A Student visa lets you study in the UK. In some cases you are allowed to work but there are rules you must follow. If you want to work for the University, you must understand the rules of your visa.
Student visa sponsored by the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ
Work conditions depend on your course of study:
- For full-time study, you can work in the UK but there are restrictions.
- For part-time study, you are not permitted to work.
The conditions of your visa are written in your visa granted notification and shown on your eVisa. You must be very careful not to break the conditions of your visa.
If you break the conditions of your visa, the University must notify the Home Office, which could affect your right to stay, study and work in the UK. Please seeÌýGuidelines - Student Visa breach of working hoursÌýfor further details.
If your circumstances change, your visa may become invalid. Please seeÌýStudent Services | Visa and Immigration | Change of circumstancesÌýfor details.
Programmes of Study - Term Times
Different courses have different term times. You must make sure you know what hours you can work and when and ensure you do not work more than any weekly limits. Please seeÌýStudent Services | Visa and Immigration | Visa ConditionsÌýfor further details on your work conditions, including working full-time after your course has finished and you have been awarded from your study.
Undergraduate students
- During the term timeÌýdates, you can work up to 20 hours per week (this includes all paid and unpaid work).Ìý
- You can work full-time during Christmas, Easter and Summer vacations as set out in theÌýUniversity Calendar.
- After you finish your course and have been awarded from your study, you can work more than 20 hours per week.
Postgraduate Taught students
- During your course, you can work up to 20 hours per week (this includes all paid and unpaid work).
- You can work full-time during Christmas and Easter vacations as set out in theÌýUniversity Calendar.
- During the Summer vacation, you are expected to remain in full-time attendance for your course as you are studying full-time to complete dissertations/final projects. You are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week during the Summer vacation.
- After you finish your course and have been awarded from your study, you can work more than 20 hours per week.
Postgraduate Research students
- You are deemed to be studying 52 weeks of the year, except during authorised annual leave periods for your study. Please seeÌýAttendance & Engagement | The Student Hub | ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵÌýfor further details on annual leave for Postgraduate Research students.
- During your course, you can work up to 20 hours per week (this includes all paid and unpaid work), except when on annual leave.
- You can work full-time during theÌý26 daysÌýassigned vacation period as agreed by your Supervisor,ÌýplusÌýUniversity Closure DaysÌýand Bank Holidays. If you need to work over 20 hours inÌýa week during these periodsÌýyou must take the whole week as annual leave or add annual leave to a closure period to make up a whole week.
- After you finish your course and have been awarded from your study, you can work more than 20 hours per week.
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If you have any questions about your Student visa, please contact theÌýStudent Visa and Immigration Team.
Student visa sponsored by another University
If you have a Student visa sponsored by another University for full-time study, you may be able to work in the UK, but restrictions are still likely to apply. You should check with your sponsoring University and on your visa for any work restrictions.
If you are offered work at the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, as part of your right to work check the University’s HR team will check your visa conditions. HR will also ask you for additional information for your course of study at your sponsoring institution.
Additional Information
A week in terms of the Student visa is a seven-day period, starting from Monday and ending Sunday.
Student visa holders must ensure they do not work more than their permitted weekly limit for their visa. The weekly limit cannot be averaged out over a month and cannot be carried over into later weeks.
Restrictions on types of work
Student visa holders cannot:
- Be self-employed or engage in business activity
- Fill a full-time permanent vacancy
- Be employed as an entertainer or professional sports person (including coach)
Volunteering and voluntary work
The restrictions on working hours explained above do not apply to volunteering but they do apply to voluntary work. If you want to volunteer to gain experience, you need to be clear on whether you are volunteering or doing voluntary work. You should always check with the organisation which offers you a volunteering opportunity whether it can be regarded as unpaid employment.
The difference between unpaid employment (voluntary work) and volunteering is explained in the but as an overview:
- Voluntary work is where the role involves specific tasks at specific times and the voluntary worker has contractual obligations. Voluntary work is unpaid employment and will count towards your maximum number of hours of work a week.
- Volunteers do not have a contract and are not paid, though reasonable travel and living costs can be reimbursed. Volunteers usually help a charity, voluntary organisation or public sector organisation. Volunteering does not count towards your working hour allowance.