Working in the UK

Students studying for six months or more will normally have the following stamp in their passport:

"No recourse to public funds - Work (and any changes) must be authorised".

This means you have the normal student work restriction. You can normally work up to 20 hours a week in term time, and unlimited hours during vacations. Students studying a course not leading to a degree are only allowed to work 10 hours a week during term time, and unlimited hours during vacations. There are restrictions on the type of work you can do; you cannot pursue a career by taking a permanent full-time vacancy, and you cannot be self-employed.

Students coming to study in the UK for less than six months are routinely given a ‘prohibition' stamp in their passport:

"No work or recourse to public funds".

However, if you want to do some part-time work while studying, you can ask the Entry Clearance Officer (or the Immigration Officer, if you do not need entry clearance for a short stay) to stamp your passport with the ‘restriction' stamp which will allow you to work. Please note that your reason for wanting to work must not be that you need money to fund your studies or living costs in the UK. To meet the Immigration Rules for students, you have to show that you have enough money to support yourself without needing to work.

Please check your passport immediately when Entry Clearance or Immigration Officer is giving you your passport back. Make sure that your visa or entry certificate states that you are coming to the UK as a ‘student', rather than as a ‘visitor', and that your conditions include a ‘restriction' rather than a ‘prohibition' on work. If you have been given a ‘prohibition' on work, ask the Entry Clearance Officer to change it.

Please note: the consequences of a student breaching a prohibition on working or taking employment that is not covered by the consent, or working in excess of permitted hours, can be very serious. Offenders can be subject to ‘administrative removal' resulting in immediate expulsion from the UK, with no right of appeal against their removal decisions, and future difficulties if they want to re-enter the UK.

Working after your studies

For more information, see the UKCISA information sheet 'Working in the UK after your studies'.