If you are studying at the University with a Student Visa, you should have been issued a visa which allows you to work in the UK. This will be stated on the vignette (yellow sticker) in your passport or on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Check the front of your BRP or vignette in your passport to see you are permitted to work. If you do not have a BRP you can check your online immigration status
Your Student Visa restricts the number of hours you can work during term time, but you can work full time during your official vacation periods i.e. Easter break, Christmas break etc. Please note that Induction/Fresher’s week, school reading weeks and study weeks are considered to be term-time, so you should not work full-time during these weeks. You can find the general term dates and vacation periods on the University website
How many hours can I work full-time?
You can legally work 48 hours per week during your vacation period. For information please see the Gov.uk website
How can I prove I am on vacation?
The University is unable to provide a letter confirming your eligibility to work full-time in the UK - it is the employer’s responsibility to carry out a right-to-work check for you. As part of their check, the employer is required to obtain and retain evidence of your academic term and vacation dates.
If you are registered in the current academic year, you are permitted to work full time outside of your term dates, which are noted on your student status letter and UH website.
Most courses are delivered within the standard term dates. However, some Master's courses extend into vacation periods. To determine if your course is one of them, please refer to this page. If your course is listed, it may impact your ability to work outside of term times.
If you are completing your dissertation, please note you cannot work more than 20 hours per week. Failure to comply may result in your visa sponsorship being withdrawn.
If you need a Student Status Letter, you may request one here
Semester C vacation periods
If you have a Semester C vacation you can start working full-time from the start of Semester C until the beginning of Semester A or until your first class starts (whichever comes first). However, if you know you have referred/deferred modules in Semester C, you cannot start working full-time until these are completed.
If during your vacation, you find out that you have referred/deferred modules in Semester C, then you MUST stop working full-time until all referrals/deferrals are completed. Once completed, you can work full-time for the remainder of your vacation period.
Research students (Master’s by Research/MPhil/ PhD) are considered to be studying throughout the year (52-week term), so should not exceed their working hours restriction at any point. If you need to take vacation, please contact the Doctoral College team to discuss before taking any leave.
Completed your studies?
If you have completed your studies please see Student Visa Holders - Working at the end of your studies