Student Services
Working in the UK
Working in the UK during your studies
- All students with a Tier 4 (General) or pre-Tier 4 student visa, on degree-level courses are permitted to work part-time (20 hours per week) in term time and full-time in vacations
- You can work on a placement which forms part of your course with a Tier 4 visa (you do not need a separate work visa)
- Postgraduate student vacation periods are not normally the same as the published University vacations. They are as agreed with your department
- You may NOT:
- Work for more than 20 hours per week in term time, except in the case of an agreed work placement which forms part of the course
- Engage in business, self-employment or provide services as a professional entertainer or sportsperson
- Pursue a career by filling a full-time, permanent vacancy
- If your course is below degree level than your entitlement to work will be limited to 10 hours per week.
- You cannot work if you have any type of Visitor visa
Full details (UKCISA)
Working in the UK after your studies
Which visa?
You will need a visa that allows you to work. For many of you this will be Tier 2, for which you must have a job offer.
- Tier 2 (when you have a job offer / Certificate of Sponsorship required from employer / companies facing less restrictions )
Other work visas:
- Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme (PhD students only)
- Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur (letter of endorsement required from University)
- Tier 1 Entrepreneur (investment funds required)
- Tier 1 Investor (investment funds required)
- Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (for Pharmacy pre-registration year students not eligible for Tier 2)
- Tier 5 Youth Mobility (for nationals of certain countries)
- UK Ancestry (if you have a UK grandparent, 5 year visa to work)
Advice
- The International Student Advice Team now offers information on work visa options and requirements. We also sponsor students who wish to apply for the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme
- Below is a summary of the main categories available to students and their key requirements
- Book an appointment with an adviser using SAMIS online Student Services Helpdesk if you have further questions
- Full details on below categories and others are available from UKCISA and the Home Office - students are strongly advised to read the policy guidance before they apply (on the Home Office's website under each separate category)
Requirements for majority of visa applications:
- Passport
- X 2 photos meeting the Home Office requirements
- Original documents must be used
- If documents are not in English, they must be officially translated
- Living costs - if currency is not £, you must provide a currency conversion on the date of the closing balance from www.oanda.com
- If you have received official financial sponsorship for your studies, it is likely you will need to provide a letter from your sponsor consenting to you staying in the UK
- Police registration certificate if required (it will be stated on your visa)
- Note that you will have no access to state benefits or other public funds
Visitor visas:
You cannot work if you have any category of visitor visa. There is however a business visitor category for short term business engagements and the prospective entrepreneur category if you need to secure funding to meet the financial criteria for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur).
Settlement in the UK
If you are considering applying for settlement in the future, please note that the Immigration Rules are subject to change. You must meet all the requirements of the Immigration Rules at the time when you make your application.
Currently, you may be able to apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain):
- After a qualifying period on a eligible work visa (5 years on Tier 2, not including the now closed Post Study Work category or Graduate Entrepreneur category) and meeting wage requirements
- From April 2016 you will need to have a salary of £35,000 or the appropriate professional salary on the code of practice (Tier 2)
- After 10 years on some types of visa including student / Tier 4 (long residency), as long as you have not been out of the country for longer than 540 days (18 months) and for no more than 6 months at one time
The International Student Advice Team recommends getting specialist legal advice for settlement applications as we are not trained in this area of immigration.
Tier 2
Companies now face less restrictions when hiring international graduates switching from Tier 4 / student permission in the UK, which is an advantage over students studying outside the UK.
