Working in the UK
Working in the UK during your studies
It is very important for you to understand what you can and cannot do if you want to work while studying. Also, when full time work is permitted, without jeopardising your visa status.
As a student on a student visa studying at Bedfordshire at RQF level 6 and above (Bachelor's degree or higher), you may work up to 20 hours per week during term time.
If your course is at RQF level 3-5 (such as on an International Foundation Course or Pre-sessional English programme), you may work up to 10 hours per week during term time.
It is important you check your visa to ensure you have been granted the correct work condition. If you feel there is an error, you must not work more hours than stated on your visa until this has been corrected.
Whatever the level of your study, you may work unlimited hours during official University holiday periods, after you have been awarded your degree, once you have completed your studies and are awaiting your results.
It is particularly important to be aware of the following in this regard:
- If you are undertaking retakes or resits, or are writing up your dissertation, you must not work more than 20 hours per week. These periods are not holiday periods. For confirmation of your holiday dates, please speak to SID who can issue you with a letter for your employer, if necessary.
- If your course is delivered in blocks, the gap between the end of one block and beginning of the next block is also not a holiday period. You must not work full time during this period.
- Working more hours than you are permitted will result in you being reported to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). This is in line with the guidance set out by UKVI as you would have breached the conditions of your leave to remain. In doing so, it is likely to lead to your visa sponsorship being withdrawn by the University. This will negatively affect your immigration record, which will affect any future visa applications you submit to the UKVI as well as your University registration.
You should also note the following:
- If you have permission to work in the UK, you can also undertake voluntary work but this work and any other (e.g. paid work) that you do, must not exceed the number of hours you are allowed to work during term time. For example, if your visa allows 20 hours during term time and you do paid work of 12 hours a week, you cannot do more than 8 hours voluntary work per week. Please note, if your visa conditions don’t permit work you cannot do voluntary work.
- You cannot be self-employed.
- You can only work 20 hours per week maximum during term-time. You cannot work, for example, 25 hours one week but only 10 the next. It may average out at less than 20 hours per week but this is not permissible, it is not an average figure.
For more information, please see:
- GOV.UK - Student visa : Overview
- UKCISA's advice on Working as an international student
Working in the UK after your studies
- For more information about all of these visa categories we recommend reading the GOV.UK website
- Another good source is the UKCISA - Working After Studies section
This is an unsponsored route, you will not need sponsorship from the University or an employer. There is no maintenance requirements and you are not required to submit documents to demonstrate your English language ability.
The Graduate Route visa is granted for 2 years, with the only exception for PhD graduates who receive 3 years. Only one Graduate route application is permitted and it cannot be extended. You may be able to switch into other work related visas from this route.
Please note your Student visa end date is determined by the course end date on your CAS. If for any reason you are not able to successfully complete your course before your CAS course end date, for example due to resits or retakes, you may not receive your final award before your visa expires. This may then mean you will not eligible to apply for the Graduate Route. It is important to note that the University does not guarantee or commit to extending visa sponsorship in order for students to be eligible for the Graduate Route.
Useful resources – check these:
Main requirements:
- You must have successfully completed the course you studied on your most recent student visa and the qualification must have been obtained in the last grant of Student permission.
- You must have successfully completed a relevant qualification such as a UK bachelor’s degree, UK postgraduate degree, PhD or other doctoral qualification, PGCE or PGDE. You will not be eligible if you finish your degree studies with a non-degree qualification (for example, you received a postgraduate diploma and not a Master’s degree.)
- If the duration of your course is less than 12 months, you must have studied in the UK for the full duration of the course. If the course duration is more than 12 months, you must have studied in the UK for a minimum of 12 months.
- You must be in the UK (applications from overseas are not allowed) and have a valid Student visa at the time of application. There is no option to switch to the Graduate route from any other visa category apart from the Student route.
- Students sponsored by a Government or international scholarship agency in the 12 months leading up to the Graduate Route application will need to submit written consent from their sponsor. This applies to both the main applicant and any dependant who has had such a scholarship.
- Dependants may apply to be a Graduate route dependant but they must already be in the UK on the date of application as a Student dependant.
Confirmation of your results
You can apply once the University has informed UKVI that you have successfully completed the course you studied with your most recent Student visa. The University will inform UKVI once you have been formally notified of your final award which has been confirmed by an exam board. You must also meet the eligibility requirements outlined above.
As soon as we have notified UKVI, we will email you and confirm this. We will also provide you with your most recent CAS number which you will need, to make the application. You must not make a Graduate Route application until you have received an email from us confirming that we have notified UKVI of your successful completion.
Please email visaadvice@beds.ac.uk if you have not heard from us and your visa is expiring in 3 working days. The email should have the subject title: GR VISA EXPIRING (date of visa expiry). For example, GR VISA EXPIRING 01/07/2021.
The visa allows you to work in the UK for a licensed employer for a specified position. Your employer will need to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
In most cases, you are unable to switch out of the student route into the skilled worker route before your studies have been completed. You are able to switch from a Student visa to a Skilled Worker visa if one of the following applies:
- You have completed the course you were sponsored for
- The job you intend to do will begin after your course has finished and the CoS start date is no earlier than your course completion date on your CAS.
- If you are studying a PhD, you must complete a minimum of 24 months study before you can switch.
During your studies or immediately after you complete your course, you may want to work as a Sabbatical Officer in the Student Union. For detailed information about Sabbatical positions, visit the University of Bedfordshire Students' Union
If you are sponsored on a Student visa and would like to take up a position within Beds SU, you should discuss this with an International Student Advisor.
If you are in the middle of your studies, we will help facilitate the year away from your studies while you take up the position.
If you are at the end of your course, we will work with Beds SU to help you extend your Student visa for the duration of your contract.
More information is available at UKCISA
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