Many international students in the UK find the details and intricacies of their employment permission complex. This blog explains when internationals student can work more than 20 hours per week.
If you hold a student visa and are enrolled in full-time study, you are generally permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during term time. However, there are exceptions. Those pursuing qualifications lower than a degree (a diploma or certificate, for example) are typically limited to working 10 hours per week during term time. There is a perk, however: outside of term time, you can usually work full-time hours (approximately 40 per week) unless you are a part-time student, in which case working is not permitted.
If you are an Irish student, or you are a ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ European student, you do not require a student visa and you can live and work in the UK without restrictions.
There are various restrictions in place for international students on visas, such as only being able to work full-time outside of term if it is on a fixed-term contract. These students are also not permitted to set up their own businesses, be self-employed or pursue a career in professional sports or entertainment.
Upon completing your studies, you can apply for a graduate visa, which will allow you to work in the UK for up to two years (three years for PhD students) post-graduation. Whilst you do not need to have a job lined up beforehand, you must be sure to meet the eligibility criteria and budget for application fees.
How Gherson can assist
Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.
The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.
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