Working during your studies - International Students

Your student visa states that you must not work more than 20 hours per week during term time (or 10 hours per week if you are studying below degree level). If you work too many hours, you could be required to leave the UK or face other serious consequences. You can work full-time during formal designated holidays, or while you are on a work placement (an assessed, required part of your sandwich course), or on a short internship after your course ends.

Not every student with a student route visa is able to work full time during designated University holidays. Your situation depends on the course you are studying.

For Undergraduate students you would be able to work full time during formal designated holidays (Christmas, Easter and Summer). Your FT work can only start when the term has finished - irrespective of when your last exam or submission may be. 

Taught Masters students, are normally granted the standard Christmas and Easter vacation periods. However, the summer vacation is not automatically granted.

Please note that standard taught Masters programme students cannot work full time during the Summer/whilst they are working on their dissertation*. This is because it is not classed as formal University vacation for those cohorts and they are subject to the reduced working hours (normally 20 hours/week). Please see the above leaflet for further information regarding this.

*NB: Currently, the only exception to this are students on the 16-month M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme.

Research students are expected to undertake research for a large part of the year and over the normal University holiday periods. If you want to work full-time during a specific period, you should get your supervisor’s agreement in writing that you are on holiday. 

All final year students must not work full-time until the course end date which is stated on your CAS. Your visa length is based on that date and if you finish early, this should be reported to the UKVI, and your visa will be curtailed (shortened) to ensure that you only have the permissible 2 or 4 months added on to your course end date. If your finish considerably early (more than a few weeks), this may automatically be reported to the UKVI and the University will notify you of this.  

Once you have finished your studies you can work full time (without hourly restrictions). The end of your studies is classed as either the course end date as stated on your last CAS or, if you have had resits or repeats, the new course end date which is stated on your Student Statement. You must use whichever date is later. You do not need, and will not get, University 'permission' to work full time after your course. An employer needs to verify your Right to Work with the Home Office - further information can be found on the leaflet above. You can/should evidence you have completed you course by accessing a Student Statement - which has your course dates on it.

A Student Statement/Proof of Enrolment letter is available to all enrolled students. This will have your dates of study plus the UK address that the University has on file for you. You can access this letter yourself from your Gradintelligence account. More information can be found on the Hwb page here.

Please see the University's Swansea Employability Academy website for advice and help to find temporary and part-time jobs.

Please watch this short video regarding International Students: National Insurance Number

Workers and employees in the UK are entitled to certain employment rights including:

• Being paid at least the legally required minimum hourly wage, 
• Legally defined time off work (holiday)
• Adequate rest breaks during the working day
• Protection against excessive working hours and/or unlawful discrimination. 

It is important that you are aware of your employment rights to help you recognise if you are at risk of being exploited by your employer or at risk of becoming a victim of modern slavery. 

Your employer should not:

• Confiscate your passport or other ID document from you
• Ask you to pay a recruitment fee
• Tell you to work an excessive number of hours*
• Pay you below the minimum hourly wage
• Pay you ‘in-kind’ e.g. force you to live in accommodation provided by the employer instead of payment for your work
• Force you to work against your will
• Coerce you to do things that you are uncomfortable with, or that you think might be illegal

If you experience any of the above or you think you might be a victim of exploitation by an employer, please contact the VISA Advice team for advice immediately.  

Remember: as a Student visa holder you can work between 10 – 20 hours per week during term time, depending on your course. The restrictions placed on you by your visa overrides any maximum number of working hours permitted under general employment rights. Please take a look at our International Students and Employment leaflet at the top of this page so you can understand what work you are allowed to do when holding a Student visa.

If you would like advice about your employment rights or have an issue with your employer and/or prospective employer the Students' Union Advice and Support Centre offers free and confidential advice to Swansea University students. 

Volunteering offers great opportunities for students to undertake a wide range of activities and gain valuable experience and skills. For activity to count as volunteering, it must meet the conditions set out in the Student Route caseworker guidance. You will see here that volunteers do not have a contract and must not be a substitute for an employee. Volunteers are not paid, though it is possible to receive reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.

Volunteering is not included in the 10-20 hours work allocation of a student visa if it meets the requirements outlined in the UKVI guidance above. However, unpaid employment or voluntary work has a different definition and is counted towards the work hours, so please ensure that you are clear on what type of activity you are undertaking.  

You can find out more about the volunteering opportunities in Swansea by visiting Discovery - Swansea University.