Student/Tier 4 Visa and Working
If you are an international student on a Student/Tier 4 Visa, you are only permitted to work/volunteer:
- A maximum of 20 hours paid or unpaid work per week in all employments during term time for degree students; or
- a maximum 20 hours per week work all year round for Post Graduate students, as research students are not considered to have terms; or
- a maximum of 10 hours paid or unpaid work per week in all employments during term time for students undertaking courses below degree level (below NQF level 6).
This is across any and all jobs that you might have within the University and outside. For example, if you have a job in the Student Ambassador Scheme and a job in Tesco, you will have to split 20 hours between these two roles to comply with the restriction of your Visa. When you were onboarded by HR, they would have let the SAS Team know how many hours you were permitted to work in your role as determined by your Visa and any other commitments you may have.
As a Student/Tier 4 Visa Holder, it is your responsibility to manage the hours you work and ensure that you do not breach the legal limit in terms of the number of hours allowed by your Visa.
You can contact the SAS Team for guidance and timesheets that you can use to better track your hours.
Student/Tier 4 Visa Holders are permitted to work above 20 hours a week during vacation periods (Summer break only as per University HR guidance). However, vacation periods need to be formally confirmed with HR/SAS prior to the work being allocated/undertaken. Postgraduate Tier 4 Visa holders will still be capped at 20 hours a week during the summer break as they are still classified as in term time completing their dissertation/research projects (unless they take a formal period of annual leave, formally confirmed with HR/SAS prior to the work being allocated/undertaken).
International@campuslife have created guidance leaflet for International Students who have or are seeking employment. Please visit their webpage on working during your studies for International Students to access the guidance leaflet.