- Required:
- Job offer (graduate level, requiring degree)
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from employer (sponsor) with a Tier 2 sponsor license. the Home Office have a register of sponsors (note that although some employers may have a sponsor license, they may not actively recruit graduate entry international graduates)
- £900 for a consecutive 90 day period
- Minimum wage £20,300 OR published minimum wage in Codes of Practice OR salary on shortage occupation list
- Students applying outside the UK if job is not on the shortage occupation list:
- employers must complete Resident Labour Market Test (which requires advertising position)
- Students applying in the UK (switching from a student visa):
- degree from a UK institution or completed 12 months of a PhD
- must not have spent any time studying without a valid visa, must have a student visa now
- employers do not need to complete Resident Labour Market Test for jobs not on the shortage occupation list (which requires advertising position)
- Initial grant of 3 years or length of contract if shorter. Can extend for a further 2 years. If you then leave the UK you may not be able to apply for Tier 2 again for 12 months
- Work that you can do:
- the job described in your certificate of sponsorship, working for your sponsor
- a supplementary job in the same sector and at the same level, for up to 20 hours per week (see 'More information' below)
- voluntary work
- It is possible to change employer (sponsor) and job (you will need a new CoS and to submit a 'change of employment' application)
- New priority postal application process (2 weeks) - need to request this first
Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme for PhD students:
- 12 month Tier 4 extension to allow PhD students to look for employment
- University will be responsible for issuing a CAS and providing sponsorship - attendance monitoring requirements will apply
- Tier 4 / pre-Tier 4 student visa holders only
- PhD must be completed after April 6 2013 and with current Tier 4 / student visa
- Applications must be made:
- before board of studies award date
- after your viva
- before current Tier 4 visa expires
- Maintenance requirement will be 'established presence' - x 2 months living costs
- University of Bath students interested in this scheme should contact the International Student Advice Team
- Further details >>
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur):
- From April 6 2013, applicants must now must have a 'genuine and credible' business idea, no longer a 'credible and innovative' idea
- Initial grant of 1 year, can extend for a further year or switch into Tier 1 Entrepreneur / Tier 2
- Required:
- Degree from UK institution required
- Letter of Endorsement from the University demonstrating ability and intention to establish own business in the UK
- £900 for a consecutive 90 day period
- Applications under this category can now be made from overseas and everyone wishing to enter under this route will require prior entry clearance
- Tier 2 (General) migrants can now switch into this category providing they obtained Tier 2 (General) to work as a post-doctoral researcher
- University of Bath students interested in this scheme should contact the International Student Advice Team using SAMIS online Student Services Helpdesk
- Under the scheme visa holders will be supported by the University of Bath Innovation Centre with mentoring, training, introductions to investors as well as office space to help build their business from Bath.
- Successful candidates are likely to have participated in a University business plan competition such as the MBA Entrepreneurship in Action or been a member of BANTER. Candidates may also have participated in the Bath Entrepreneurship Programme or have developed a great idea for a start-up.
- Apply >>
Tier 1 (Entrepreneur):
- Access to funds to invest in the UK: £200,000 of own funds OR £50,000 from venture capital firm / government department / seed funding competition
- Initial grant of 3 years, can extend for a further 2 years
- Required:
- £900 for a consecutive 90 day period
- Applying from outside the UK - £2,800 for a consecutive 90 day period
Tier 1 (Investor):
- Access to funds to invest in the UK: £1,000,000 of own money OR £2,000,000 of personal assets PLUS £1,000,000 loan to invest in UK
- Initial grant of 3 years, can extend for a further 2 years
Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange (for Pharmacy pre-registration year students at Bath)
- Now extended to include students who are required to undertake postgraduate professional training directly relevant to their degree
- Pharmacy students not meeting Tier 2 requirements must apply under this category for their pre-registration year
- Required:
- Tier 5 Sponsor (Royal Pharmaceutical Society)
- Job offer
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from sponsor
- Degree from a UK institution
- Must not meet Tier 2 minimum wage requirements
- £900 for a consecutive 90 day period
- University of Bath students interested in this scheme should contact the International Student Advice Team using SAMIS online Student Services Helpdesk
Tier 5 Youth Mobility
- Must be between 18 - 30 years old
- For nationals of:
- Australia
- Japan
- Canada
- Republic of Korea: Certificate of Sponsorship required
- Taiwan: Certificate of Sponsorship required
- New Zealand
- Monaco
- a British overseas citizen;
- a British overseas territories citizen; or
- a British national (overseas).
- Required:
- £1,800 on date of application
- Must return home to apply
- Maximum grant of 2 years
- Can work and study full time and can take most types of employment
- Cannot switch into other categories
UK Ancestry
- For Commonwealth citizens
- Must have at least 1 grandparent born in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man); or before 31 March 1922 in what is now the Republic of Ireland; or on a British-registered ship or aircraft