Working in the UK

Am I allowed to work?

For immigration purposes, international students must show that they can pay their fees and living expenses without working and without claiming public funds (benefits).

If you are a Student visa holder (previously Tier 4) and you are studying at or above degree level, you are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time during holidays. If you have a short-term study visa you are not allowed to work. Please note, the Home Office defines 'week' as a period of seven days starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday.

Postgraduate students should also be aware that they may not be allowed to work unlimited hours during normal University holidays as their courses may not necessarily follow the usual University term dates.

If you are uncertain whether you are allowed to work, or would just like to check the rules, you can email us using the form to the right or below.

How do I find a part-time job?

London Metropolitan University has a Careers and Employment Service which can help you find a part-time job and enhance your employability. They can also assist you with any issues once you find a job. For more information visit London Met Careers Service.

Do I have to pay income tax?

It depends on how much money you earn. If you earn over the annual Personal Income Tax Allowance (currently £12570) you will need to pay tax on your earnings but students working part-time are unlikely to earn enough to have to pay tax. You can also claim tax back if you have paid it and haven’t earned it over your personal allowance. Full details can be found here on the Government HMRC website and on the Gov.UK website.

Further information on working during your studies can be found on the UKCISA website.

Most international students would like to do some part-time work during term time not only to earn some extra money but also to build up some important skills and work experience for your CV.

As a Student visa holder studying a course that is at degree level or higher, you will be permitted to work during your studies as follows:

• up to 20 hours per week during term time (remember that the summer is considered term time if you are working on your dissertation). 
• full time during official vacation periods when you are not studying on your course
• you can take a work placement as an assessed part of your course
• you can take up a sabbatical officer position at the Student Union for up to two years

Student visa holders studying a course below degree level are permitted to work as follows:

• up to 10 hours per week during term time
• full time during official vacation periods when you are not studying on your course
• you can take a work placement as an assessed part of your course
• you can take up a sabbatical officer position at the Students' Union for up to two years

• Undergraduate students are allowed to work full-time during the Christmas, Easter and in some most cases the Summer holiday. If you are not certain, please ensure to contact an adviser to confirm.
• Master's students are allowed to work full-time during the Christmas and Easter holiday, but are only permitted to work 20 hours per week during the Summer as you are expected to complete the research needed for your dissertation. There may be an exception to this, if you started your course in January. If you are not certain, please ensure to contact an adviser to confirm.
• PhD students are expected to be working on their research throughout the year and therefore are considered to be in term-time all year round, except for the winter and spring vacations. 

To help you understand if you are in term time, please ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have modules registered?
• Are you doing your dissertation?
• Do you have reassessments?

If you responded yes to one or more of the above, you should not be working more than the hours permitted on your visa during term. Check the university term dates.

For help with finding and applying for a job in the UK please contact the University Careers Service. They can support you not only with your long term career planning but also with applying for part-time work.

On a Student visa you are permitted to undertake a work placement provided that it is an integral and assessed part of your main course of study. During your work placement you can work full-time and be paid. You are permitted to do other work unrelated to your course in addition to the work placement provided the university has reported your placement to the UK visas an Immigration. Please find further information on work-based learning modules and reporting responsibilities.

The immigration rules state that there are some kinds of work you must not do:

• self-employment and business activity
• work as a professional sportsperson including as a sports coach*
• entertainer
• a permanent full-time job

*On 10 January 2019, the Home Office amended the definition of what constitutes a professional sportsperson, the full guidance of which you can find on pages 94 and 95 of the Student and Child Student Guidance. This applies to you if you are in possession of a student visa, regardless of when you applied for it. Please read through this information carefully.

Upon reading the rules, you will note that the restriction prevents you from providing services as a sportsperson or coach at any level of sport, paid or unpaid, unless you do it as an “amateur” in a charity game. "Amateur" is a defined term and means a person who engages in sport solely for personal enjoyment and who is not seeking to derive a living from it, which includes payments made in kind, such as travel costs, accommodation or meals.

You can show your employer your visa, which is usually in the form of a sticker in your passport and/or a separate Biometrics Residence Permit (BRP) card, as this will usually state whether you have permission to work in the UK (as described above). Your Employer can also check your right to work with the Home Office.

