Working in the UK on a Student Visa
Many overseas students on Student Visas are starting to prepare to start college or university in the UK in Autumn 2024. Some international students plan to find work whilst studying in the UK.
In this article, our Immigration Solicitors look at the immigration rules on working in the UK whilst on a Student Visa.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi
Student Visas
You can apply for a Student Visa if you are aged 16 or over and you are planning to study in a UK college or university. Whatever type of UK visa you apply for there are restrictions on what you can and can't do whilst in the UK.
It's vital to understand the restrictions and conditions as Student Visa Solicitors warn that if you don’t follow the immigration rules you may not be able to complete your course or may not be able to move from a Student Visa to a Graduate Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa.
The Student Visa conditions
There are two main restrictions on a Student Visa:
- No access to public funds – this is a standard condition on UK visas and means you can't apply for state benefits such as housing benefit to help pay your rent. Nor can you apply for disability benefits, such as personal independence payments (PIP), if you have a health condition
- Work conditions limiting how much work you can do whilst studying on a Student Visa
In addition to these restrictions, you also need to take care and make sure that any future visa applications aren’t refused because you are in breach of the general immigration rules. For example, some types of criminal conviction would prevent you from applying for another visa. Alternatively, overstaying on a visa before applying to renew it or switching to a different type of visa would result in your next visa application being refused by the Home Office.
Working on a Student Visa
There are detailed and stringent rules for working in the UK as an international student. However, there are five preliminary points to note:
- You can work for any employer – you are not limited to working for a UK employer with a sponsor licence to sponsor overseas workers
- You can do any type of work – you are not limited to working in sectors where there is a UK shortage of workers or limited to applying for jobs that would qualify for the Skilled Worker Visa or Health and Care Worker Visa. There are a few exceptions to this. These are called prohibited jobs you can't do whilst on a Student Visa
- You don’t have to meet a skills criterion – in most Work Visas there is a minimum skills criterion but if you are employed whilst in the UK on a Student Visa you can do most types of work. For example, you can work in hospitality or work as a labourer
- You don’t have to be paid a minimum salary threshold other than the national minimum wage. The national minimum wage applies to all workers in the UK whether they are British citizens or living in the UK on a visa. This contrasts with the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker Visa where you normally must be paid at least £38,700 or the going rate for the job, whichever is the higher figure
- Your employer must conduct a right-to-work check before you can start employment. The right-to-work check must be carried out on all employees whether the employees are British citizens or subject to UK immigration control and whether the employment is for a couple of hours or 20 hours per week
Work restrictions on a Student Visa
The main work restriction on a Student Visa is that you can only work on a part-time basis. The part-time rules mean your work is limited to ten hours or 20 hours.
The 20-hour rules apply if:
- You are undertaking a full-time course at degree level or above and
- You are studying at a higher educational institution with a track record of compliance or you are taking a short-term study-abroad programme in the UK with an overseas higher education institution
If the 20-hour rule applies to you then you can:
- Work 20 hours per week during term time
- Work full-time during student holidays
The ten-hour rules apply if:
- Your full-time course is below degree level
- Your study takes place at a higher education institution with a track record of compliance
If the ten-hour rule applies to you then you can:
- Work ten hours per week during term time
- Work full-time during student holidays
Prohibited work as a student
The following types of work are prohibited – even if you only plan to work on a part-time basis in the job:
- You can't set up your own business and be self-employed
- You can't work as a professional sportsperson
- You can't work as an entertainer
Immigration Solicitors stress that whether it is working beyond your permitted hours or starting a small business whilst in the UK on a Student Visa these types of activities put your studies and future career at risk through your visa being ended early or your long-term immigration plans being placed in jeopardy because of the future impact of visa condition non-compliance on your UK immigration record.
How OTS Solicitors can help you
Our specialist Immigration Solicitors can help you with:
- Applying for a Student Visa
- Advice on Student Visa conditions and working in the UK as an international student
- Guidance on whether you can bring a family member with you to the UK on a Dependant Visa
- Extending a Student Visa
- Switching to a Graduate Visa
- Switching to a Skilled Worker Visa
- Returning to the UK on a Work Visa or Family Visa after previous entry on a Student Visa
- Visitor Visas for family members to come to visit you whilst you are studying in the UK
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors
For immigration law advice call London-based OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Our lawyers speak Arabic, Armenian, Farsi, French/Mauritian Creole, Spanish, Tamil Tagalog/Ilonggo, Urdu/Punjabi
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