Table Of Contents
- What types of work are allowed on a student visa
- What types of work are restricted on a student visa
- Summary
The student visa opened on 5 October 202, replacing the previous Tier 4 (General) Student visa. The student visa allows you to come to study in the UK if you are 16 or over on the date of application and want to study with a licensed student sponsor on an eligible course (a course that meets the Home Office requirements and is offered by a licensed student sponsor). You can also apply for a student visa to take up a salaried, full-time, elected position as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer.
As a student visa holder, you may be able to work in the UK. How much you may work depends on the type of your study and whether you are working in or out of term-time (term-time is the period when you are expected to be studying, attending classes, completing coursework, or taking examinations). However, you cannot take up certain jobs, for example, as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, or be self-employed on this visa.
What types of work are allowed on a student visa?
If you are in a full-time course of degree level or above study (this generally means a full-time course at RQF Level 6 – bachelor’s degree level, RQF Level 7 – master’s degree level, or RQF Level 8 – doctoral/PhD level) that is
• sponsored by a HEP (higher education provider) that has a track record of sponsorship compliance; or
• sponsored by an overseas higher education institution, rather than a UK university, to undertake a short-term study abroad programme in the UK
You can work 20 hours per week during term-time and take up full- time employment outside of term-time (outside of term-time means an official vacation period recognised by your educational institution).
If you are in a full-time course below degree-level study sponsored by a HEP (higher education provider) that has a track record of sponsorship compliance, you can work 10 hours per week during term-time and take up full- time employment outside of term-time.
A student visa allows you to undertake work related to a work placement, assessed by your university or education provider as an integral part of the course. A work placement is a period when you work for an organisation to gain practical experience related to what you are studying, and integral means that the placement is an essential or recognised part of the course, rather than something you have chosen to do separately.
You can also take up employment as an elected Student Union Sabbatical Officer (a person elected by students to represent students and work for their university or college’s student union) or an elected NUS (National Union of Students) position for a maximum of two years if you were assigned CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) – a reference issued by your licensed sponsor for your Student visa application for this purpose.
What types of work are restricted on a student visa?
Under the current UK Student visa rules, even if your Student visa allows you to work, there are certain types of work you cannot normally do. The main restrictions are set out in Appendix Student.
You cannot do any of the following:
(a) be self-employed or take part in business activity in the UK unless the following applies;
You may be self-employed if:
• You have submitted an immigration application to obtain permission as an Innovator Founder; and
• An endorsement from an Innovator Founder endorsing body supports your application; and
• You applied to obtain permission as an Innovator Founder when you had permission as a Student; and
• a decision is pending on your application, or where your application has been refused, any AR (Administrative Review) that you requested against a refusal has not been finally determined.
or
(b) work in the UK as a professional sportsperson or sports coach; or
(c) take employment as an entertainer; or
(d) take employment in a position that is intended to fill a permanent full-time vacancy unless the following applies.
If you apply for permission to stay under the Skilled Worker or Graduate route, you may start employment in a full-time permanent vacancy either up to 3 months before the date of your course completion(this is for the Skilled Worker visa) or once you have successfully completed your course of study (this is for the Graduate visa), provided all of the following apply:
- You are studying a full-time course of study at degree level or above (this generally means a full-time course at RQF Level 6 – bachelor’s degree level, RQF Level 7 – master’s degree level, or RQF Level 8 – doctoral/PhD level) with a HEP (higher education provider) that has a track record of sponsorship compliance; and
- You applied as a Skilled Worker or Graduate when you held permission as a Student; and
- A decision on your Skilled Worker or Graduate route application is pending, or where your application has been refused, any AR (Administrative Review) that you requested against a refusal has not been finally determined.
You cannot work if you are in any course other than a full-time course of degree-level or above study or a full-time course below degree-level study (as mentioned above in the section “What types of work are allowed on a student visa?”), including all part-time study.
Summary
If your Student visa allows you to work in the UK, you can generally take ordinary permitted employment within your permitted hours.
But you generally cannot be self-employed, run a business, work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, work as an entertainer, or fill a permanent full-time vacancy, unless a specific exception applies.
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