Rules for Student visa holders taking placements

Full-time Student visa holders can complete work placements during their time in the UK. However, part-time students on a Student visa are not allowed to undertake placements.

The placement must:

• be an integral and assessed part of your course
• take up no more than 50% of the total time that you spend on your course

You can work full time on a paid or unpaid placement for more than 20 hours per week if it is an integral and assessed part of your course. You must not be self-employed, or employed as a professional or semi-professional sportsperson, or an entertainer.

Adding a placement to your course (taught courses only)

If you want to add a placement to your course you will need to:

1. Speak to your department. If they agree with the course change they will submit a change of course form to the Student Immigration Service. We will contact you if you need to do anything with your visa.
2. Make sure you have enough time left for study in accordance with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) time limit (i.e. you must be within the five-year time limit).
3. Make a Student visa application (if applicable).

You are permitted to change onto a placement course before obtaining your new visa. You can apply for your new visa either before the placement or after the placement has finished (but not during the placement). Contact the Student Immigration Service for more advice.

Your faculty has staff dedicated to maintaining links with employers and helping you find a placement. The Careers Service can also offer good advice to prepare you for interviews and applications.

Doing a placement overseas

If you do a placement overseas, the University will continue to sponsor you. You must follow the same guidelines as if you were working in the UK and keep us informed of any changes.

Deciding not to do your placement

If you decide not to do your placement you should:

• notify your department
• ask your department for a change of programme form (with section C completed) - both your department and the Student Immigration Service will need to sign it
• inform UKVI by completing the change of circumstances form

The Student Immigration Service will inform the Home Office that you will not be completing the placement year. If your visa included the placement year, it will be cut short. It will remain valid for four months after the completion of your studies, but you must then leave the UK or apply for a different visa.

Doctoral students on a work placement

Doctoral students on a Student visa may undertake a work placement as long as the placement is an integral and assessed part of their research / course. Therefore, any sponsored student wishing to undertake a doctoral placement must first request it via the authorised absence form available on SAMIS online. The placement must be approved by the doctoral student's supervisor and the Student Immigration Service as part of the authorised absence approval process before the placement can take place.

Your responsibilities while on your placement

You must respond quickly to all University communications to your University of Bath email address. You'll also need to provide your new address and contact details to:

• the University via Registration On-Line
• UKVI

You are required to tell the University and your employer about any unexpected absence e.g. taking a day of due to illness. For more information on your responsibilities please read our see our academic engagement monitoring policy.