Student work rights in United Kingdom
Rules for working while studying in United Kingdom, including work limits, internships, tax steps and post-study routes where covered by the guide.
Read the complete United Kingdom study abroad guide.
Part-time Jobs
A Student visa for a degree level course normally permits 20 hours of paid work per week during term time, and full time work during official university vacations. If your course is below degree level the limit is 10 hours. Your visa states your exact condition; read it rather than assume.
The 20 hours is a hard weekly ceiling, not an average. Working 30 hours one week and 10 the next breaches the condition, and breaching it can end your permission to stay and damage any future application. Employers who sponsor students are required to check.
You may not be self employed, work as a professional sportsperson, or take a permanent full time job. Placements that form an assessed part of your course are treated differently and do not count against the limit in the same way.
The National Minimum Wage applies to student jobs and rises with age.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/work
Internships
Internships and work placements are a normal, valued part of UK study, though the terms differ from other countries. A placement year (a year in industry, often between the second and final year, common in sandwich degrees) and shorter internships, especially the summer internship, are the main routes, and in fields like finance, law, and consulting the summer internship is the primary gateway to a graduate job, with big employers recruiting a year ahead. Your Student visa lets you work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full-time in holidays, and a placement that is an assessed, credit-bearing part of your course can sometimes exceed that limit, but confirm the rules with your university's international office before starting, since breaching visa work conditions is serious. Internships should normally be paid at least the National Minimum or Living Wage if you are classed as a worker; genuinely unpaid internships are legally restricted and worth being wary of. Use your university careers service, which is generally excellent in the UK and runs employer events, and the main graduate-recruitment platforms, and apply early since deadlines for the best schemes fall months ahead.
Source: https://www.study-abroad.org/blog/uk-student-visa-guide/
Post-study Work
The Graduate visa lets an eligible graduate remain in the UK unsponsored to work or look for work. There is no employer-sponsorship requirement for the Graduate application itself and the route is not extendable.
For bachelor-level, master-level and other qualifying non-doctoral awards, applications made on or before 31 December 2026 are granted for two years. Applications made on or after 1 January 2027 are granted for 18 months. Doctoral graduates continue to receive three years. The relevant date is when you apply, not when you graduate.
You must apply from inside the UK while you still have valid Student or Tier 4 permission, after your education provider has notified the Home Office that you successfully completed the eligible course. You do not need to wait for a graduation ceremony or printed degree certificate if the provider has made the required report.
The Graduate route does not lead directly to settlement. If you want to remain after it expires, plan the next route early. Skilled Worker is common, but it requires an eligible job, a licensed sponsor and the salary/occupation rules in force at the time you switch.
Source: https://www.gov.uk/graduate-visa/overview
Common questions
What should international students know about work in United Kingdom?
Degree level students may work 20 hours per week in term time, and full time in vacations. It is a hard weekly cap.
What should international students know about internships in United Kingdom?
Placement years and summer internships are the main routes, and in finance, law and consulting the summer internship is the gateway to a graduate job, recruited a year ahead. Mind your 20-hour term-time visa work limit; check credit-bearing placements with your international office. Most internships must be paid.
What should international students know about post study in United Kingdom?
Unsponsored Graduate visa: 2 years through 31 Dec 2026 applications, 18 months from 1 Jan 2027, 3 years for doctorates.