Working in the UK
Find out everything you need to know about working in the UK on a student visa.
A guide to working in the UK for international students
Working while you study at Kingston University is a great way to develop work-based skills. You can also earn extra money and further enhance your experience in the UK.
But before you begin your job search, you need to check you’re permitted to work in the UK. Below we provide guidance on the eligibility of international students to work. You can also find information on income tax, national insurance and employers.
Students on placement years will also have their employment questions answered.
Plus, we round up the different ways you can work in the UK after completing your studies. You can find out if there is an option suitable for you.
Working in the UK on a student visa
If you plan to work while studying in the UK, you must check the permissions set out in your visa. Your right to work will depend on the visa you have been granted.
Look at your passport visa sticker or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). If either document does not prohibit you from working, you can take up employment. This right to work is as described by the UKCISA.
Make sure you fully understand the conditions of your visa. Breaching the rules could have serious consequences for your immigration status and affect your right to study in the UK.
Some international students from Europe have different working and studying rights. These rights are determined by whether or not you are on the settlement scheme. Below we round up both categories and provide some resources for students from the rest of the world.
If you have been granted pre-settled or settled status and are currently living in the UK, you are allowed to work while you study.
There has been no change to the working rights and status of EU citizens and their family members who have pre-settled or settled status under the scheme.
You can find up-to-date information on residing and working in the UK on the Home Office website.
EU, EEA and Swiss students who do not have pre-settled or settled status are subject to the same immigration rules regarding working during studies as international students.
To be able to work (up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during official vacation periods) you must:
- Have a Student Route visa
- Be an EU, EEA or Swiss national who was not eligible to apply for EU settlement and who will be coming to study at Kingston University after 1 July 2021 on a full-time degree level course of more than 6 months (RQF level 6 and equivalents, or above) sponsored by a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.
You can find up-to-date information on residing and working in the UK on the Home Office website.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website provides information on:
- If you will be permitted to work in the UK while you study
- What types of work you can and cannot do
- How many hours you may work
- Whether your family members (dependants) can work in the UK
Want more advice on working in the UK?
The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has more information on understanding and complying with your immigration rights, restrictions and any limits to working.
Tax and national insurance
If you are employed in the UK, make sure you understand your tax and national insurance contributions. Below we provide guidance along with some further resources.
You will have to pay income tax if you earn more than a specified personal allowance in any tax year. You can find out more about personal allowances and income tax rates from HM Revenue & Customs.
Employees and employers both pay National Insurance contributions. These contributions help fund contributory benefits. Examples of these benefits include the state pension and jobseeker's allowance.
Your home country's tax authorities might expect you to file a tax return there or to pay tax on your UK earnings. You should contact the relevant government department in your home country to check the rules about this.
Further information about income tax and national insurance
The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group offers tax guidance for students. They also have special information for international students.
HM Revenue & Customs also has information about tax aimed at students.
Your National Insurance number (NINo) is a unique personal number used to record your National Insurance contributions. You do not need to have a NINo before starting work, but you must obtain one when you get a job.
To apply for a NINo, call 0800 141 2075 to make an appointment. Ask what documents you need to bring to the appointment. You usually need to take your passport, payslips or a letter from your employer confirming you will be working for them.
Your appointment will take place at your nearest Jobcentre Plus office.
Find out more information about National Insurance numbers and how to obtain one.
Permission to work checks
Your employer has a legal obligation to check you are allowed to work in the UK. They conduct their checks through the Home Office.
We run through the documents and information you need to provide your employer with. You will also find out what happens when you are working and make an immigration application. Plus, we list employer responsibilities to help you keep safe and happy at work.
To comply with your employer’s checks, you must be able to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Your passport and/or biometric residence permit are required for this.
If your current entry clearance sticker is in an expired passport, you need to apply to transfer your leave into your new passport. You can do this by making a Transfer of Conditions application.
Employers cannot accept an entry clearance sticker in an expired passport, even if your period of leave has not yet expired. For full details of the documents employers can accept, see the Home Office's guide to right to work checks: an employer's guide.
You must provide your employer with the term and vacation dates for your course. Your employer needs these dates so they know when you are allowed to work more than 10 or 20 hours a week. The information will also be shared with the Home Office.
The format you provide your term and vacation dates in will depend on whether you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
If you are an undergraduate student, you need to provide a letter from your faculty student office confirming these dates. A printout from our website showing the term and vacation dates for your course also counts as proof.
