Student work rights in Pakistan
Rules for working while studying in Pakistan, including work limits, internships, tax steps and post-study routes where covered by the guide.
Read the complete Pakistan study abroad guide.
Part-time Jobs
Pakistan's published visa policy lists Study Visa and Work Visa as separate categories. The official study-visa guidance reviewed for this draft does not publish a general weekly work allowance for international students.
Before accepting paid employment, an internship with compensation or freelance work performed in Pakistan, obtain written guidance from your university's international office and the competent immigration authority. Do not rely on an informal assurance or a work-hour rule copied from another country.
The normal work-visa route requires employment documentation and company information. If an employer wants to hire you, it should confirm which visa category applies and whether your existing immigration status must be changed before the work begins.
Source: https://dgip.gov.pk/visa/categories.php
Post-study Work
Do not plan on an automatic post-study job-search period. The official material reviewed does not publish a dedicated graduate residence/visa category that allows an international student to remain solely to look for work after completing a Pakistani degree.
If you secure employment, the ordinary work-visa route is the relevant published route. DGI&P's current policy says Pakistan missions can issue an initial work-entry visa for up to three months, single entry, when the required employment/company documents are supplied. After that, an extension can be sought for up to two years with multiple entries, subject to the extension requirements and security/BOI procedures.
The Board of Investment publishes its own work-visa facilitation page and may summarise timelines differently. Because those presentations are not identical, rely on the live e-visa process, DGI&P requirements and the hiring employer's immigration support rather than assuming one headline processing time or validity applies at every stage.
Start employer discussions before your study status ends. Do not begin work until the immigration permission required for that employment is actually in place.
Source: https://dgip.gov.pk/visa/categories.php
Common questions
What should international students know about work in Pakistan?
Do not assume that a study visa includes permission for ordinary paid work.
What should international students know about post study in Pakistan?
There is no published dedicated graduate job-search route; employment normally requires moving to the ordinary work-visa process based on a job offer.