Record permitted working hours and the conditions attached to them
The source lists term-time limits of 20 hours weekly for covered US F-1 work, 20 hours for eligible UK degree-level students or ten below degree level, 24 hours for eligible Canadian off-campus work, and 48 hours per fortnight for covered Australian students. Eligibility, job type, academic calendar, and exemptions matter. Multiple jobs must be counted together where the same limit applies. Breaching conditions can jeopardize status and future applications.
What it takes
Nothing. Keep weekly records and do not rely on an employer's assurance that extra hours will go unnoticed.
What you may gain
US F-1 on-campus employment is generally limited to 20 hours weekly during term, with full-time work possible during eligible breaks; certain authorized off-campus categories also use a 20-hour limit under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9). UK Immigration Rules, Appendix Student ST26.1 and ST26.5, provide 20 weekly term-time hours for eligible degree-level or higher study and ten for eligible below-degree study. Part-time study does not carry the same work permission, and restrictions include self-employment, professional sport, and entertainment work, subject to the detailed rules. Canada's IRPR 186(v) framework permits eligible full-time students up to 24 weekly hours of off-campus work during regular academic sessions. Australia's subclass 500 generally allows 48 hours per fortnight while courses are in session, with specified exceptions for research master's and doctoral students and relevant family-member conditions.
Context & considerations
US off-campus work needs the authorization appropriate to its category before starting. Where an employment authorization document is required, a pending I-765 does not itself allow work. The source notes that Canadian permits printed with the old 20-hour condition may permit 24 hours under the newer rule if the student remains eligible. UK self-employment restrictions can encompass private freelance jobs and online businesses. Do not treat the short country list as a complete account of OPT, CPT, vacation work, final-term exceptions, or every dependent's conditions.
Research & references
8 CFR 214.2(f)(9). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/section-214.2; UK Home Office. Immigration Rules Appendix Student, ST26.1 and ST26.5. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-student; IRCC. Work off campus as an international student. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/work-off-campus.html; Australian Department of Home Affairs. Student visa, subclass 500. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500