If you are a postgraduate student, you need to provide a copy of a letter or email your institution has sent to you confirming your term and vacation dates. A letter from your institution to your employer confirming these dates is also sufficient evidence.
If you made your immigration application before your previous student immigration permission ended, you still have the right to work under the usual student conditions.
However, a new employer must see evidence that you are currently in the UK with student immigration permission before allowing you to start work.
The same applies to your existing employer. Your employer should have noted when your immigration permission ends. They must then check you still have the right to work. They will have to contact the Home Office’s Employer Checking Service.
The Home Office has published guidance about the checks that employers must make and where they should go to check a person's entitlement to work.
UK employers have a number of legal duties towards their employees. These include:
- Anti-discrimination measures
- Health and safety requirements
- The obligation to pay the minimum wage
- The obligation to comply with laws relating to maximum working hours and breaks
- The duty to pay National Insurance contributions and to provide wage slips
Got a question about working in the UK while studying?
Below are answers to some of frequently asked questions about the regulations that apply to international students working in the UK.
Not immediately. New rules will not affect you if you already have immigration permission to work in the UK. You have to comply with the rules in force when you applied for permission.
However, if you need to make an immigration application to stay longer, the new rules will apply to you from the date when you are granted the new permission to stay.
You should be able to pay your tuition fees and living costs without having to work in the UK. However, if you need to make an immigration application in the UK and you are working lawfully, you can use your UK earnings to show you can meet the maintenance requirements.
You should not rely on money from work in the UK because:
- It can be difficult to find work
- It is unlikely you will earn enough to cover all your costs
- You might lose your job
- You might have problems with your studies if you spend too much time working
No, you cannot take a gap year and work full time. If you want to defer your studies for a year, you should leave the UK and come back when your studies start again.
You can work full time only in your vacations or when you have finished your studies. You can also work full time if you are doing a work placement or an internship.
If you are permitted to work, your working hours will be stated on your visa stamp in your passport, or your Biometrics Residence Permit (BRP).
Check what these hours are and never exceed the number of hours you are permitted to work in any one week. Exceeding the number of permitted hours could have serious implications on your visa.
Up to 20 hours a week
Students studying at Kingston University are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full time during official vacation periods if they:
- Have a Student Route visa
- Are on degree level courses, (RQF level 6 or equivalent)
Up to 10 hours a week
Students studying at Kingston University are permitted to work up to 10 hours a week during term time and full time during official vacation periods if they:
- Study a stand-alone foundation course, which is below degree level
- Study a pre-sessional English course only
- Are a Study Group (KULISC) student studying an international foundation year course
Please note
If you are permitted to work up to 10 hours or 20 hours a week during term time, please note the following:
- It is very important you do not exceed the hours stated on your Biometrics Residence Permit (BRP) in any week as this could have serious implications on your student visa and could potentially impact your studies
- The 10 or 20 hours includes both paid and unpaid work
- The working week as defined by the Home Office runs from Monday through to Sunday
- If you take unpaid employment (voluntary work) as well as paid work, the total number of hours per week must not exceed 10/20 hours, whichever is applicable to your visa conditions
- Students who are volunteering do not have a contract, you must not be a substitute for an employee, and you must not be doing unpaid work
- Students undertaking an approved work placement that is an integral and assessed part of their course can work any number of hours on their placement. Students are also permitted to work an additional 20 hours a week in another part-time job while working on their approved work placement that is part of their course
If your visa allows, you can do most kinds of work as described by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
You must not:
- Be self-employed, freelance or engage in any business activity
- Be employed as a professional sportsperson including as a sports coach (apart from students on approved work placements who were granted a student visa on or after 1 October 2019 to study a degree level course at a higher education provider)
- Be employed as an entertainer (apart from students studying degree level dance, drama and music courses who are on a work placement)
- Take a permanent full-time job
- Be a doctor or dentist in training unless you are on the foundation programme
If your visa allows, you will be able to volunteer while studying in the UK. But you must not do unpaid work. Students who are volunteering do not have a contract and must not be a substitute for an employee.
Volunteering on a Student Route visa
You can volunteer if you have a Student Route visa.
But you must not exceed 10 or 20 working hours per week (whichever is applicable to your visa) if you combine paid and voluntary/unpaid work. Exceeding the amount of hours specified on your visa could have serious consequences on your immigration status and your right to study in the UK.
Volunteering on a Standard Visitor visa
If you have a Standard Visitor visa, you are permitted to volunteer for a registered charity for up to 30 days.
