Is there any work that I cannot do?
If you’ve already been granted permission, check your work restrictions on your biometric residence permit (BRP) and find out more about working hours.
You can do most types of work with a Student visa but you must not:
- hold a permanent job
- be self-employed or engage with business activity
- be employed as a professional sportsperson including as a sports coach
- be employed as an entertainer
- work as a doctor or dentist in training unless you are on the foundation programme
For extensive guidance, please view the UKCISA webpages.
How many hours can I work?
Your Student visa should should have a condition allowing the following hours of work per week during term time:
- degree level students: 20 hours per week
- below degree level students: 10 hours per week
You cannot exceed the hours in any week or average the hours out over several weeks. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) considers a working week in this context to run from Monday to Sunday.
If your visa shows a different number of hours per week than stated above or states 'no work' this could be an error. Please notify the Student Immigration Compliance Team and see an advisor at the Kent Union Advice who can check your visa and, if appropriate, help you report the error to UKVI.
What is the definition of term time?
University term dates are published online. If you are unsure about your course term time periods, please contact your School.
For more information please see our Frequently Asked Questions.
How to prove your right to work out of term time
To demonstrate your right to work outside of term time you can use your BRP or eVisa (sharecode) plus a status letter. Our team does not provide bespoke letters.
Working when you have intermitted, withdrawn or are resitting out of attendance
If you are intermitting, re-sitting out of attendance, or you have withdrawn, your immigration permission will be withdrawn.
You must stop working as soon as your visa is curtailed. If you continue to work after you have received the curtailment letter from UKVI, you will be in breach of your immigration conditions which can have serious consequences for your UK immigration history such as:
- refusal of immigration applications
- removal from the UK
- being banned from returning to the UK for a certain period.
You will receive a notification from the Student Immigration Compliance Team that we have reported the withdrawal to UKVI. You will usually have up to 60 days within which to leave the UK from the day of our report, however the UKVI may issue immediate curtailment in some circumstances.
Work placements
Working during your studies is different to undertaking a work placement.
As a Student visa holder you are permitted to undertake a course with a work placement as long as it is:
- less than 50% of the your total course; and
- it is an integral and assessed component of the course (ie either a Year In Industry course, a course with a placement option or a course with an elective as an internship).
Before your placement year you will be working with your School to secure a work placement. Please consult your School regarding deadlines for securing a placement.
What happens if I secure a placement?
If you are successful in securing a placement, you or your School must inform our team.
The University will inform UKVI of:
- your employer's name and address; and
- the dates you will be on placement.
What happens if I can't secure a placement?
If you are unable to secure a placement, you need to tell your School, who will complete a Change of Circumstance request to drop the placement year. We must report this change to UKVI and you will receive an email confirmation once it has been processed.
Please consult the Kent Union Advice Service if you have any questions about work placements and your visa conditions.
What happens if my course doesn't have a placement/internship component?
If you are not registered on a course that has a work placement/internship component, you may only work a paid or unpaid internship in the UK that you have found on your own outside of term time (during a vacation period).
During work placement
During your work placement you must keep your School and the Student Immigration Compliance Team informed of any changes to your position, address, or if the placement ends early.
Further information
For more information on internships and volunteering, please see the UKCISA guidance.
Seek immigration advice from the Kent Union Advice Service.