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► Working during your studies
Working in the UK During Your Studies
Please note that this is a fast-changing area of law and this leaflet is for guidance only.
*The European Economic Area consists of:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
Switzerland is not a member of the EEA but Swiss nationals have similar rights to EEA nationals
Part-time and vacation work
Most international students are allowed to work whilst they are studying provided they have been granted the appropriate permission by the British immigration authorities. There are many variations in the wording and appearances of the stamps or stickers placed in passports. Most students will have stamps which state either:
‘Able to work as authorised by Secretary of State’ or ‘Work (and any changes) must be authorised by the Secretary of State.’
Examples of stamps and stickers which do allow students to work can be seen at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk and click on Preventing illegal working.
Prohibition on working
If you have come on a short course for six months or less you may have been given a stamp which does not allow you to work. It will say: ‘No work or recourse to public funds’ or ‘Employment prohibited and no recourse to public funds’. It may be possible to ask the Home Office to lift the prohibition but under no circumstances should you work until this is done.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use my earnings to pay for my education in the UK?
You must not take employment in order to pay for your living expenses or tuition fees. The Immigration Rules require that you are able to support yourself without working. What this means is that you should have enough money to cover your essential costs and any earnings are used to pay for non-essentials such as social activities, travel and so on.
2. What hours can I work?
a) Term-time
You must not work more than 20 hours a week during term-time. If you are doing a particularly intensive course you may find you can only work a shorter number of hours.
3. Do I have to stop working when my course finishes?
You are allowed to work under your student conditions until the expiry date of the stamp in your passport. This applies even if you have finished your course.
4. Can I continue to work when I am waiting for the Home Office to process my application for further leave to remain?
If you applying for an extension for further studies you are allowed to continue to work under your student conditions until such time as you have a decision otherwise.
5. What types of work can I do under the student conditions?
Essentially you can take any job provided that you do not exceed the number of hours and:-
• You are not pursuing a career by filling a full-time permanent vacancy
• You are not engaging in business, self-employment or providing services as a professional sportsperson or an entertainer.
6. I have been offered a work placement, can I do this?
The Home Office only allows students on sandwich courses to do a work placement. This means that your course would need to include a defined work placement as an intrinsic part of the course from the outset.
If you want to do a shorter work placement over the long summer vacation you can do this under normal student rules.