The school office will be able to issue your 'term dates' letter and you can also download the 'international student status letter for employer' from your eVision account. To download the letter, go to 'My letters' tab on your account. Please be advised that the letter will not include the number of hours you are permitted to work. If your employer needs further details about the academic calendar and specific course details you can provide them with a copy of your timetable. 

Your course is deemed to have been completed when you complete all taught components of your course and submit all academic papers. 

Paragraph ST 26.1. of the immigration rules and Pages 93 to 94 of the Student and Child Student guidance confirms that full-time work is permitted outside of term, including the period before the course start and after completion which means that you are permitted to work more than 20 hours from the day after the dissertation submission date, if you have viva presentation after submission, you would be permitted to work more than 20 hours from the day after the viva takes place. 

If you are in the 'wrap up' period and find out that you have reassessments after your visa expires, you are permitted to work full time until the expiry date of your visa. However, you need to be cautious, it is your employer responsibility to confirm if you are able to work full time.  For example: if your visa expires in January and the reassessment/retake is in semester two.

If you have completed your exams and submitted your dissertation early, you are NOT permitted to work full time until the official program end date. 

If you finish your course earlier than expected (earlier than the course end date in your CAS) the university is obliged to report your early completion and your visa will be subject to cancellation. The UK Visas and Immigration will inform you by email your new visa expiry date, the usual 'wrap up' period should still be granted after completion of the course.

All employees pay National Insurance contributions and if you do want to work then you must apply for a National Insurance number.  The National Insurance Number (NINO) is a number unique to you to which will help your employer to pay your National Insurance contributions. No one else can use this number. 

You can find further information on how to apply for your National Insurance number on the Gov.UK website.

"Temporary NI Numbers" are no longer accepted so you should apply for one as soon as you know you wish to work in the UK. You may be able to start working while your NI number is in process but you may need to have it before you are paid. If you choose to work through the University services, this is required and may be the case with your chosen employer. Please check with them before you accept a new job.

• identify and explore your career options, including further study as well as full time and part-time work
• clarify your goals and provide you with support in achieving them
• develop an awareness of your skills, qualities and motivations and how to articulate these in applications and interviews
• access resources and develop strategies to find part-time and full-time work, work experience and graduate opportunities
• update your knowledge of labour market intelligence (LMI) including trends in the recruitment and selection procedures of a range of recruiters.

Student and Child Student guide page 96 mentions Student visa holders are permitted volunteer in during studies. Volunteering does not count towards the minimum 20 hours permitted to work during term time provided it meets the volunteering criteria.

Voluntary workers, can do unpaid voluntary work but this work and any paid work must not exceed the total number of hours they are permitted to work during term time.

There is a fine line between volunteering and voluntary work. Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify voluntary work:

• Are there contractual obligations?
• Are you required to attend at particular times?
• Are you fulfilling someone else’s position?
• Are you being remunerated in kind or getting paid leave?
• Is there a comprehensive selection process?

If one or more of the questions above are true, the position is likely to be voluntary work therefore you must do this work within the 20 hours permitted in your Student visa.

If you are interested in volunteering positions, you can contact the volunteering team on volunteering@londonmet.ac.uk

You can find more information about the rules on working while you are studying on the Home Office website.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs also publishes this useful information on Working in the UK during your studies.

If your employer requires more information about your right to work you can suggest that they call the Home Office Employer's helpline on 0300 123 4699

Please note that all employers are now required to check your actual term dates and therefore you will need to provide evidence of your term and vacation dates.

Although the previous Post Study Work visa route was closed in April 2012 there are several other possible options if you would like to apply to work in the UK after your studies including:

• Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2) On 1 January 2021, the UK introduced a new Points-Based Immigration System, recent graduates can switch from Tier 4, Student visa or Graduate Route to this immigration category.  In order to apply under the Skilled Worker route, you need to be hired in an eligible job and be sponsored by an approved employer. Every applicant must score at least 70 points to be eligible for the Skilled Worker Route; 50 points come from meeting the mandatory criteria the remaining 20 can be made up by trading points.  UKVI has created a comprehensive guidance.

• Start Up visa-  **London Metropolitan became a legacy endorsement body, the university is no longer offering endorsement for it's students**

We carry out workshops twice a year.  Keep an eye out for an email inviting you to the next event.  

