Working while you study
Working during your studies is a great way to build new skills, contribute to your local community, and earn a little extra money to fund your university experience. If you're an international student, there are plenty of opportunities open to you, and a few restrictions to know about too.
Working on a Student Route student visa
During term time
On a Tier 4 or Student Route visa, you can work or volunteer for up to 20 hours a week during term time – as defined by the official timetable. But it's very important that you don't work any more than this. If you do, you'll be classified as working illegally, and this will affect your visa. You can find out more about the Student Route visa on the UKCISA website.
The 20 hours a week you can work includes all employment and any voluntary work too. So if you have a paid job for 15 hours a week, you can't do more than 5 hours voluntary work alongside it.
You also can't work more than 20 hours one week, and less than 20 hours the next week, and then take an average of your working time – your 20 hours must always fall within a single Monday to Sunday period.
If you are working in a Care Home the condition of working 20 hours per week still applies to you.
Outside term time
Outside of term time, your working restrictions will depend on whether you're studying an undergraduate, taught postgraduate, block taught or research postgraduate course. You can find the specific restrictions throughout the year below:
Working restrictions
If you are permitted to work on your Student Route visa there are some types of work you are not permitted to do.
You cannot be Self Employed. This may also be referred to as a freelance or contractor role. Check if the role is on PAYE with the employer. If it is then it is not a self-employed role.
You cannot undertake ‘Business Activity’, work as an ‘Entertainer’ or as a ‘Professional Sportsperson’.
You cannot take a Permanent full-time job. You can do a permanent part-time job or a fixed term full-time job.
For more information: UKCISA: Work you must not do
If you have any questions about the type of role please contact us.
| Time of year | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
Teaching Blocks (including Consolidation Weeks, Assessment Periods, Re-Sits and Directed Activity) |
20 hours per week |
|
No restrictions |
|
|
During your exam re-sits |
20 hours per week, until you finish your last exam |
|
When you're re-submitting coursework or a dissertation |
20 hours per week until all your assessments have been completed |
|
No restrictions, as long as you’ve finished all your assessments and any exam re-sits. |
|
|
After your course has been completed (as recorded in our student record system, until the end of your Tier 4/Student Route visa) |
No restrictions until your Visa end date, as long as you've finished all your assessments and any exam re-sits** |
As the course is ongoing throughout the year the full course is considered to be term-time. There are no vacation periods in which you can work full-time.
| Time of year | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
Teaching Blocks (including Consolidation Weeks, Assessment Periods, Re-Sits and Directed Activity) and vacations |
20 hours per week - as the course is ongoing throughout the year the full course is considered to be term-time. There are no vacation periods in which you can work full-time |
| Completion of your course | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
After your course ends (as recorded in our student record system) until the end of your Tier 4/Student Route visa) |
No restrictions until your Visa end date, as long as you've finished all your assessments and any exam re-sits ** |
**See information below on: providing evidence to an employer
| Time of year | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
Teaching Blocks (including Consolidation Weeks, Assessment Periods, Re-Sits and Directed Activity) |
20 hours per week |
|
Christmas vacation* |
No working restrictions |
|
Consolidation Weeks |
20 hours per week |
|
Easter vacation* |
No working restrictions |
|
Summer vacation |
20 hours per week as you will be working on your assessments, dissertation or project |
|
During your exam re-sits |
20 hours per week, until you finish your last exam |
|
When you're re-submitting coursework or a dissertation |
20 hours per week, until all your assessments have been completed |
|
Completion of your course
After your course has been completed (as recorded in our student record system, until the end of your Tier 4/Student Route visa) |
No restrictions until your Visa end date, as long as you've finished all your assessments and any exam re-sits** |
* See UoP Key Dates
** See information below on: providing evidence to an employer
| Time of year | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
Teaching Blocks (including Consolidation Weeks, Assessment Periods, Re-Sits and Directed Activity) |
20 hours per week |
|
Christmas vacation* |
No working restrictions |
|
Consolidation Weeks |
20 hours per week |
|
Easter vacation* |
No working restrictions |
|
During your exam re-sits |
20 hours per week, until you finish your last exam |
|
When you're re-submitting coursework or a dissertation |
20 hours per week until all your assessments have been completed |
|
Summer vacation* |
At the point you commenced your course, you will have been given information on the structure of your course, of the hours that you can work in your academic year of study. To confirm whether you are required to study during this period (for example by working on any assessments, dissertation or project) please contact your Faculty Academic Services Hub |
|
Learning and Teaching expectations over the summer |
If you have any Learning and Teaching expectations over the summer (for example by working on your dissertation or project) or to study, then you cannot work full-time during this period and your 20 hours working restrictions continue |
|
No Learning and Teaching expectations over the summer |
If you have received confirmation from your Faculty Academic Services Hub that you do not have any Learning and Teaching expectations over the summer vacation and have completed all your assessments and any exam re-sits, you will have no working restrictions |
|
Completion of your course
After your course has been completed (as recorded in our student record system, until the end of your Tier4/Student Route visa) |
No restrictions until your Visa end date, as long as you've finished all your assessments any exam re-sits** |
* See UoP Key Dates
** See information below on: providing evidence to an employer
| Time of year | Working restrictions |
|---|---|
|
Teaching Blocks (including Consolidation Weeks, Assessment Periods, Re-Sits and Directed Activity) |
20 hours per week, except within recognised Annual Leave periods |
|
Winter breaks |
You are permitted to work more than 20 hours per week during the University Christmas Closure period. |
|
Spring breaks |
20 hours per week, except within recognised Annual Leave periods |
|
Undertaking viva amendments |
20 hours per week, except within recognised Annual Leave periods |
|
Summer vacation |
20 hours per week, except within recognised Annual Leave periods |
|
After your course has been completed (as recorded in our student record system, until the end of your Tier 4/Student Route visa) |
No restrictions until your visa end date, as long as you’ve submitted the final bound copy of your thesis |
If you’re receiving a bursary from the University, and you’re expected to undertake 6 hours per week assistance to teaching, this would count towards your 20 hours per week restrictions.
