “If students wait for their visa renewal, our busiest period will be over and the benefits of this policy are effectively lost for a whole year.”
The Association is calling for the increased work hours to be automatically applied to all existing visas that currently include a 20-hour work condition.
Marisa says the changes are a positive step but longer-term measures are needed to help retain skilled international graduates in hospitality.
“What our industry really needs are strong pathways to residency for international students who choose to study here,” she says. “It makes no sense that international students support our education system, but when they graduate with hospitality qualifications, we cannot retain their skills.”
The Association says a clear post-study pathway would help relieve skills shortages and protect students from exploitation by ensuring they have legitimate employment options.
“We urge the Government to prioritise policy that allows international graduates in hospitality to stay and work here. Giving them the right to contribute their skills will support business needs, strengthen our workforce, and create better protections for students,” Marisa says.
