Working in the UK

You may want to undertake some paid or voluntary work whilst you are here.

There are different requirements for working during studies and working after you’ve finished your course. If you’re interested in working during or after your studies, the first thing you’ll need to do is make sure you have the correct immigration permission.

Working part-time during your studies

Working while you are studying can be a good way of covering your living expenses while you’re in the UK, and there are a wide range of part-time jobs in Manchester for international students. Most UK employers advertise and manage job applications online.

Check if you’re eligible

Student visa holders

If you are studying on a full-time degree with Tier 4 or Student visa permission, UKVI will allow you to work during your studies. However, your visa will have different restrictions based on what type of course you are studying.

Students from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals

If you hold either pre-settled or settled status, you do not need additional permission to work in the UK. For advice on being in the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss national, visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

Visiting and Short-Term Study Visa holders

You are not allowed to work while you are in the UK. This includes working remotely while you are inside the UK.

Student visa working restrictions

If you are a Tier 4 or Student Visa holder, you will have the following restrictions:

  • you can only fill a permanent vacancy if it is part-time; if you fill a full-time vacancy during University holidays, it must be a temporary or fixed-term contract
  • you are limited to either 10 or 20 hours total part-time work per week, depending on your course
  • no self-employment (this means no freelance or consultancy work and you cannot set up your own business)
  • no work as a professional sports person or entertainer

Depending on the level of course you are studying, you may also have limits on the total number of hours you can work (paid or unpaid):

  • A course at or above UK degree level

    Hours per week during term time

    The maximum amount of part-time work you can do during term time is 20 hours per week, if you are studying and remain enrolled at Manchester Metropolitan.

    Hours per week during vacations

    You can work full-time during the Winter and Spring breaks. If you are an Undergraduate student you can also work full-time over the summer. Please check the University’s term dates.

  • A course that is below UK degree level

    Hours per week during term time

    You are limited to 10 hours per week if you are studying and remain enrolled at Manchester Metropolitan.

    Hours per week during vacations

    You can work full-time during official university vacation periods.

  • Postgraduate taught courses

    Hours per week during term time

    You are limited to working 20 hours per week until the end date of your course. You can find this date on your CAS. You are not permitted to work full-time during the time you would normally be expected to complete a dissertation. For example, during the summer and autumn term while you are collecting data and writing up your dissertation you are considered to be studying full-time. 

    If you submit your final assessment early, you must still wait until the official course end date before you may work full-time.

    Hours per week during vacations

    In general, the only vacation periods you can work full-time are during the Winter and Spring breaks. You and your employer can refer to the University Term Dates webpage to check when these are.

  • Postgraduate research courses

    Hours per week during term time

    All full-time research students are limited to working no more than 20 hours per week throughout the duration of their research degree. This rule is set by the University. This is to ensure that students do not compromise their ability to successfully complete their research degree programme.

    Hours per week during vacations

    The University’s term dates do not apply to you as your course is full-time and there are no official vacation periods as part of your timetable. 

    You will have 30 days of annual leave, the timing of which is approved by their supervisor. For wellbeing reasons, the University takes the view that annual leave should be regarded as a break and not as an opportunity to engage in employment.

  • Understanding working hours

    The term-time hours you are permitted to work is not an average, it is a strict limit per week Monday to Sunday.

    For example, if you are permitted to work 20 hours per week, it means you cannot work more than 20 hours in any one week, from Monday to Sunday. 

    You can work for several different employers, but the total hours over all your jobs should not exceed the maximum permitted.

    It is your responsibility to ensure you do not breach the conditions of your visa. You should record the hours you work for reference, write the hours worked in a diary or keep a record in your phone’s calendar. 

    UKVI visit employers to check employees’ right to work. UKVI take working too many hours very seriously and you could be removed from the UK and refused future visa applications if you have been in breach of your work conditions.

    If you are an undergraduate Student Visa holder and have completed your academic studies, you may be eligible to work for than 20 hours per week. Prior to extending your work hours, it is imperative to confirm with evidence that all coursework has been submitted and that you are not engaged in any reassessment activities.

    Employers may request evidence of your academic completion. It is the responsibility of the employer, not the University, to evidence that you possess the appropriate permissions to engage in full-time employment. There is no standardised method for demonstrating this.

    We advise providing the following documents to your employer (although we cannot guarantee they will accept this information in every case):

    Final submission receipts 

    A screenshot of your final submission receipts will help confirm the completion of all coursework.

    Latest CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies)

    This document confirms the specifics of your course, including the official end date. We recommend you do not start start full-time work until at least the end date detailed on your latest CAS.

    It is crucial to note that both employers and the employees are subject to actions from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if they are found to be in violation of work-hour restrictions. Therefore, it is essential to ensure compliance with these regulations before commencing full-time employment.

Getting A Job

Finding Work

Staff within our Careers Service are available to help and advise you on all aspects of finding full or part time jobs in Manchester as an international student, including writing a CV, tips on interview techniques and where to search for jobs.

Working for the University

Jobs4Students, part of the Careers Service, can help you find work on campus while you study. 

During term time, students can be employed by the university for up to a maximum of 16 hours per week. Students may be permitted to work more than 16 hours per week during vacation periods, subject to your eligibility.

Working Part-Time

As an international student, you can work for several different employers at the same time if you want – but you must be very careful to ensure that you don’t work more than the maximum number of weekly hours permitted on your visa.

Term Dates

Students studying below degree level, undergraduate, or postgraduate taught courses are on holiday during university vacation periods, i.e. during Winter and Spring break. 

PhD students and Postgraduate research students (e.g. MRes & MPhil) do not benefit from term-time holidays and should not engage in employment that exceeds more than 20 hours during their studies, unless they have arranged a period of annual leave with their Principle Supervisor and the Graduate School - working more than 20 hours during this period is permitted. 

See Manchester Metropolitans term dates.

Placements

Many of our programmes give you the option of a placement or internship, and the Careers Service will provide resources and advice to help you find a paid placement. In the UK, it is customary for employers to select students through a competitive application process, and for option placements you must be paid a fair wage.

If you secure a placement that is an essential and assessed part of your course, for example health and teaching professions, it is not considered work and the hours are unrestricted. Your placement provider will need a copy of your passport, visa, and BRP. You are able to work an addition 20 hours outside of your placement, if you have time.

Meeting employers

Every October, the Careers Service provides the Part-Time Jobs Fair and Graduate Jobs & Placements Fair, where you can meet employers promoting a variety of jobs and career opportunities.

There are a variety of employer events online and on campus throughout the academic year, which you can find on MyCareerHub once you have enrolled.

Information employers will ask for 

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer your valid visa or your biometric residence permit (BRP). If they have concerns regarding your enrolment with the University, you can request a student status letter, addressed to yourself, from the student hub.

Volunteering and voluntary work

As an international student, you can take part in voluntary work while you’re studying. Volunteering is a very rewarding way to learn new skills, boost your confidence, meet new people, contribute to the local community – and add some individuality to your CV. 

You should be clear on the distinction between volunteering and voluntary work.

Voluntary work

This is unpaid employment and usually has contractual obligations to perform the work; for example, to attend at specific times and carry out specific tasks. The contract does not have to be written. 

Student Visa holders can carry out voluntary work, however any voluntary hours worked should be included when calculating the weekly hours permitted under your Student Visa.

Volunteering

Students who are volunteering do not have a contract, are not a substitute for an employee, and are not doing unpaid work or receiving payment of any kind. 

Volunteering is not considered unpaid employment, therefore students on short-term study visas are also permitted to volunteer.

Information for employers

You can prove your right to work by showing your employer your valid visa or your biometric residence permit (BRP). If they have concerns regarding your enrolment with the University you can request a student status letter, addressed to yourself, from the student hub. 

Your employer can also seek advice by:

Understanding how employment works in the UK

In most cases, before you can get a job in the UK you will need:

  • a UK bank account
  • a National Insurance number (so you can pay tax)

You can only apply for these after you’ve arrived in the UK. If you are already in the UK go to our after you’ve arrived section.

UK national minimum wage

There is a set minimum amount you are entitled to be paid per hour if you are working in the UK.

Paying tax

If you work in the UK you will usually have to pay income tax and national insurance on your wages. How much you pay depends on how much you earn.

National Insurance

This is a very important number, unique to you, that ensures that any national insurance contributions and tax you pay are correctly recorded against your name. You must be in the county to apply for one.

Working after your studies

You may be interested in staying in the UK and working after your studies, and with a student visa you are permitted to work after you have finished your course full-time during your visa wrap-up period (the period of leave given to you after the course end date on your CAS).

Skilled Worker

If you are looking for a permanent position in the UK, your job would need to meet the Skilled Worker visa requirements. You can also find lots of help and information about the route on UKCISA’s website.

The University’s Careers Service can help you prepare for the challenges of looking for suitable opportunities, completing successful job applications, and preparing for interviews with digital resources and advice. Access services 24/7 through Career Hub online or find them in the Jobs Hub. Find them in the Geoffrey Manton Hub or access services through Career Hub online

Graduate Visa

UKVI launched the Graduate visa on 1st July 2021. 

If you are a Tier 4 or Student visa holder, studying a degree level qualification (or above) you may be eligible to apply for a 2 or 3 year visa, after you have been awarded your degree.

  • If you have achieved a taught qualification, for example, a Bachelors or Masters Degree, you will be eligible for a 2 year visa
  • If you have achieved a PhD you will be eligible for a 3 year visa
  • You cannot apply for a shorter visa under the Graduate, and it cannot be extended
  • You can only have a Graduate visa once
Main criteria

The main criteria you must meet for a Graduate visa are: 

Dependants

You are only allowed to apply for a Graduate visa with dependants if:

  • Your dependants are already in the UK, and
  • Your dependants already have Dependant visas under your current Student visa.

Your dependants cannot make Dependant visa applications from overseas after you have already received your Graduate visa.

Financial documents

When you apply for the Graduate Route, you won’t be required to show any financial documents, such as bank statements, however, if in the last 12 months of your course, you have been financially sponsored by a Government, or international scholarship agency (e.g. Chevening or Marshall scholarship), then you will need to provide a letter of consent from your sponsor or agency, for permission to stay in the UK as a Graduate.

Application fees

When you apply for the Graduate, you are required to make two payments. One is the application fee, and the other is the Health Surcharge.

You can find more information about the costs here.

Relevant period

UKVI will also expect you to have completed most of your course from within the UK as a Student Visa holder. UKVI refers to this as the ‘relevant period’.  

If you started your course remotely and arrived in the UK after your course start date, or you have switched immigration categories part way through your course, you may need to be aware of how these rules impact you.

  • If you are studying on a course 12 months or more, UKVI will expect you to have completed at least 12 months of your course from within the UK on a Student Visa.
  • If you are studying on a course less than 12 months in length, UKVI will expect you to have completed the entirety of your course from within the UK on a Student Visa.

For an overview of the study requirements, please visit the UKCISA website.

Graduate visa workshops

If you have any questions or queries, and wish to learn more about this visa route, please feel free to attend one of the “Graduate Visa Workshops”. These sessions are open to all students and are led by the International Office and the Careers team. 

They provide an overview of the Graduate visa, with more detailed information about the requirements, as well as things to be careful of that can affect your eligibility. 

The sessions are delivered online via Microsoft Teams, and can be booked via Careerhub. The sessions start with a presentation, which covers:

  • What is the Graduate route?
  • Eligibility criteria
  • Dependants
  • Fees & costs
  • Required documents
  • Things to be careful of
  • Finding work after studies

Following the presentation, questions will be answered in the chat and individually on or off camera and the slides shared. 

Graduate visa webinar

Join a member of staff from Manchester Met's International Office and learn more about the UK's Graduate visa route.