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Part-Time Work Hours & Earnings Calculator
Enter your term-time weekly work-hour limit, hourly wage, weeks per term, and a separate (often higher) break-time hour cap and break weeks to see your maximum legal earnings during term, during breaks, and across the full academic year.
Know your ceiling before you count on the income
Many student visas cap how many hours international students can legally work during term-time, often with a higher or uncapped limit during official school breaks. Knowing your real maximum — not a number you half-remember — keeps your funding plan realistic and keeps you compliant with your visa's terms.
Break-time earnings can matter as much as term-time
A summer or winter break with a higher hour cap can sometimes out-earn an entire term of restricted part-time hours. If your visa allows it, treating break periods as a real earning opportunity — not just downtime — can meaningfully close a funding gap.
Frequently asked questions
Is 20 hours a week the legal limit everywhere?
No — that's just this tool's default and a commonly cited figure for some countries during term-time, but limits vary widely by country and visa type, and some places allow more, less, or none at all. Change the field to match your actual visa's rules.
Is this legal or immigration advice?
No. Work-hour limits for international students, and what counts as a “break” period, are set by each country's immigration rules and can change. Confirm your specific limit with your school's international student office or your visa's official terms before relying on it.
Why is the break-time limit usually higher?
Many countries that cap term-time work hours for international students allow more hours, or no cap at all, during official school breaks (like summer or winter recess) since study is not competing with the extra hours.
Does this earnings figure account for taxes?
No — it's gross potential earnings before any income tax, social security or similar withholding, which also varies by country. Treat it as an upper bound on what you could earn, not take-home pay.