I have a Student visa
Most international students who are studying for more than six months are given Student visas that allow them to work part-time during their studies.
If you’re a Student visa holder on a full-time course, there are restrictions on the number of hours you can work and also the type of work you can do.
Important to know: if you hold a Student visa for a part-time course, you don’t have the right to undertake any paid or unpaid work in the United Kingdom.
Hours you can work
Your visa should state if you can work during your studies. Your work condition includes any paid work, unpaid work, voluntary work and internships.
- If your course of study is at a degree level or above, you can work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week during term-time, and full-time during vacations.
- If your course of study is below degree level, you can work a maximum of 10 hours per week during term-time, and full-time during vacations.
Vacation periods
Undergraduate
You can work full-time during vacation periods at Christmas, Easter and during the summer. Please check your programme’s term dates so that you’re aware of when you’re allowed to work full-time. You can also work full-time for four months after you’ve completed your course.
Postgraduate taught
You can work full-time during the Christmas and Easter vacation periods only. You can’t work for more than 20 hours per week during the summer because you’re still classed as being in full-time study while you’re working on your dissertation. The summer period counts up until 30 September, even if you submit your dissertation earlier than this date. You’re allowed to work full-time for 4 months from 1 October.
Postgraduate research
There are no set vacation periods for postgraduate research students. Instead, you’ve got a set amount of weeks each year that you can take off as a vacation period. You’ll be able to work full-time during any vacation periods you officially agree with your supervisor.
Types of work you can't do
As a Student visa holder, you’re not allowed to:
- be employed as a doctor in training (except on a recognised foundation programme)
- be employed as a professional sportsperson (including a sports coach)
- be employed as an entertainer (including actors, musicians, dancers etc.)
- be self-employed or engage in business activity
- fill a full-time, permanent vacancy (except on a recognised foundation programme or as a students’ union sabbatical officer).
If you’re unsure about any of these definitions, please contact us and we can advise in more detail.
Working for an employer based abroad
Whenever you’re physically in the UK and working, whether it’s for an employer in the UK or an employer abroad, all the hours you work count towards your weekly 10- or 20-hour limit. This also includes any remote work you do - for example, a virtual internship. Remote work is not given an exception from the working hours limit, whether it’s for a country based within or outside of the UK.
However, if you’re physically outside of the UK, your Student visa work conditions don’t count. You need to check your work rights in the specific country where you’re working.
Work placements
If you have a Student visa, you’re allowed to complete a work placement as long as it meets the following conditions:
- it’s an integral and assessed part of your main course of study
- it doesn’t make up more than 50% of your programme of study.
An example of this would be if your course includes an industrial placement year and this was stated on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
If you’re enrolled on a course at an overseas university and you’re coming to the UK to do part of your course, you may also complete a work placement as part of your course as long as it doesn’t make up more than 50% of your study in the UK.
During your work placement, you’re able to work full-time and be paid as such. The University will still be your Student visa sponsor, so you must stay in contact with your department/faculty and keep your contact details up to date.
Volunteering and voluntary work
Volunteering
You can volunteer while you are studying. Volunteering is different from voluntary work (unpaid employment) and doesn’t count towards your weekly working hours limit. Volunteers will normally help a registered charity or voluntary or public sector organisation.
If you’re volunteering with an organisation, you must not:
- have a contract of employment
- take the place of an employee
- receive payment for your contribution, including payment in kind.
Voluntary work
You’re allowed to do voluntary work in the UK but be aware that voluntary work counts towards your weekly working hours limit.
As a voluntary worker, you are usually paid in some form and often have a contract with an employer.
If you’re unsure, you should check with the organisation whether what you are doing can be regarded as voluntary work.
More information about volunteering while on a Student visa is available on UKCISA's website.
I'm an EEA/Swiss national
If you’re an EEA or Swiss national who has been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you can work in the UK during and after your studies without any restrictions and you don’t need the permission of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to do this.
I'm an Irish national
Irish nationals have the right to live and work in the UK, under the UK and Ireland’s Common Travel Area arrangements. Irish students don’t need to apply for a Student or Graduate visa.
Working on a Student visa after studies
Types of work you can't do
If your Student/Tier 4 visa remains valid once you’ve completed your course, you can work full-time within the following limits:
- You can’t fill a full-time, permanent vacancy (other than on a recognised Foundation Programme)
- You can’t be self-employed
- You can’t be employed as a professional sportsperson, coach or entertainer
- You can work unlimited hours once you’re considered to have completed your course, but not in a permanent role.
Most students are granted four months of 'wrap-up' time after the end of their course. This is usually the course end date as stated in your last CAS and will also usually be the same as your course end date on your student record.
Taking a permanent role
You can start a full-time permanent role while on a Student visa if one of the following applies to you:
If your student visa was issued before 6 April 2022:
- You might be able to start full-time, permanent work for an employer if you’ve completed your course and you’ve made a Skilled Worker visa application. It’s best to check this with your employer or sponsor.
- In this case, ‘completed your course’ means the official course end date as per your CAS.
If your student visa was issued after 6 April 2022:
- You might be able to start full-time, permanent work for an employer if you’ve completed your course and you’ve made a Skilled Worker visa application. It’s best to check this with your employer or sponsor.
- You’ve successfully completed your course
- You’ve made a Graduate route visa application.
Successful completion is the date that you receive your official results, not the course completion date.
If none of the above apply to you, then you can’t start a full-time permanent role while on a Student visa.