Student jobs in the UK — what is allowed and where to find them
On a Student visa you can work 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during holidays. Not allowed: self-employed, professional sport, permanent position. Best part-time jobs: campus jobs, hospitality, retail, tutoring, internships. Minimum wage — £10.85/hour (ages 18–20).
📚 Only planning to apply? Check the «Study in the UK» section — UCAS step by step, Personal Statement, Graduate Route 2027. No agency needed.
What is allowed and not allowed on a Student visa
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Work up to 20 hours/week during term time | Self-employed (freelance, sole trader) |
| Full-time during holidays | Professional sport |
| Internships that are part of your course | Doctor/dentist in training (except foundation) |
| Volunteering (unpaid) | Permanent full-time position |
| Placement year (sandwich course) | Start a business or be a director |
| Part-time job through Uni jobshop | Work after your course ends (without switching to Graduate visa) |
The limit depends on your course level. Degree-level (BA, BSc, MA, PhD) = 20 hours/week. Below degree (foundation, A-levels) = 10 hours/week. Check your BRP/eVisa or your CAS letter — it will say «work permitted».
How the 20 hours per week are counted
- «Week» = Monday to Sunday. You cannot work 40 hours one week and take the next week off
- It is counted by your contract, not by actual hours — if your contract says 20 hours/week and your manager asks you to cover an extra hour (21st hour), that is already a breach. Tip: take a contract for 16–18 hours, leave a buffer
- Multiple jobs add up — 2 jobs of 12 hours each = breach. The responsibility is on you, not your employers
- Volunteering does not count if there is no contract and no payment (even travel expenses are a grey area)
- «Vacation period» is decided by the university, not by you. Christmas/Easter break = vacation. BUT: dissertation period, resit weeks, writing-up for PhD = NOT vacation, the 20-hour limit still applies. Get written confirmation of vacation dates from your uni's Student Immigration Service before working full-time
- Your manager at Costa/Tesco may not know about the limit and could schedule you for 25 hours without bad intentions. Legally, you are responsible, not them. Campus jobs (Unitemps, jobshop) are safer — they have processes designed for Student visa holders
Danger: The Home Office gets your hours data from HMRC through PAYE. Exceeding the limit can lead to visa extension refusal, deportation, and a 10-year ban. Do not think «it won't happen to me» — they really check. Source of rules: UKCISA (ukcisa.org.uk) — the official UK visa advisor for students.
⚠️ The most dangerous trap — self-employment
This rule breaks more visas than exceeding the hours limit. Most «student jobs» advertised in Russian‑speaking groups are not allowed on a Student visa.
Even one shift is not allowed:
- Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat, Stuart — all couriers are classified as self‑employed contractors. Your first delivery = visa breach
- Superprof, Preply, private lessons «by arrangement» — if a parent pays you directly, that is self‑employment
- Etsy, eBay shop, freelance on Upwork/Fiverr — any registration as a sole trader
- Babysitting «for cash» without an agency — a grey area, better to use an agency with a PAYE contract
- Cleaning «on your own», direct tutoring — same thing
How to stay legal: only look for PAYE employers. Signs of PAYE: they give you a payslip with a tax code, deduct Income Tax and NI, and you sign a contract of employment (not a «service agreement»). If an employer says «I'll pay you cash» or «register as self‑employed» — that is not for you.
