Working in the UK during your studies

A guide for non-EEA nationals

Who is allowed to work?
If you are in the UK with student immigration permission, the visa in
your passport will state whether you are able to work during your
studies
!ost students who are studying in the UK on a full time "ourse for
longer than # months are given a restri"tion rather than a
prohibition and "an therefore work
$he rules state%
&'eave to enter ( remain in the United Kingdom on "ondition that
the holder maintains and a""ommodates himself and any
dependants without re"ourse to publi" funds and does not enter or
"hange employment paid or unpaid without "onsent of the
)e"retary of )tate for Employment and does not engage in business
or profession without the "onsent of the )e"retary of )tate for the
*ome +epartment is hereby given for ( until ,spe"i-ed time./
If you are in the UK with student immigration permission and your
visa or identity "ard says
01estri"ted work, p(t term time, f(t va"ations0 or your passport
sti"ker says 0Work ,and any "hanges. must be authorised0 or 0Able
to work as authorised by the )e"retary of )tate0, you are allowed to
work during your studies
If you hold immigration permission that allows you to take
employment, you "an work up to 23 hours a week during term-time
and full-time during your holidays
If you have immigration permission that e4tends for up to four
months beyond the end of your studies, you "an work full-time for
that e4tra period on"e you have "ompleted all your studies
If you have immigration permission that is more than four months
longer than your "ourse, you should either stop working and leave
the UK or make a new immigration appli"ation ,eg to swit"h into
the $ier 5 ,6ost )tudy Work. "ategory. when you rea"h the four-
month point
7ou "an do most kinds of work, but you must not%
8 engage in business
8 be self-employed
8 provide servi"es as a professional sportsperson or entertainer
8 pursue a "areer by -lling a permanent full-time va"an"y
What is term-time?
$erm-time means any period when you are supposed to be doing
a"ademi" work, su"h as attending "lasses and le"tures, preparing
for e4ams, doing "oursework, writing essays, a dissertation or
thesis
7our holidays, when you "an work full-time, are the period when you
do not have to be doing a"ademi" work $his will be di9erent
depending on the type of "ourse you are doing
:or e4ample, if you are supposed to resear"h and write a
dissertation or thesis while other students are on holiday, this is
term-time for you and you should restri"t your work to 23 hours a
week *owever, if your tutor or supervisor agrees that you "an take
a break for some of that period, and is happy to "on-rm in writing
that this time is a holiday for you, you "an work full-time for the
duration of that agreed break
Who is not allowed to work?
)ome international students are not allowed to work If you have a
prohibition on working in your passport you must not engage in any
work in the UK $his would be a brea"h of your immigration
"onditions and is a "riminal o9en"e A brea"h of your "onditions
su"h as this "ould have very serious impli"ations on future
appli"ations for immigration leave
$he rules state%
&'eave to enter the United Kingdom on "ondition that the holder
maintains and
a""ommodates himself and any dependents without re"ourse to
publi" funds, does not enter employment paid or unpaid and does
not engage in any business or profession, is hereby given leave
for(until ,spe"i-ed time./
A prohibition on work is most likely to be imposed upon students
who%
8 are in the UK to study for si4 months or less
8 gained permission to enter from an immigration o;"er at a port of
entry and did
not apply for entry "learan"e or a student visa before "oming to the
UK
)tudent <isitors
6lease note that if you have leave as a )tudent <isitor you are not
permitted to work at all during your time in the UK If you want to
work during your studies you will need to return home and make a
fresh appli"ation for entry "learan"e as a student
In"ome ta4 and =ational Insuran"e
International students and their dependants are liable to pay in"ome
ta4 and national
insuran"e "ontributions in the same way as anyone else If you work
for an employer
during term-time, any In"ome $a4 and =ational Insuran"e due will
be dedu"ted from your wages before you re"eive them $his is
known as 6ay As 7ou Earn ,6A7E. Everyone "an earn a "ertain
amount before they start paying In"ome $a4 - this is known as your
6ersonal Allowan"e ,>#,?@A for the ta4 year 233B(53. 7ou also
begin making =ational Insuran"e "ontributions when you earn above
>553 a week ,the earnings threshold for 233B(53.
If you are employed or looking for work, you must have a =ational
Insuran"e ,=I. number ,or have at least applied for one. $o apply for
a =I number, you will need to telephone the Cob"entre plus =ational
Insuran"e allo"ation servi"e helpline on 3D?A #33 3#?E $hey will
"on-rm that you need a number and arrange for you to undertake
an eviden"e of identity interview