Study and Work in the UK

Can international students work in the UK?

You are allowed to work in the UK if you are on a course with (i) a UK higher education institution or (ii) a publicly funded further education college.

International students participating in a higher education course can work up to 20 hours per week during term time, which is a similar arrangement to other countries (e.g. Australian and NZ).

• You must be participating in a course at or above NQF 6/QCF 6/SCQF 9 (which typically means a Bachelors degree program or higher) at a UK university.

If you are participating in a lower level course at a UK higher education institution, you are allowed to work for up to 10 hours per week during term time.

All students who are eligible to work can be employed full-time during vacations and also do a work placement as part of a course.

Working in the UK after graduating

International graduates in the UK can apply for work visas under various categories if they have a job offer.

The UK also allows PhD and MBA graduates to stay on for up to a year after studying.

• Under the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension scheme, international students completing a PhD are allowed to remain for one year to find work or set up a business.
• The Graduate Entrepreneur Programme allows up to 1,000 international graduates with a masters degrees in business administration to stay on in Britain to work for 12 months after they finish their course.