You can work on a temporary basis while studying in the UK if:
- You are on a Student visa for a full-time programme of study, and
- your digital immigration status confirms you can work.
You cannot work in any capacity if you are in the UK studying on a
- Standard Visitor visa.
- Student Visa issued for a part-time programme.
A focussing on looking for part-time work in the UK and covering the work restrictions for students on a Student visa.
On a Student Visa you are bound by a ‘working restriction’. This means you are permitted to work in some capacity but this work is restricted in certain ways.
Work after studies queries
- Hours of work
- Type of contract
- Type of employment
- What does it mean to be ‘self-employed’?
- What is ‘engaging in business activity’?
- Work placements / internships
- What is my formal programme end date?
- What if I finish my term early, or submit my final project / dissertation early?
- Working on a Student Visa at the end of my programme
- Students studying a part-time programme
- Further information
You are permitted to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during your studies. This is a maximum period in any one week, not an average over several weeks (for example, you cannot work 30 hours one week but 10 hours the next).
The only time you are permitted to work full-time on a Student Visa is:
- If you are undertaking a work placement that is part of your programme OR
- If you are outside of term-time*.
*Please note: if you are a student on a one-year Masters programme, you are not considered to be outside of term-time during the summer. This remains ‘term-time’ until your formal course end date.
You are not permitted to sign a permanent contract. Any work you do on your Student Visa must be temporary.
A temporary contract is an employment agreement designed for short-term or flexible work. It covers a specific period or project with an end-date.
Students who are allowed to work must NOT:
- be self-employed or engage in business activity,
- take employment as an entertainer or as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach
The UK Government gives some advice about how acting as ‘self employed’ can be defined:
“Someone is probably self-employed and doesn’t have the rights of an employee if they’re exempt from PAYE (Pay As You Earn system for deducting tax and National Insurance contributions) and most of the following are also true:
- they put in bids or give quotes to get work
- they’re not under direct supervision when working
- they submit invoices for the work they’ve done
- they’re responsible for paying their own National Insurance and tax
- they don’t get holiday or sick pay when they’re not working
- they operate under a contract (sometimes known as a ‘contract for services’ or ‘consultancy agreement’) that uses terms like ‘self-employed’, ‘consultant’ or an ‘independent contractor’”
If you are not sure if you are being asked to work as self-employed, please check with the International Student Support team BEFORE commencing the work. Working in breach of your immigration permission is a serious offence and can have implications on your ability to remain in the UK.
You are considered to be engaging in business activity if you work for a business in which you have a financial interest or other significant stake, other than as a regular employee. This can include:
- Operating as a sole trader
- Entering into a business partnership
- Setting up or running a company that trades or provides services
- Establishing a business presence in the UK
Students often ask whether they can register a company with Companies House. While it is legally possible to incorporate a company in the UK, your Student visa restrictions still apply.
This means that while you hold Student permission, you must not:
- Trade through the company
- Provide services or sell goods through the business
- Invoice clients or customers
- Act as a company director
- Take an active role in managing or operating the business
Registering a company does not remove or change the work restrictions attached to your Student visa. If you are unsure whether a particular activity is permitted, seek advice before becoming involved in any business-related activity.
You can work full-time on a temporary basis during your studies if you are taking a work placement / internship as part of your programme. The work placement must meet the following requirements:
- It must not be more than 50% of the total time on your programme
- It must be an assessed part of your programme
- Your employer must monitor your attendance and report back to your department who remain responsible for you during the work placement.
Some UK companies offer students an opportunity to undertake an internship during their vacations. All Student visa holders are permitted to undertake an internship during the Christmas and Easter holidays. However, only undergraduate students (including undergraduate MSci / MEng programmes) can undertake an internship during the summer vacation. The summer vacation starts after the formal end of term.
Postgraduate students who wish to undertake employment during the summer must either be doing a work placement as an assessed part of the programme or not exceeding the 20 hours per week term-time work restriction.
Your formal programme end date is the date that is on your student record on My 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. It is the date that was on your most recent CAS and is the date that your Student Visa grant of permission is based on.
Even if you finish / submit early, you are still considered to be in term-time until either the formal end of term (undergraduate students) or your formal programme end date (Masters students), and therefore you are bound by the Student work restrictions on your visa. Reminder: You can only work full-time on a Student Visa:
- If you are undertaking a work placement that is part of your course OR
- If you are outside of term-time*.
*If you are on a 12-month Masters programme you are not considered to be on vacation over the summer, this remains ‘term-time’ until your formal programme end date.
If you are a PhD student and are awarded your degree more than 4 months prior to your visa expiry date, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø has a legal obligation to inform UKVI and they may take action to curtail (shorten) your current visa. Please seek advice from International Student Support if you are in this position.
You can work full-time on a Student Visa once your formal programme end-date has passed, but only on a temporary basis whilst you hold student permission.
The terms under which an employer can employ an international student on a Student Visa are detailed in the employers guide on (see page 46) which confirms:
‘Students who have the right to work are permitted to work full-time before their course starts, during vacations or during the period they hold permission for after they have competed their course.’
Students on a part-time postgraduate programme (excluding EMBA, Weekend MBA, Global MBA, MSc Strategic Marketing (Online) and MSc Business Analytics (Online)) will be required to apply for a part-time Student Visa. Please note: students on a part-time Student Visa are not permitted to work in the UK.
For further information on the rules about working whilst you are studying please refer to the following webpages:
International students | Administration and support services | 51³Ô¹ÏÍø