Working whilst studying

As a Student Visa holder, taking on part-time work during your studies is a valuable way to build your skills and earn additional income. However, you must first ensure that your visa permits employment in the UK.

If you have a Student Visa:

• Degree-level students may work up to 20 hours per week during term time.

• Students below degree level (e.g. foundation courses) are limited to 10 hours per week during term time.

• Full-time work is permitted outside term-time, for example during official university holiday periods.

Understanding Term Time and Holidays:

• Term time refers to periods when you are expected to undertake academic work, such as attending lectures and tutorials, completing assignments, sitting exams (including re-sits), and working on coursework, dissertations, or theses. 

• University holidays typically include the Christmas, Easter, and summer breaks. Weekends and bank holidays are not considered official university holidays.

• Summer holiday dates may vary depending on your course and subject area.

Important

• Following your results or academic outcome if you are required to repeat modules/year, undertake further corrections, or resubmit your coursework/thesis, you must switch back to 20 hours per-week working.

Vacation/Holiday times

You may work full-time during official vacation periods. However, the specific dates may depend on your academic schedule. For example, nursing students do not have a standard summer break, as their holidays are scheduled at different times throughout the year.

 

Undergraduate Students

Holiday period	Permitted work
Christmas and Easter break	You may work full-time.
Summer break	You may work full-time, provided you are not required to complete any re-sits.

Postgraduate Taught (Masters) Students

Holiday period	Permitted work
Christmas and Easter break	You may work full-time.
Summer period	You may only work up to 20 hours per week, as you will be expected to work on your dissertation, course-related projects,

Postgraduate Research (MRes/PhD) Students

Holiday period	Permitted work
Christmas / New Year	You may work full-time.
Easter break	You may only work up to 20 hours per week
Summer period	You may only work up to 20 hours per week
Writing-up or undertaking corrections	You may only work up to 20 hours per week
35-days PGR annual leave	You may work full-time.

'Wrap-up period' a the end of your visa

Your Student visa is issued for the full duration of your course, plus an additional period (typically 2 or 4 months), known as the ‘wrap-up period’. Please refer to the table below for further details regarding visa lengths.

Course length	Wrap up period
12 months or longer	4 months after course end date
6 - 12 months	2 months after course end date
Less than 6 months	7 days after course end date
Pre-sessional course (less than 6 months)	1 month after course date

Working after course completion

As an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student, once you have reached the official end date of your course and have submitted all coursework and completed all assessments, you are permitted under Student visa regulations to work full-time during the wrap-up period at the end of your visa. 

For postgraduate research students (PhD/MRes), the official end date is typically the date when the award is conferred, usually following the submission of your final corrections. If the award is conferred before the end date stated on your CAS, you may be classified as an early completer — see the next section for details.

Important

• You cannot switch to full-time work before the expected course end date stated on your CAS.

Completing course earlier than expected

If you finish your course earlier than expected (before the expected end date on your CAS), the Immigration & Compliance team will inform the Home Office of your early completion date at which point you will receive a formal email confirming the same. Following the University’s report, the Home Office will curtail or shorten your student visa. The Home Office usually notifies individuals via email or letter to inform them of their visa curtailment that is done as per the standard wrap up period outlined in the table above. For example, for courses lasting 12 months or longer, the revised visa expiry date will be 4 months after your early completion date. This means you may work fulltime for 4 months following your early completion date.  

Applying for the Graduate Route visa

Please note that while you are permitted to work full-time after the official end date of your course, you are not yet eligible to apply for the Graduate Route visa a at this stage, as “successful completion of the course” is a key requirement of this scheme. You must therefore wait until your results or academic outcome has been released confirming that you have successfully completed the course for which your student visa was granted. Once your course completion has been confirmed, the Immigration & Compliance team will notify the Home Office of the same, after which you will receive a formal email confirming this. You must not submit your Graduate Route visa application until you have received this confirmation email.

What type of work is not allowed?

Student visa holders are prohibited from working in the following categories:

• self-employment e.g. freelance writing, freelance photography, private tutoring or selling goods or services directly to an end customer.
• engaging in a business activity e.g. setting up a business as a sole trader or under a partnership, holding 10% or more share in a company.
• a permanent full-time job.
• professional sportsperson including as a sports coach.
• be employed as an entertainer.
• work as a doctor or dentist in training, unless you are on the foundation programme.

If you are unsure about your work rights, you must contact the Immigration & Compliance team or attend one of the Immigration Drop-in Sessions so we can advise you further.

Related links

Working after course completion – UKCISA website