Working rights and limits during studies - Tier 4/Student
Important to read first.
The information contained on this page applies to students on Tier 4/Student visas only. It does not apply to students on other visa types that permit full-time work.
Every Tier 4/Student visa holder studying a full-time programme at the 丝瓜视频 should have a right to work while studying, but the working limits depend on the course a student is currently undertaking.
Tier 4/Student visa holders studying part-time, Short-term study visa holders, and visitors are not permitted to undertake any work, paid or unpaid.
Working rights and limits
You are permitted to work:
• Part-time of no more than 10 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
Term time
The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
PSE: To view the course dates visit the International Study and Language Institute website.
• Part-time of no more than 10 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
Term time
The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
PSE: To view the course dates visit the International Study and Language Institute website.
You are permitted to work:
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.
Term time
The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.
Term time
The University term dates are published at the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
You are permitted to work:
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. It can exceed the 50% limit if there is a UK statutory requirement for the course to contain a specific period of work placement, such as PGCE students. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.
Term time
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during non-term time (vacations).
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after the course end date on your CAS, providing you have completed and handed in all work by that date.
• Full-time on a work placement that is an assessed and integral part of the course if it is not more than 50% of the course duration. It can exceed the 50% limit if there is a UK statutory requirement for the course to contain a specific period of work placement, such as PGCE students. In addition to the work placement, students are permitted to work 20 hours per week.
• As a 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union/NUS Sabbatical Officer on a full-time basis for up to 2 years. In addition to the full-time sabbatical officer post, you can undertake up to 20 hours a week of employment during term-time.
• In a part-time 丝瓜视频 Students’ Union Officer role for up to 20 hours a week during term-time and full-time during vacations. Even though this is an unpaid voluntary role, anytime spent working as a part-time Officer counts towards the maximum hours you are allowed to work.
Term time
PGT students studying for less than 12 months: are in term-time from the start of the summer term/semester 2 until your official course end date, as per your certificate of enrolment. You do have the winter (Christmas) and spring (Easter) vacation periods as per the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
12-month PGT students: are required to study for one calendar year and, therefore, do not have a summer vacation. The whole summer should be treated as term time, with the 20-hour working restriction per week. You do have the winter (Christmas) and spring (Easter) vacation periods as per the ‘Term and Key Dates’ Essentials page.
You are permitted to work:
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during authorised periods of annual leave.
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after you have been awarded your PhD.
Term time
Full-time PhD students are required to be in continuous attendance all year, so the University’s term dates do not apply to them.
PhD students can be permitted up to 8 weeks' (40 weekdays) annual leave per academic year, including bank holidays and University closure days. You must submit a holiday request form for any periods of annual leave you want to take. Any annual leave will be authorised at the School/Department's discretion and your PhD supervisor must sign off any approved annual leave, which then must be recorded by the PGR Administrator. It can be taken at any time within reason. Annual leave is not an automatic right and its authorisation will depend on the academic progress of the student.
If you wish to work full-time during your annual leave, you should obtain evidence of your authorised annual leave from the Doctoral Research Office (DRO) and share this with your employer.
• Part-time of no more than 20 hours per week during term time.
• Full-time during authorised periods of annual leave.
• Full-time before the course start date on your CAS.
• Full-time after you have been awarded your PhD.
Term time
Full-time PhD students are required to be in continuous attendance all year, so the University’s term dates do not apply to them.
PhD students can be permitted up to 8 weeks' (40 weekdays) annual leave per academic year, including bank holidays and University closure days. You must submit a holiday request form for any periods of annual leave you want to take. Any annual leave will be authorised at the School/Department's discretion and your PhD supervisor must sign off any approved annual leave, which then must be recorded by the PGR Administrator. It can be taken at any time within reason. Annual leave is not an automatic right and its authorisation will depend on the academic progress of the student.
If you wish to work full-time during your annual leave, you should obtain evidence of your authorised annual leave from the Doctoral Research Office (DRO) and share this with your employer.
Week - For the purposes of work, a week is defined by the Home Office as a period of 7 days starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday.
Conditions and what work you can and cannot do
Any work you undertake whilst physically in the UK (even for multiple employers) must not exceed the number of hours you are permitted to work during term-time per week. This includes time spent working in the UK for an employer overseas.
Tier 4/Student visa holders will be in breach of their visa conditions if they work more hours than are permitted, or if they undertake prohibited types of work.
A Student is not allowed to do any of the following:
(a) be self-employed or engage in business activity; or
(b) work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); or
(c) work as an entertainer; or
(d) work in a position which would fill a permanent full-time vacancy.
The Home Office treat work conditions very seriously. A breach of conditions can have serious consequences for both current Tier 4/Student leave and any future immigration applications made. If in doubt, it is better not to undertake the work.
For further information on the kind of work Tier 4/Students can and cannot do, please see UKCISA's webpage and their useful blog "”.
Conditions and what work you can and cannot do
Any work you undertake whilst physically in the UK (even for multiple employers) must not exceed the number of hours you are permitted to work during term-time per week. This includes time spent working in the UK for an employer overseas.
Tier 4/Student visa holders will be in breach of their visa conditions if they work more hours than are permitted, or if they undertake prohibited types of work.
A Student is not allowed to do any of the following:
(a) be self-employed or engage in business activity; or
(b) work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach); or
(c) work as an entertainer; or
(d) work in a position which would fill a permanent full-time vacancy.
The Home Office treat work conditions very seriously. A breach of conditions can have serious consequences for both current Tier 4/Student leave and any future immigration applications made. If in doubt, it is better not to undertake the work.
For further information on the kind of work Tier 4/Students can and cannot do, please see UKCISA's webpage and their useful blog "”.
Work permission is stated on either an entry clearance vignette, Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), or digital status (share code).
If students believe they have been given incorrect conditions, they should contract the International Student Advisory Team as soon as possible.
If students believe they have been given incorrect conditions, they should contract the International Student Advisory Team as soon as possible.
Anyone who undertakes work in the UK is required to show their current visa, or to employers to demonstrate their Right to Work.
Employers are also required to confirm term time dates in determining whether students can work full-time or part-time.
You can view your semester-time* structure for the Academic Year 2024/25.
You can also download an enrolment letter from your .
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Click on ‘Actions’ (top right of the screen)
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Click on ‘Self-Service Letters’
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Download a Certificate of Enrolment
* For Student visa holders. By ‘semester-time’ (the Home Office refers to this as ‘term-time’ as part of your Student visa conditions), we mean the official semester periods when you are expected to be on campus engaging with your programme. For all students, this is semester 1 and semester 2. For Postgraduate taught students this also includes the summer period from the end of semester 2 until your official course end date as stated on your certificate of enrolment.
You can start work without a NI number, but you must apply for one if you intend to work in the UK. It is free and simple to
For information on when you may need to pay Income Tax and National Insurance as a student visit the
For information on when you may need to pay Income Tax and National Insurance as a student visit the
If clarification is needed on any aspect of the above information, please email the International Student Advisory Team at immigration@reading.ac.uk where we will respond to you as soon as possible, alternatively telephone +44(0)118 378 8038.