Visas & Immigration
Nationals of countries outside the EEA
Eligibility to work
One of the conditions of being admitted to the UK as a student
under Tier 4 of the Points Based System is that you have enough
money to maintain and support yourself and your dependants, without
working or recourse to public funds. This means that you cannot
come to the UK and work your way through College. However, you are
sometimes allowed to work to earn extra money within certain
rules.
You must not work if your visa (in the form of a sticker in your
passport or a Biometric Residence Permit) states:
This would be a breach of your immigration conditions and a
criminal offence.
If your visa states something else then you are authorised to
work subject to the following conditions:
If your Tier 4 student visa was issued before the 6th April
2010
You must not:
- Work for more than 20 hours per week during term time, except
in the case of an agreed work placement or internship.
If your Tier 4 student visa was issued on or after the 6th
April 2010
If you are studying on a degree level course or
above, i.e. a bachelors or masters course, you must
not:
- Work for more than 20 hours per week during term time, except
in the case of an agreed work placement or internship.
All students studying in the UK on a Tier 4 visa can do most
kinds of work, but must not
- Engage in business, self-employment or provide services as a
professional sportsperson or entertainer;
- Pursue a career by filling a permanent, full time vacancy.
Part-time / full-time
As detailed above, during term time international students must
not work for more than 20 hours a week depending on the level of
their course and the date their visa was issued, except in the case
of an agreed work placement. There are however periods when
students are not expected to attend classes but when they should be
studying, writing a dissertation, or preparing for exams as part of
their course. They should not be working more than the relevant 20
hours during these periods.
There are certain periods when international students are
allowed to work full-time. They are as follows:
- During College vacations (NB for September start postgraduate
students the summer vacation does not constitute a holiday as they
should be spending their time writing their dissertation)
- Whilst undertaking a work placement as part of their
course
- For the remaining leave (student visa) that students have on
completion of their studies, whilst waiting for their results or
commencement of a new course or graduation. This could be up to 4
months depending on the level of course studied.
More information about working during your studies can be found
in the
Working during your Studies guidance note produced by UKCISA:
the UK Council for International Student Affairs.
Confirmation of eligibility to work
If your employer has requested confirmation of your ability to
work, you need to request a student status letter from Academic
Services.
Can my husband or wife work?
If your husband or wife comes to the UK with you or joins you at
a later date during your studies, they will be free to work as long
as you, the student, have been granted a visa for twelve months or
more.
If your husband or wife travels to the UK to join you at a later
date and is planning to work while they are here, then they should
provide the immigration officer with photocopies of the following
pages from your passport:
- The page showing personal details – name etc;
- Any pages containing UK visas.
If you are meeting your husband/wife at the port of entry, then
you should take your passport with you in case of any queries.
If you have been granted a visa for less than 12 months, then
your husband/wife will be prohibited from working during their
stay.
UKCISA have produced a guidance note called Your
Family’s Immigration which gives more information on the
immigration requirements for students’ family members (spouse or
civil partner; children), including their right to work.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this
page is given in good faith and has been carefully checked with
The UK Council
for International Student Affairs and the UK Border Agency. However
please note that the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
accepts no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Immigration law
is subject to change; please ensure that you have the most up to
date information by checking the websites listed under the “Useful
resources” subheading above.