I’m in the UK on a visa, can I take a second job?

With the recent increases in the cost of living in the UK there has been a noticeable rise in people wanting to take on a second job.

Not everyone works multiple jobs out of immediate necessity; some do so to increase their savings for a home, car, or a long holiday after the pandemic.

Who can take a second job

For British and Irish nationals, and migrants who are considered settled in the UK (i.e. have indefinite leave to remain – ILR, or a status under the EU Settlement Scheme) taking on a second job is not a problem. They are not restricted from an immigration perspective in how many jobs they can hold, in which industry they can work, at what skill level, or at what salary level (though they may wish to check their employment contract with their main employer as that might reference taking on other employment).

The situation changes significantly if a migrant is in the UK on a sponsored work visa, like a Skilled Worker or a Temporary Worker visa. They will have to carefully evaluate if they can take on a second job, and which requirements this second job would have to fulfil.

Supplementary employment

In certain cases, a sponsored individual may work in addition to the job for which their original Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) was assigned to them by their sponsoring employer. However, this job has to comply with the following requirements:

• It must be a job that is on the UK government’s Shortage Occupation List (i.e. there are not enough applicants for these jobs in the UK); or
• It must be a job in the same profession and at the same professional level as the work for which the migrant’s original COS was assigned; and
• It cannot be for more than 20 hours per week; and
• It must be undertaken outside the working hours of the original job.

The UK authorities call this ‘supplementary employment’. If a second job fits into the above requirements the sponsored migrant does not need to inform the Home Office before starting work.

Secondary employment

If the second job does not fit into the supplementary category, the migrant will have to obtain a second COS from the additional employer, so they will have to have a sponsor licence. A new application must then be submitted to the UK authorities to vary the existing visa. It is important to note that the second job will have to comply with all the requirements of the visa category applied for, for example skill and salary level.

It is advisable for any sponsored visa holder to seek advice on whether they can take a second job and in what capacity before they accept an offer or start.

How Gherson can help?

Gherson’s immigration team has extensive experience in all aspects of UK visas, and would be happy to assist. Please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 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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