You must not undertake voluntary/unpaid work on a contract. Make sure you understand the difference between volunteering and voluntary/unpaid work. Breaching the conditions of your visa could have serious consequences on your immigration status and could affect your right to study in the UK.
If you are undertaking an approved work placement that is an integral and assessed part of your course, you can work:
- Any number of hours on your work placement
- An additional 20 hours a week in another part-time job
More information on Work Placements can be found on the UKCISA website.
No, you are not permitted to work in the UK if you are studying on a Standard Visitor visa.
Students on a Standard Visitor visa may volunteer provided it is for a registered charity and is no longer than 30 days in total.
If the entry clearance or residence permit in your passport or BRC states "No recourse to public funds" or "No public funds", you must not apply for tax credits or other welfare benefits. If you do apply for tax credits or other welfare benefits it would be a breach of your immigration conditions.
The only exception is if your country has an agreement or reciprocal arrangements with the UK. Details of these reciprocal arrangements are in the Home Office guidance for its caseworkers on public funds.
Working in the UK on a placement year
Below are answers to some questions asked by international students whose course includes a placement year in the UK. The section also applies to you if you are thinking about adding a placement year to your course.
It is possible to add a placement year to your course after it has started. However, you must first secure the placement by the relevant deadline. The placement office must then approve the course transfer.
You will then need to apply for a new CAS as a continuing student to obtain a new visa. A new visa is needed to cover the extra time the course with take.
You are permitted to work full time hours for your approved placement employer. In addition to this, you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week for any other employer.
If you don’t secure a postgraduate placement, your faculty will transfer you off the placement route. You will instead be awarded the one-year masters at the next exam board.
Once this is completed, the compliance team will report your change of course to the Home Office and your visa will be cancelled.
After you receive the email confirmation of your visa curtailment from the UKVI team, you will have about four months of extant leave.
Please obtain a course completion letter from your faculty student office after your new course end date. You can provide this to your employer as proof of your course completion.
Students who are transferred off the placement year and complete the one-year masters are reported to the Home Office by the compliance team.
The students are then required to report their early completion and new end date. Your visa is then cancelled and you will have 4 months extant leave.
If you travel outside the UK after your new end date has been reported to the Home Office, you risk not being eligible to apply for the Graduate Route.
The advice from the Home Office is not to travel outside the UK until your Graduate Route visa has been granted.
Working in the UK after your studies
Some international students graduating from a UK university can apply to stay in the UK to work once they have finished their studies.
Depending on the rules set out in your visa, you may be able to apply for one of the following visa schemes after you graduate from Kingston University.
Graduate Route eligibility
You will be able to apply for a Graduate Route visa if you meet the following criteria:
- You are in the UK on a valid student visa that has not expired
- You have studied at least the last 12 months of your course on your student visa
- You apply only after being informed you have been awarded your degree
- You apply only after receiving a confirmation email from the compliance team that the Home Office has been notified of your eligibility
- You have studied the full duration of your course in the UK if you are on a course of 12 months or shorter
You will also require your current passport and Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card.
Dependants are allowed, providing they are already in the UK as a Student Dependant.
Graduate route for financially sponsored international students
If you have been officially financially sponsored by your government, or an officially recognised international organisation in the last 12 months, you must obtain a permission letter from this sponsor. Your sponsor needs to give their consent for you to remain in the UK under the Graduate Route.
International students not eligible for a Graduate Route visa
If your visa expires before you receive your official results, you will not be eligible to apply for a Graduate Route visa. You must leave the UK before your visa expires.
Students cannot apply for the Graduate Route from overseas.
Graduate Route visa costs
A Graduate Route visa costs £715 per applicant for the visa application.
There is also a Health Charge of £624 required each year (£1,248 for 2 years and £1,875 for 3 years (PhD students only)).
Confirmation of Graduate Route visas
Kingston University must confirm your eligibility to apply for the Graduate Route to the Home Office. You will be notified by xxx when this task has been completed.
If you submit your visa application before Kingston University has confirmed your eligibility, your application may not be processed.
If you have met all the requirements but have not received a confirmation email from xxx, contact the compliance team [ukvi@kingston.ac.uk]. They will confirm your eligibility has been sent to the Home Office.
How to apply for a Graduate Route visa
Below are links to the guidance notes and the visa application. You are strongly advised to read this guidance in addition to reading all the Graduate Route information on this page.
