As an international student, you may have restrictions on the number of hours you can work and the type of work you can do on your Tier 4 or Student Route visa. You will need to check this information carefully before applying for work.

How many hours can I work?

A Tier 4 or Student Route visa will only allow you to work (paid or unpaid) within the following limits:

• students below degree level study - 10 hours per week during term time (Monday to Sunday)
• students at degree level study - 20 hours per week during term time (Monday to Sunday)

It’s your responsibility to ensure that you don’t work more hours than your visa allows. If you have more than one job, you will need to be careful that your combined hours from both jobs don’t exceed the number of hours you can legally work.

You can work full-time during the vacation period for your particular programme or at the end of your programme, when you have fully completed all of your studies.

You can find further information on the following webpages:

If you think that the conditions on your visa are incorrect, please contact the Visa Support Team. 

Types of work you can do

There are restrictions on the type of work you can do. You can’t:

• be self-employed or engage in business activity
• work as a professional sportsperson including as a sports coach
• work as an entertainer
• take a permanent full-time job
• be a doctor or dentist in training, unless you are on the foundation programme

For more information on Tier 4 or Student Route working conditions, see the UKCISA website. 

If you have any concerns about your Tier 4 or Student Route working conditions, please contact the Visa Support Team before taking any paid or unpaid employment. 

Working in the UK after your studies

When you have finished your programme, you may want to switch to an immigration category that will allow you to remain in the UK to work.

The Careers Service have information and resources to help you start your job search in the UK.

Help from the Visa Support Team

The Visa Support Team runs a monthly workshop with the Careers Service to give advice on the following immigration routes: