Working rights and limits during your studies - Tier 4

Working rights and limits during studies - Tier 4/Student

Important to read first.

The information contained on this page applies to students on Tier 4/Student visas only. It does not apply to students on other visa types that permit full-time work.

Every Tier 4/Student visa holder studying a full-time programme at the 糖心探花 should have a right to work while studying, but the working limits depend on the course a student is currently undertaking.

Tier 4/Student visa holders studying part-time, Short-term study visa holders, and visitors are not permitted to undertake any work, paid or unpaid.

Working rights and limits

Pre-sessional English (PSE) & International Foundation Programme (IFP)

You are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 10 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.

Term time

The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.

PSE: To view the course dates visit the International Study and Language Institute website.

Undergraduate students RQF level 6 (for example, Bachelor鈥檚)

You are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 糖心探花 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 糖心探花 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.

Term time

The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.

Postgraduate Taught students (PGT) RQF level 7 (for example, Master鈥檚)

You are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. It can exceed the 50% limit if there is a UK statutory requirement for the course to contain a specific period of work placement, such as PGCE students. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 糖心探花 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 糖心探花 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.

Term time

PGT students studying for less than 12 months: are in term-time from the start of the summer term/semester 2 until your official course end date, as per your certificate of enrolment. You do have the winter (Christmas) and spring (Easter) vacation periods as per the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.

12-month PGT students: are required to study for one calendar year and, therefore, do not have a summer vacation. The whole summer should be treated as term time, with the 20-hour working restriction per week. You do have the winter (Christmas) and spring (Easter) vacation periods as per the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.

Postgraduate Research students RQF level 8 (for example, PhD)

You are permitted to work:

• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during authorised periods of annual leave.
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after you have been awarded your PhD.

Term time

Full-time PhD students are required to be in continuous attendance all year, so the University’s term dates do not apply to them.

PhD students can be permitted up to 8 weeks' (40 weekdays) annual leave per academic year, including bank holidays and University closure days. You must submit a holiday request form for any periods of annual leave you want to take. Any annual leave will be authorised at the School/Department's discretion and your PhD supervisor must sign off any approved annual leave, which then must be recorded by the PGR Administrator. It can be taken at any time within reason. Annual leave is not an automatic right and its authorisation will depend on the academic progress of the student.

If you wish to work full-time during your annual leave, you should obtain evidence of your authorised annual leave from the Doctoral Research Office (DRO) and share this with your employer.