- Read the Graduate Route Caseworker Guidance (PDF)
- Find out more on the UKCISA website
- Apply for your Graduate Route visa on GOV.UK
Skilled Worker Route eligibility
To switch into the Skilled Worker Route in the UK, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be sponsored by an employer who holds a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
- Your job offer must be for a job listed on the Skilled Occupation List
Applying for a Skilled Worker Route as a ‘New Entrant’
The information below applies to students who wish to switch into the Skilled Worker Route based on being a ‘New Entrant' as a recent graduate.
The Skilled Worker Route is open to recent and future Kingston University graduates with the following qualifications:
- Bachelors or masters degree
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
- Professional Diploma in Education (PGDE)
The scheme is also open to students who have completed a minimum of 12 months of a PhD programme.
For a full list of requirements recent graduates have to meet, view page 39 of the Skilled Worker Caseworker Guidance (PDF).
Other bases for applying for a Skilled Worker Route
There are other bases for applying for a Skilled Worker Route visa. For example, you can also apply for the Skilled Worker Route from overseas.
For full guidance, read the Skilled Worker Caseworker Guidance (PDF) and on the information on the UKCISA website.
Student Worker Route visa and finances
When applying for a Student Worker Route, you might need to prove you have £1,270 in your personal bank account for 28 days.
This applies to you if you have not been living in the UK for the past 12 months and your Employer/Sponsor is not certifying your maintenance on your COS.
You will also need to pay an immigration health charge for this route. The cost of the immigration health charge is £624.00 per year.
Innovator Founder Route eligibility
The Innovator Founder route is for a person seeking to establish a business in the UK. The business must be based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated or to which they have significantly contributed.
An applicant must have a key role in developing their business.
The application must be supported by an endorsing body.
An applicant must be able to confirm they will have at least two Contact Point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals during their period of leave under this route.
Useful links for Innovator Founder Route applicants
- Innovator Founder visa
- Innovator Founder Caseworker Guidance
- Business Endorsing Bodies for the Innovator Founder Route
These organisations can issue endorsements for Innovator Founder visas:
The Temporary Worker visa route includes schemes which allow you to undertake specific types of work in the UK for a period of one or two years.
Temporary Worker eligibility
In order to qualify for a Temporary Worker visa, you must:
- Have a sponsor under the relevant scheme
- Have a certificate of sponsorship (COS) from your sponsor
- Have held funds of £1,270 in an account that is acceptable to the Home Office for a period of 28 consecutive days (Unless you have been living in the UK for the past 12 months)
Government Authorised Exchange (GAE)
A GAE is for people coming to the UK through approved schemes which aim to share knowledge, experience and best practice. The also are in place for people to experience the UK's social and cultural life.
You can make an application to stay in the UK under a Temporary worker (GAE) if you have student leave including Tier 4 (General).
Here are the available schemes you may find of most use to you are:
Internships
Student graduates who complete their degree in the UK can switch into Temporary Worker (GAE). This enables graduate to undertake a 12-month internship provided it relates directly to their degree.
For help finding work experience programmes, visit Access Tier 5 and Intern Visa Scheme.
Sponsored Researchers
The Sponsored Researchers scheme allows Kingston University to sponsor (employ) researchers and visiting academics who will undertake tasks such as lecturing, examining or working on supernumerary research collaboration.
A sponsored researcher is normally a visiting academic, who does not meet the Business/Academic Visitor criteria. Kingston University is a licensed sponsor and has a limited number of COS numbers to issue to sponsored researchers for up to 24 months.
The Youth Mobility Scheme applies to certain nationals only.
Applications must be submitted from your home country.
For more details, read the Home Office’s information about the Youth Mobility Scheme.
Want to work in the UK after you finish studying?
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about the regulations that apply to international students who want to work in the UK after they graduate.
The Graduate Route is only open to those who have successfully completed their course and who have valid Student Route permission when they apply.
As you are required to use your extant leave to complete failed modules, you may not have enough time left on your visa to apply for the Graduate Route.
Whether you are still eligible will depend on your individual circumstances. For more information, contact the immigration advice team on immigrationadvice@kingston.ac.uk.
You must wait until your degree has been officially awarded before you are eligible for the Graduate Route. Assuming you have been awarded your full degree, you will be automatically reported for the Graduate Route.
You will receive an email confirmation of this with your CAS number and further details on the application process.
Read the following resources for more information on the full eligibility requirements of the Graduate Route:
Want to get in touch?
If you have any queries or need further support, the Visa and Immigration Team is here to help.
