Working in the UK

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Most Student visa holders are allowed to supplement their funds or gain work experience by working part-time while they study, as long as you ensure you meet the restrictions and conditions outlined below. Be sure to check your visa to make sure that the work limit during term time indicated below is what you have actually been granted. 

Note that if the University becomes aware that you have worked over your hours or breached the work conditions of your visa in another way (such as self-employment or starting your own business, see below), as a Student visa sponsor we are required to report the immigration breach to UK Visas and Immigration.

Visitor / Short Term Study visas

Students on a Visitor or a Short-term study visa cannot do any kind of work, work placement or work experience during their studies in the UK. For details of permitted activities under the Visitor visa route, please see the Immigration Rules.

Student visa work restrictions - hours

Students at different study levels will be allowed to work different hours depending on the University term dates, or the stage you are at in your studies. The limits apply to both voluntary and paid work.

See the sections below for details of how the limits apply to your programme of study.

Right to Work letters

When you start a new job, your employer will ask you for a letter from the University confirming your term dates. You will need two letters to evidence this:

1. A Student Status Certificate: this confirms your registration status and dates of your programme. You can print a Student Status Certificate letter through the self service option in your student record in MyExeter. 

2. An overview letter: this details the term dates applicable to your programme of study. See the appropriate section below. 

Wording on the Right to Work letter cannot be edited to an employer's request.

If your programme has non-standard University terms, e.g. FAFM, Medicine etc., contact International Student Advice for bespoke advice.

Right to Work share code

Your employer will ask for a share code to prove your right to work. Most students will be able to generate a share code using their passport or BRP card by following the instructions on the Gov.uk webpage. Once you have your code, you will need to give this and your date of birth to your employer. They will be able to use this to check the work conditions on your visa, e.g. number of hours per week, any restrictions on type of work. The share code is valid for 30 days.

In some cases, students will be unable to generate a share code for example if their BRP card is no longer valid or they have an outstanding visa application. In these cases, your employer can use the employer checking service here.

Student visa work restrictions - types of work

All students should be aware of the following Student visa work prohibitions:

• You cannot be self-employed or engage in business activity
• You cannot fill a full-time permanent vacancy
• You must not be employed as an entertainer or professional sports person (including coach)

Work placements

If you are studying a programme which contains a work placement then you can do this full-time with your Student visa. The University is still required to monitor your attendance on this part of your programme.

Self-employment

Self-employment is not permitted on a Student visa. Further information on what constitutes self-employment can be found on the gov.uk website. Engaging in business activity is defined by UKVI as ‘working for a business where you have a financial or significant beneficial interest in a capacity other than as an employee’. An example of this would be setting up a business as a sole trader, but please check page 93 of the Student Policy Guidance for further information.

UKCISA has also written a detailed blog about this, which explains that trading online to make a profit, income from owning property, appearing on TV talent shows and even paid babysitting is viewed as self-employment, and is therefore not permitted. If you are unsure, please  contact us before starting any employment.

Volunteering and voluntary work

The restrictions on working hours explained above do not apply to Volunteering but they do apply to Voluntary work. If you want to volunteer to gain experience you need to be clear on whether you are Volunteering or doing Voluntary work. You should always check with the organisation which offers you a volunteering opportunity whether it can be regarded as unpaid employment.

The difference between unpaid employment (voluntary work) and volunteering is explained on page 102 of the Student Policy Guidance. But as an overview:

• Voluntary work is where the role involves specific tasks at specific times and the voluntary worker has contractual obligations. Voluntary work is unpaid employment and will count towards your maximum number of hours of work a week.
• Volunteers do not have a contract and are not paid, though reasonable travel and living costs can be reimbursed. Volunteers usually help a charity, voluntary organisation or public sector organisation. Volunteering does not count towards your working hour allowance.

Tax & National Insurance

Income tax is payable if you earn more than your personal tax allowance in a financial year. In general in the UK, if you're employed, you do not have to submit your own tax returns.

National Insurance is a payment towards the state pension and is only payable when you earn more than a certain amount.

UKCISA explains both these terms in more detail on their website along with links to useful resources. We are unable to advise students on tax systems either in the UK or overseas.