Working During Your Studies
The majority of overseas students are entitled to work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations, although the University places its own restriction of 16 hours per week during term time, subject to the approval of the Head of Department.
There are some students, however, who will have a restriction placed on them. These fall into two categories:
Students must check the conditions that were imposed on their stay when they were last admitted to the UK.
Complete prohibition on working
The most common way for a prohibition on working to be worded is as follows:
“Leave to enter the United Kingdom on condition that the holder maintains and accommodates himself and any dependants without recourse to public funds, does not enter employment paid or unpaid and does not engage in any business or profession, is hereby given for / until …”
If your passport is stamped with a prohibition on working, you cannot work under any circumstances.
It is currently the policy of the immigration service to issue work prohibition stamps to anyone who is granted leave to enter the country for six months or less. This includes students coming to do courses of six months or less. Students coming for longer courses should only be issued with a prohibition on working if their initial leave to enter was granted for six months or less. The stamp should be changed if their leave is extended.
Restriction on working
The most common way for a restriction to be worded is:
“Leave to enter the United Kingdom on condition that the holder maintains and accommodates himself and any dependants without recourse to public funds and does not enter or change employment paid or unpaid without the consent of the Secretary of State for Employment is hereby given for / until …”
It is only students whose passports are stamped with a restriction on working who are free to work without obtaining permission.
If you wish to enter employment whilst you are a student, you must first obtain a (external link).
Working in the UK after completing your studies
More information about working in the UK can be found on the .