Where to find a student job — specific platforms
| Resource | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| University JobShop your uni website → "jobshop" / "student employment" | Campus part‑time jobs | Process is designed for Student visa, flexible schedule around your classes |
| Unitemps unitemps.com | Student temp agency at many universities | All through PAYE + holiday pay. Roles: invigilator, ambassador, admin, catering |
| Save the Student savethestudent.org/part-time-student-jobs | The most trusted UK guide for students | Fresh lists of best‑paid jobs, filters for student lifestyle |
| Prospects prospects.ac.uk | Sector‑backed (Jisc) job + advice hub | Good for summer + post‑graduation work |
| E4S e4s.co.uk | Employment 4 Students — the largest student board | ~6000 employers, focus on Christmas/summer/part‑time |
| StudentJob UK studentjob.co.uk | Direct competitor to E4S | Large number of part‑time + summer + internships |
| UCAS part‑time guide ucas.com → international students → part‑time jobs | Official UCAS guide | Basic rules, links to uni careers services |
| Indeed.co.uk | General job board | Filter «part‑time» + «student» + your city |
| Walk into cafés/shops directly | Hospitality, retail on the high street | «Now hiring» in the window — go in with your CV. Pret, Costa, local cafés |
Where to start: go to your university website → find the careers / part‑time jobs / jobshop section. Every top uni (UCL, Imperial, Manchester, Edinburgh, KCL, Warwick, Bristol, etc.) has such a portal. They have already checked that the employer understands the Student visa → less chance of a mistake with the hour limit.
Best part‑time jobs for students
| Job | Pay/hour | Flexible schedule? | English level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutoring through MyTutor / Tutorful | £11–25 | Yes, fully | High |
| Amazon FlexPT (19 h/week) | £12.30–13.50 | Flexible slot choice | Basic |
| Campus job (library, IT, ambassador, invigilator) | £12.71–14 | Yes | Medium |
| Barista (Pret, Costa, Starbucks) | £12.71–15 (London) | Medium | Basic |
| Waiter, hospitality | £12.71–13 + tips | Evenings/weekends | Medium |
| Retail (Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury's) | £12.71–13 | Weekends | Basic |
| Pub chains (Wetherspoon, Greene King) | £12.71–13 + tips | Evenings | Medium |
| Royal Mail Christmas casuals | £12.71+ | November–23 December | Minimal |
| Research assistant at your uni | £13–18 | Flexible | Medium |
| Translator (RU↔EN), content moderator | £12–20 | Yes, often remote | RU + EN |
🏆 Top choice: Amazon FlexPT. This is a special contract — minimum 4 h/week, maximum 19 h/week. It is physically impossible to exceed the 20‑hour limit. Plus «School Accommodation» through the AtoZ portal: you upload your exam schedule → they adjust your shifts 2–7 days in advance. The only large UK employer with a clear student‑friendly policy. Find it at: jobsatamazon.co.uk → filter FlexPT.
💰 Highest rate — tutoring through MyTutor / Tutorful. The platform pays through PAYE → legal on a Student visa. STEM subjects (maths, physics, chemistry) are a goldmine for Russian‑speaking students: your education is strong, there are few competitors. Requirements: current student at a UK uni, interview, enhanced DBS check. Do NOT give lessons «directly» through Superprof / Preply / private parents — that is self‑employment, a visa breach.
How much you can actually earn as a student
| Scenario | Hours/week | Rate | Per week | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term time (standard) | 20 | £12.71 | £254 | ~£1,100 |
| Term time + tutoring | 15 + 5 | £12.71 / £25 | £316 | ~£1,370 |
| Holidays (full‑time) | 40 | £12.71 | £508 | ~£2,200 |
| Summer farm work (sponsored) | 40 | £12.71 | £508 | ~£2,200 |
| Internship (paid) | 40 | £14–20 | £560–800 | £2,400–3,500 |
* Personal Allowance £12,570/year — most students do not pay any Income Tax. NI starts at £242/week. More about taxes →
Internships, placement year, Spring Weeks
These give the highest return on your time as a student. Large UK companies (banks, consulting, IT, FMCG) pay interns £24,000–45,000/year pro rata. The concept of «Spring Weeks» does not exist in CIS education — but it is a direct path to Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Linklaters.
- Spring Week (1 week, for first‑year students): insight programmes from banks (Goldman, JPMorgan, Lazard, Macquarie), consulting (Bain, BCG), law firms (Linklaters, Clifford Chance). March–April, often paid. Apply from October/November. This is a fast‑track: do well in a Spring Week → get a summer internship in your second year → a graduate scheme in your third year. Platforms: brightnetwork.co.uk, targetjobs.co.uk.