If you wish to take Annual Leave from your studies in order to work more than 20 hours for a period during term time, you’ll need to do the following before the excess hours are worked:
Obtain written authorisation via email from a member of your supervisory team for the period of annual leave, which includes the specific dates of the leave which has been authorised - the working week is from Monday to Sunday and Annual Leave will be for full weeks.
Copy the text of the email into a new tutorial record and ensure you and the supervisor sign it off.
Please note, you must obtain authorisation and ensure this is recorded on Skills Forge before you undertake any full time work. Your annual leave is a maximum of 6 weeks within the year, not including bank holidays and university Christmas closure.
Working for the university
If you are also working for the university, please update the PeopleHub (select Compliance/Other and add: Name, ID, Annual Leave - add the dates to the heading) and attach a copy of your Supervisor's authorisation of your Annual Leave dates - this must be added to your file before you undertake any full-time work.
Students on a Tier 4 or Student Route visa studying part-time postgraduate taught or research degrees are not permitted to work (paid or unpaid) during term time or the vacation period.
If you are on a Standard Visitor visa or have entered the UK in this category you are not permitted to work (paid or unpaid) during term time or the vacation period.
To ensure your employer remains compliant with UKVI rules on visa working hours restrictions, your employer will undertake a Right to Work check and will ask you for your Share Code to check your visa working restrictions on GOV.UK Share Code. Your working restrictions for term time and vacations will depend on the University's Term Dates and vary depending on the level of the course that you are studying: Undergraduate, Taught Postgraduate or Research Postgraduate.
You will need to be able to evidence that you are a current student and your Confirmation of Studies Letter will show your employer your course start and end dates and is available from your Student View Portal and the process is detailed below.
Please note: the university is unable to provide individual letters to students for employers
Providing evidence of your course, term and vacation dates
- Go to your port.ac.uk and on the top bar, select Students
- Select your Student View Portal: select Request Standard Letters and select the Confirmation of studies letter - the letter will be emailed to you
- Email this letter to your employer as evidence of your course dates.
- This letter also includes weblinks to the University term dates: Key Dates and to this webpage: Working during your studies, for you to show your employer.
- Your working restrictions for term time and vacations will vary depending on the level of the course that you are studying: UG, PGT or PGR
- For PGT Block Delivery taught courses and PGR students, the 20 hours term time working restrictions will continue throughout your course.
- Your employer may also require evidence that you have completed all your assessments and exams for the academic year and you can screenshot your Assessment Marks from your Student View Portal and share with your employer.
Please note: if there are any assessment extensions, amendments or exam resits, you will not have completed your studies and the 20 hours working restrictions will continue to apply.
To ensure your employer remains compliant with UKVI rules on working hours restrictions, you will need to be able to evidence that you have finished your course.
After your employer has offered you employment, they will undertake a Right to Work check and will ask you for your Share Code to check your visa working restrictions on GOV.UK Share Code. Your working restrictions for term time and vacations will depend on the University’s Term Dates and vary depending on the level of the course that you are studying: Undergraduate, Taught Postgraduate or Research Postgraduate.
You will need to be able to evidence that you are a current student and your Confirmation of Studies Letter will show your employer your course start and end dates and this information is available from your Student View Portal and the process is detailed below.
Please note: the university is unable to provide individual letters for employers.
Providing evidence of your course, term and vacation dates
- Go to your port.ac.uk and on the top bar, select Students
- Select your Student View Portal: select Request Standard Letters and select the Confirmation of studies letter - the letter will be emailed to you
- Email the Confirmation of studies letter to your employer as evidence of your course dates.
- This letter also includes weblinks to the University term dates: Key Dates and to this webpage: Working during your studies, for you to show your employer
- Your working restrictions for term time and vacations will vary depending on the level of the course that you are studying: UG, PGT or PGR
- For PGT Block Delivery taught courses and PGR students, the 20 hours term time working restrictions will continue throughout your course.
- Your employer may also require additional evidence that you have completed all your assessments and exams and this process is detailed below
Providing evidence that your course has ended
For UG & PGT students:
- Go to your port.ac.uk and on the top bar, select Students
- Select your Student View Portal: select Request Standard Letters and select the Confirmation of studies letter - the letter will be emailed to you
For PGR students, provide evidence on submission of your final thesis with a screenshot of the Submission status
- Once you have provided all this evidence to your employer that you have finished your course, and your employer has completed your Right to Work check, you will be able to work full-time until your visa end date
Please note: if there are any assessment extensions, corrections or amendments or exams or exam resits, your studies will not have ended and the 20 hours working restrictions will continue to apply.
Some students can apply to have their immigration health charge reimbursed. This applies only to holders of valid European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) who have not worked and will not work in the UK.
If you intend to work in the UK you must not apply for this reimbursement.
For more information see Working in the UK after your studies
If you require any further information, advice and guidance please contact the University's International Student Advice Team, please contact the International Student Advice team.