Are you considering becoming an international student in the United Kingdom? In this post, we’ll look at some popular options for working in the UK while studying, from part-time jobs to sandwich courses. Depending on your course, you may be able to gain work experience in the UK after you graduate as well. Whether you’re completing a placement during your course or pursuing the next step in your career on the Graduate Route, there are many diverse work opportunities for international students in the UK.
Preparing to become an international student? Our UK Student Guide can help you get ready.
UK Student Visa Holders’ Work Guidelines
International students usually enter the UK on a Student visa. This visa may allow you to work; how many hours you can work will depend on what you’re studying, and whether class is in session. In general, Student visa holders can’t be self-employed or work in a few specific roles (like professional sportspeople and entertainers). Eligible Child student visa holders may also work up to 10 hours per week, but everyone must be at least 16 years old to work in the UK.
While all Student visa holders with work permission may work on- or off-campus, how often you can work will vary depending on the type of Student sponsor you have. Sponsors may be higher education institutions (HEIs), public colleges, independent schools, or private providers. For example, if you enrol at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales, they’re also your sponsor and will share specific information about how long you can work, where, and when.
Note: Some institutions limit students’ working hours more than the average hours listed below. To prevent risking your visa, understand what the rules are at the institution you’re attending.
How much you may work each week on a UK Student visa will depend on your sponsor type, and whether your sponsor has a track record of compliance.
In general, international students may work:
- Up to 20 hours per week during term time if in a full-time degree-level program (at least RQF level 6)
- Up to 10 hours per week during term time if taking a qualification below degree level
- Full-time outside term time (vacations and before your course starts)
- Full-time on work placements (like sandwich placements)
If your sponsor is a private provider, publicly-funded college, or embedded college offering pathway courses, they must have a track record of compliance on the Register of Student sponsors in order for you to work while studying.
The goals you work towards as an international student can help make your future career a reality. Sharing these goals is an important part of the personal statement you submit when applying to study in the UK. Learn how writing your personal statement for a UK audience is different from one you’d write for a US-based institution on our blog.
Work-Integrated Learning Opportunities in the UK
To help balance work and study, some types of job opportunities are built into courses. Others are commonly scheduled over summer vacation, when international students are often allowed to work more hours. Here are some of the most popular options:
Grow Your Skills with an Internship
If you’re looking for a job where you can test your skills and see if a field is a good fit for you, consider an internship. It’s a great way to see what specific workplaces are like. Especially early in your higher education, an internship can help you tailor your coursework toward jobs where you’ll thrive. It can also show you where you don’t want to work after graduating!
Most internships occur during the summer break between semesters. Internships vary in length, from a week long to over a year.
Many internships are extracurricular, which means they’re not a formal part of your studies. If this is the case for you, before you sign your contract, make sure you’ll be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. However, if an internship is a necessary part of your course and it’s under a year long, you’re not entitled to the National Minimum Wage. (You’ll earn academic credit instead.) So, it’s key to know how your internship works, and to budget appropriately!
Mix Study and Work with a Sandwich Course
Sandwich courses (or placements) in the UK are built to allow students to alternate between coursework and a long-term job placement. They can make your course longer, which will affect your study abroad budget.
However, studies have shown the work experience you’ll gain—and the professional connections—in a sandwich course can be worth the extra time, as there’s a strong connection between finishing a sandwich course and landing a job. The sandwich structure is popular in undergraduate degree programs like business and engineering, where practical experience is highly valued. Sandwich placements can also occur at the postgraduate level, often in your second year before the dissertation.
Most “thick” sandwich courses have a full-year work placement in the third year of study and last four years. Conversely, a “thin” sandwich course fits a year of hands-on work into shorter spans over multiple years. Because it splits up the hands-on learning, students in “thin” sandwich courses can still graduate after three years.
Learn more about work placements, sandwich courses, and internships in the UK.
Build Your Future with the Graduate Route
The Graduate visa (also known as the Graduate Route) allows newly-graduated international students to stay in the UK for at least two years. If you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification, you may qualify to stay for up to three years!
Your Student visa must still be current when you apply for a Graduate visa. You must also have studied an eligible course (at the bachelor’s degree level or higher). The institution you studied at must also advise the UK’s Home Office that you’ve completed your course.
If you’re successful in acquiring a Graduate visa, you may:
- Be self-employed
- Do voluntary work
- Look for work
- Work in most jobs
You’ll also be able to travel abroad and return to the UK. This can be a great time to take a short trip and explore Europe, or reconnect with family in your country of citizenship.
The Graduate Route is a great way for international students to work in the UK after their course ends. However, it isn’t the only one! If your qualifications are in medicine, health, or adult social care, it’s also worth considering the Health and Care Worker visa.
Wondering what your work opportunities might be like as an international student somewhere else? Check out our guide to working while studying in the US.
We hope this information on studying and working in the UK is helpful as you plan your journey.
Note that this post is not meant as official immigration or residency advice. For the most-up-to-date information, please visit GOV.UK. If you’re interested in working in the UK after graduation, please contact a UK immigration adviser for more info.
Once you’re ready to begin working towards studying abroad, register for free with ApplyBoard. We’re here to help!