The workshops are delivered jointly by the international adviser and careers consultant and cover visa and immigration advice to help you understand how to make an application for the Skilled Worker visa (formerly Tier 2) and also provide information on other work-related immigration categories for which you may be eligible. The Careers consultant will provide information on the UK job market and advise you on job search techniques so that you can find and apply for the graduate job you will need in order to be eligible for the Skilled Worker visa.

A Graduate visa gives you permission to stay in the UK for a maximum non-extendable period of two or three years (depending on your course) after successfully completing a course in the UK allowing international students to continue to contribute to society and the economy post-study. Students on the Graduate route will be able to work or look for work at any skill level after their studies.

London Metropolitan University is a Higher Education provider with a track record of compliance and is listed in the register of student sponsor. 

Eligibility Criteria

1. Current leave:
   • You must hold permission under the Tier 4 or Student visa route at the point of application for the Graduate Route. If your last permission of leave was for the Doctorate Extension Scheme you are not eligible to apply for the Graduate Visa.
2. Relevant Qualification and successful completion: 
   • You must have successfully completed a Bachelors, Masters, PGCE, PHD, or another eligible qualification at London Met. The qualification must be the same as the one listed in your CAS, if you changed course, you will be eligible to apply if the change was permitted under the immigration rules and there was no need for a fresh visa application. 
3. Study in UK: 
   • You must have completed a minimum of a year of study in the UK if your course is longer than 12 months, or the full duration of your course if your course is less than 12 months. 

The University will report to UKVI the successful completion of your course when the exam board confirms the degree qualification you will receive and this is an eligible course, as above. Find out the exam board dates and award publication dates. 

If you have any outstanding tuition fees, the university will not make the report until the debt has been settled. 

If the end date of your course has been extended due to mitigating circumstances, failing modules or the dissertation the university will not extend your visa for the sole purpose of waiting for your results if you can complete your course within the validity of your visa.

***Please note, DO NOT submit a Graduate Visa application if you have not received confirmation of your eligibility as you may not get a refund if the application is invalid or rejected***

 Conditions of the Graduate Route

• Graduates are permitted to work at any skill level other than a professional sportsperson
• Graduates are permitted to be self-employed or engage in a business activity
• Graduates cannot apply for benefits or public finds
• Supplementary study in permitted, but not study on a course permitted under the Student Route
• Graduates cannot extend this visa and will not be eligible for another 2 years following completion of a new eligible course.

Cost of the Graduate visa application:

• Application fee: £822
• Immigration and Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year (PhD students applying for the Graduate Route you will automatically be charged 3 years of health surcharge for a total of £3,105). 

Documents you will need to apply

• Valid passport or other travel document that shows your identity and nationality
• Your biometric residence permit (BRP), if you were given one when you applied for your Student visa or Tier 4 (General) student visa.
• Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number from when you applied for your Student or Tier 4 (General) student visa.
• a letter from your scholarship or sponsorship provider approving your application, if they paid for your course fees or living costs in the last 12 months.
• proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you.
• Police registration certificate (if applicable)

Digital status

The Graduate Route allows applicants to submit their application using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ , you will upload your documents, complete a live scan, and will receive a digital status. Visa nationals will receive a Biometric Residence Permit in addition to the digital status.

Graduates who cannot upload their passport or BRP using the UK Immigration ID check would be required to attend an appointment in a UK Visa application centre.

Dependants

Graduates whose dependants are already in the UK with them will be allowed to continue sponsoring family members who make an application for further leave at the same time. Only children born in the UK either during your Tier 4/Student visa, or whilst on the Graduate visa are permitted to apply if they were not existing dependants.

Important!

Fee Waiver. We have seen a number of students whose visas expire before the award publication date be advised by a solicitor to make a Fee Waiver application in order to buy time for the University to report successful completion. A fee Waiver application is for a very specific purpose and you should not apply for it without understanding what it means. The Advice Service is unable to provide advice on this visa as it is outside of our ministerial exemption.

UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) have a helpful page explaining the dangers of making a Fee Waiver application that is not genuine. You should always seek advice from a registered immigration adviser.

For full details about all work options after you have completed your studies including the new Post Study Work visa, please see the UKCISA guide Working in the UK after your studies.