Many, but not all, Students and Child students can work. This depends on the type of student sponsor you have - look at the Sponsor type and Status columns of the register of Student sponsors and select the relevant option below to find out more.
If you are allowed to work, you will be subject to maximum weekly hours in term time and you can work full time outside term time.
"Week" means any 7-day period starting on a Monday, so if you work irregular hours and/or have more than one employer, you will need to keep detailed records of how many hours you work each day in order to ensure you do not exceed the limit.
"Term time" means the period when your student sponsor expects you to be studying, and "outside term time" means any other time, including the period before your course starts and after it ends., as well as holidays (vacation). Term dates are usually set out on an education provider's website or in the course information it gives you, and employers are required to check them.
Always check what your passport sticker (entry clearance) or biometric residence permit (BRP) says. You should also have received detailed information in a letter when you received your entry clearance or BRP. If you think there is an error, for example it says "No work" when you should be allowed to work, you must get it corrected before you take any employment - see how to do this in Errors on 30-day vignette and Errors on BRP.
You can find full details in the Home Office's publication for employers, An employer's guide to right to work checks.
The Home Office caseworker guidance, Student and Child Student, reproduces the work condition for Child Student as if it applies to Students. This is an error, and we have used the wording in the Immigration Rules Appendix ST paragraph ST 26.1.
Students sponsored on a study abroad programme by a sponsor listed on the register of Student sponsors as an overseas higher education institution can work:
- up to 20 hours a week in term time
- full time outside term time, which includes
Child students who are under 16 years old are not allowed to work.
Child students aged 16 or older who are sponsored by an independent school can work:
- up to 10 hours a week in term time
- full time
Students, as opposed to Child students, who are sponsored by an independent school are allowed to work only if the school is listed as a "Sponsor with a track record" in the Status column of the register of Student sponsors - for details of your permitted hours of work, see Student sponsor with a track record.
If your school is not listed as having a track record, you are not allowed to work in or outside term time.. However, you may be able to take work placements which are an integral and assessed part of your course, and they can be paid or unpaid, full time or part time. This depends on your sponsor's status and whether the course includes a work placement - see Work placements and internships.
