Working in the UK
If you are an EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss National, or the dependant of one, you are permitted to work in the UK without any restrictions on the number of hours or type of work. You will need to show an employer your passport or identity card as proof that you are a national of an EEA country/dependant of one.
EU Accession countries (joined May 2005)
If you would like to work once you enter the UK you must register under the Workers Registration Scheme within your first month of employment.
Bulgarian or Romanian?
You are able to enjoy the right of residence in the UK as a student, just as other EEA students do. However, your access to employment is restricted. If you would like to work once you enter the UK you must apply for BR1 work registration certificate|. You are only entitled to work 20 hours a week during term time, unlimited hours during non-term time and unlimited hours for four months after the course, beginning on the date on which the course ends (providing the registration certificate was issued before the end of the course). After working for 12 months you can apply for unrestricted rights to work.
Non-EEA Nationals and work
If you are a national from outside the EEA, you can check whether you can work or not by looking at the visa stamp/entry clearance certificate in your passport. A restricted stamp indicates that you can work.
If your passport contains a restriction you may:
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work in your spare time during term-time, and full-time during vacations/holidays
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take a work placement with an employer (sandwich course students)
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take an internship placement with an employer.
Provided that:
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you do not work for more than 20 hours per week during term time, except in the case of an agreed work placement or internship
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you do not engage in business, self-employment or provide services as a professional sports person or entertainer
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you do not pursue a career by filling a permanent full-time vacancy.
A prohibited stamp indicates that you cannot work.
If your visa or passport is not stamped with a prohibition, then you may:
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work part-time whilst studying
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work full-time during vacation periods
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take a work placement with an employer (sandwich course students)
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take an internship placement with an employer.
As a student from outside the EEA, you must not :
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Work for more than 20 hours per week during term time (except if undertaking an agreed work placement or internship), unlimited hours during non term time and unlimited hours for 'only' four months after the course, beginning on the date on which the course ends.
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Engage in self-employment, business or provide services as a professional sports person or entertainer.
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Pursue a career by filling a permanent full-time vacancy.
In order to meet the Immigration Rules for students, you will need to show that you have enough money to support yourself (in terms of tuition fees, accommodation and living costs) without needing to work.
It is recommended that students work no more than 15 hours per week part-time, so that their studies are not adversely affected.
Additional information
Work placements
If you are an undergraduate student on a sandwich course you will be required to spend periods of your course on a work placement. As of 21 June 1999, the Secretary of State has given general permission to work to all students who have an employment restriction stamp in their passports but whose courses require a work placement. International students with a restriction on their passports will no longer need to obtain permission to work. If you have a prohibition, you must apply to the Home Office to have it lifted, however contact the International Adviser first for information.
If you undertake employment in breach of your conditions of stay, you are committing a criminal offence for which the penalties upon conviction are a fine of £1,000 and/or up to six months' imprisonment. You are also liable for deportation.
The Jobshop and Careers Service at Southampton Solent University provides information on job vacancies, career planning and every aspect of working. For more information visit the website at www.solent.ac.uk/careers|.
Dependants (spouse or child)
Your dependants should have received the passport sticker that allows them to work if the Entry Clearance Officer issuing it is satisfied that you, the student, have been given permission to stay in the UK for 12 months or more. If they have the correct sticker that does not say that they must not work or enter into employment, then they are free to work full-time.
National Insurance and Income Tax
For full details of how to apply for a National Insurance number, how much tax you can expect to pay and how to claim tax back, please visit student tax advice on the direct.gov.uk website|
Working legally
If you are working 'cash in hand', you are not working legally. You should always have a pay slip, showing how much you have earned and any deductions made. If you are unsure about your pay slip, please check with the International Student Adviser.
Working after your studies
International students from outside the EEA cannot work full-time on a student visa. There are a number of schemes which allow international students to stay on and work after their studies, as follows:
International Graduates Scheme (IGS)
All Bachelor, Master's degree and PhD students completing their courses, regardless of their degree subject, will be allowed to stay in the UK for one year to work after completing their studies. (It is possible that this will be extended to two years. Please contact the International Student Support Team for up-to-date advice.)
Please note: Students whose studies have been sponsored by a government or international scholarship agency will have to secure consent from that body before they are allowed to stay on under the scheme.
Students may also stay in the UK to work under the following schemes:
Further information
For further information about the schemes and the implications of work permit employment,
visit the UK Border Agency website |
You may also find it useful to read the Guidance Note "Working in the UK after your studies" on the
UKCISA website|