In this blog post, we will give information on how you can get a work and study visa in the UK while covering most of the frequently asked questions. Read on for more details.
New Rules To Applying For Work and Study Visa in the Uk
If you are 16 or older and meet the following criteria, you can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK:
- You have been offered a course placed by a licensed student sponsor and have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course (the amount will vary depending on your circumstances)
- You must be able to speak, read, write, and understand English
- You must have parental permission if you’re 16 or 17 – you’ll need proof of this when you apply
Several visa options and schemes are available to student visa holders who want to stay in the UK to work after finishing their studies. Skilled Worker visas are the most common type of work visa. Student visa holders may change to the Skilled Worker category if they meet the visa eligibility criteria.
Restriction on work type
Before coming to the Uk on a work and study visa, they are several things to have in mind while applying for this Visa
- You are not permitted to do the following while on a Student or Tier 4 visa, both during and after your studies:
- Be self-employed or engaged in business
Be employed as a doctor/dentist in training (If you applied for your current Student visa on or after December 1, 2020, you will not be subject to this restriction) or work as a professional athlete, coach, or entertainer.
The restriction on self-employment or business activity is lifted if you.
- Apply for a Start-Up Visa backed up by a University endorsement
- Submit the Start-Up Visa application before your Student or Tier 4 Visa expires, and You are still awaiting a decision on the Start-Up Visa application or an administrative review following the refusal of your Start-Up Visa application.
How do I convert my study visa to a work permit in the United Kingdom?
This is only applicable if you are already in the Uk and planning to change your student visa to a work visa, Before you apply, make sure you have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your UK sponsor. On the Home Office website, fill out the application form to switch to a Skilled Worker Visa. Pay any applicable fees that are due.
Eligibility of working while studying
You are not permitted to work in the UK while studying on a Visitor or Short-Term Student Visa, including unpaid/voluntary work.
Your eligibility to work will be outlined on your visa vignette or BRP card, as well as in your visa decision letter, if you are on a Student or Tier 4 Student Visa.
‘Vacation’ also includes the time before and after your course begins and ends.
Students of English language teaching
- You can work full-time during your vacations.
- During the school year, you can work up to 10 hours per week.
Students in their final year of study
- You can work full-time during your vacations.
- During the school year, you can work up to 20 hours per week.
Graduate students
- You can work full-time during the Christmas and Easter holidays (but only if you read the additional information below).
- During the school year, you can work up to 20 hours per week.
- If you are enrolled in a two-year master’s program and have no classes during the summer between your first and second years, this is considered vacation and you can work full-time.
- If you have non-standard vacation times or are unsure when your vacation periods are, please contact us before working full-time.
Students doing postgraduate research
- During the school year, you can work up to 20 hours per week.
- Unless you have written permission from your supervisor to take annual leave, you are considered to be in term time throughout the year.
- Your boss must approve any annual leave. You can work full-time during this time.
Volunteering and community service
You can volunteer in the UK if you have a Tier 4 or Student visa. Volunteering hours will not be counted towards your allowed working hours.
As a volunteer,
do not have a contract of employment; do not take the place of an employee; and usually assist a registered charity, voluntary, or public sector organization.
You are permitted to do volunteer work in the United Kingdom. Voluntary work will be counted as part of your allowed working hours.
You are a volunteer worker. You are usually compensated in some way and frequently have a contract with an employer
Check with your organization to see if your work is considered unpaid volunteer work or paid volunteer work.
Most Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a work permit in the UK without a job offer?
Visas you can apply for without a job offer
- British National (Overseas) visa.
- Graduate visa.
- Youth Mobility Scheme visa.
- India Young Professionals Scheme visa.
- Apply for the Global Talent visa.
- UK Ancestry visa.
- High Potential Individual (HPI) visa.
How can I extend my stay in the UK after my student visa expires?
If you are in the UK on a student visa, you can only apply to extend your visa from within the UK if the following conditions are met: you have obtained the qualification for which your current immigration permission was granted. If you do not have the required qualification, you must apply for your new visa from outside the UK.
Is a payslip required for a UK student visa?
The payslips must cover the specified period (six or twelve months, depending on the case), and the most recent pay slip must be no more than 28 days prior to the date of the application.