- Summer internship (8–12 weeks): apply in October–January for the following summer. Big Four (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC), banks, tech (Google, Amazon, Meta UK), consulting. Salary £400–800/week. During holidays full‑time is allowed, the 20‑hour limit does not apply.
- Placement year / sandwich course (12 months): between your second and third year. This is part of your degree, not «work during study» → you work full‑time for the whole year WITHOUT breaking your visa. Salary £18,000–28,000/year. Make sure your course officially includes a «year in industry». Platform: ratemyplacement.co.uk (~800 placements per season).
- Year in Industry / Professional Training Year: same as placement year, different names at different universities.
- Internship Experience UK (IEUK) from Bright Network: a virtual programme in June (4 streams — business, law, finance, tech), open to international students. Low entry barrier, good CV booster for first‑ and second‑year students.
Where to look (by priority): brightnetwork.co.uk, ratemyplacement.co.uk (now higherin.com), targetjobs.co.uk, milkround.com, gradcracker.com (STEM), insidecareers.co.uk (consulting/tax/actuarial), your uni's career portal. Apply 6–9 months before the start — large banks/consulting close internship applications in December–January.
STEM tip for Russian‑speaking students: strong maths/physics education from CIS countries is a competitive advantage when applying for quantitative roles (bank risk/quant, hedge funds, actuarial positions). Mention olympiads, high maths scores (90+), and any similar achievements in your personal statement.
Taxes, NI, payslip
- Personal Allowance £12,570/year — if you earn less, Income Tax = £0
- NI 8% starts at £242/week — most students do not pay it
- NI Number is required for the correct tax code. Without it you get Emergency Tax (~40%). How to get one →
- Tax code 1257L = standard. BR / 0T / W1 / M1 = bad, you are overpaying. Call HMRC 0300 200 3300
- Payslip is mandatory for every payment — keep all of them, you will need them for tax refunds
- P45 / P60 — final forms for a job/year. Keep them for a tax refund
- Tax refund: if you worked and overpaid — apply through P85 (if you are leaving) or through your personal tax account on gov.uk
What happens if you break the limit
- Visa extension refusal — the Home Office checks PAYE with HMRC and sees every payslip
- Graduate visa refusal after you finish (that is 2–3 years of legal work — you lose it)
- Curtailment — your current visa can be shortened, you have to leave within 60 days
- Ban of 1–10 years from entering the UK
- ILR refusal in the future (permanent residence)
- Employer fine of £60,000 for illegal employment — that is why many employers ask for proof of the 20‑hour limit
Real risk: one extra hour = a reason for refusal. Do not believe «everyone does it». Count your shifts and keep a document from your uni with the exact term dates.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start working as soon as I arrive in the UK?
Yes, as soon as your course starts. The start date is in your CAS letter. Before that date — no, even if you are already in the country. Get your NI Number in the first week — without it you will pay Emergency Tax.
What counts as a «vacation period»?
The official holidays of your university between terms: winter (~3 weeks in December), spring (~3 weeks in March–April), summer (~12–14 weeks June–September). Exact dates are in your uni's academic calendar.
Can I work for Deliveroo or Uber Eats?
No, if you are self‑employed (the standard model). That is a breach of your Student visa. There are PAYE options through agencies — but they are rare, ask when you apply.
Does a paid internship count towards my 20 hours?
If the internship is part of your course (work placement, sandwich year) — it does NOT count. If it is a normal summer internship during holidays — full‑time is allowed. During term time a normal internship is only 20 hours.
Can I register as a sole trader or work as a freelancer?
No. Self‑employment is strictly forbidden on a Student visa. No Etsy, no freelance on Upwork, no workshop of your own. Only PAYE (employed).
What if I have already exceeded 20 hours?
Do not do it again. Keep all your payslips and calculations, and speak to a visa adviser at your uni — they can help you minimise the risk when you next apply. You may need extra documents.
Can I work after my course ends?
Only if you switch to a Graduate visa (apply before your course ends). Otherwise there is a short «wrap‑up» period under your visa rules, then you must leave.