Working In UK

EU/EEA Students’ Right to Work

Students who are nationals of an EU/EEA (European Union/European Economic Area) state have the right to work in the UK full-time or part-time without special permission.

Students with Restriction on Employment

International students who are subject to Immigration Control are normally given a restriction on their right to employment. The Department for Education and Employment has given permission for students who have a restriction stamped in their passport to work for up to 20 hours per week during term-time and up to 40 hours per week during the vacations provided they do not engage in business, self-employment or the provision of services as a professional sports person or entertainer and are not pursuing a career by filling a permanent full-time job vacancy. Please check the stamps in your passport.

A prohibition is usually stamped into a students’ passport when study is short term, that means permission to remain in the UK is for 6 months only or less. If this applies to you, you are not entitled to take employment. It is possible to apply to the Home Office for a prohibition to be changed to a restriction, but applications take a long time to be considered.

From 30 July 2000, immigration officers at ports of entry have been using new stamps to endorse passports when granting leave to enter.

This does not alter a student's right to work under the conditions listed in the booklet.

Work Placements/Practical Training on Full-time and Sandwich Courses

Work Permits for students undertaking practical training in the UK on a sandwich course, internships or short term work experience on full-time courses are no longer required.

Self-employment

Students should not engage in business, self-employment or the provision of services as a professional sports person or entertainer.

Students’ Dependants’ Right to Work

Dependants of an International Student who has a restriction on working stamped in their passport are free to work without a permit, full-time or part-time, provided the student's

leave to remain is for 12 months or longer. Dependants of a student who is prohibited from taking employment are also prohibited until the student’s prohibition has been lifted. If your dependants do not accompany you when you first enter the UK, you should send them a photo-copy of the pages of your passport which show:

• Your personal details (names etc.)
• Your leave to remain/enter stamp from the UK Immigration authorities
• Your entry clearance certificate/visa obtained before you travelled to the UK showing entry clearance as a student (if this applies to you). The dependants should show these copies to the Immigration Officer when they enter the UK.

Working in the UK After Completion of Studies

Following recent government announcements, it is expected that some of the regulations in regard to international students working in the UK after completion of their studies will change. However, until the government announces such changes, the present regulations apply. International Students subject to Immigration Control are not normally allowed to remain in the UK and work after their studies have ended. If you do wish to obtain employment, you should leave the UK after you have been offered a post to allow your prospective employer to apply on Form WP1 for a Work Permit to the DfEE (Department for Education and Employment) whilst you are out of the country. Only your employer can make this application. It may take a while before a decision is made by the DfEE.

Staying on for Training or Work Experience

Training

• After the completion of studies, International Students may obtain permission to stay and undertake Training or Work Experience, if they have been offered the opportunity by an employer.
• The training should be undertaken for purposes of professional or specialist qualifications which cannot be obtained on a full-time course - this applies particularly to architects, solicitors and accountants.
• International students may also enter graduate training programmes offered by a number of large companies.
• Strict guidelines have to be adhered to by the student and employer to fulfill the DfEE requirements. The prospective employer has to apply for a permit to the Overseas Labour Service of the DfEE, Moorfoot, Sheffield S14 PQ.

Please ask the International Student Adviser at the university for guidance if you are interested in the scheme.

Work Experience

• International Students may remain in the UK for a period of 12 months gaining work experience relevant to their academic qualifications.
• The post must be surplus to the employer’s normal staffing provision and pay must be equal to what a UK employee would receive.
• The work experience should be at managerial level and be for a minimum of 30 hours per week. When you have found an employer who is willing to offer you training or work experience, ask the employer to complete the form WP2 and send it to: DfEE Overseas Labour Service, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ. Application forms and information can be obtained on the Internet: www.dfee.gov.uk/ols

Working Holiday

• Commonwealth students can no longer stay on in the UK as working holidaymakers, but can apply for entry clearance under that status before coming back to the UK.
• They must be between 17 and 27 years of age and demonstrate that they have enough funds to support themselves.
• They must also be in possession of funds to buy an onward or return ticket.

National Insurance

All UK citizens and International Students who are working in the UK must pay national insurance contributions.

• You need to apply for a National Insurance (NI) number once you have found employment and obtained permission to work (if this applies to you).
• Take your passport or EU identity card and your job offer to your local DSS (Department for Social Security) office.
• You may start work before you receive an NI number.
• Some employers ask applicants to provide their National Insurance number and refuse students work, because they do not yet have an NI number. If this happens, show the employer your passport stamp and present a letter confirming that the employer does not commit an offence by employing the student.

Income Tax

• All International Students and their dependants have to pay tax on their earnings and are subject to UK income tax law. You are entitled to the same tax free personal allowance as other workers.
• If your earnings do not exceed your personal tax free allowance, interest earned on the money you brought with you to pay for fees and maintenance during your studies is exempt from taxation.
• Ensure that your Bank or Building Society has asked you to complete an exemption form in regard to investment interest.

Please note that you should not start working until work permit has been obtained, unless you have leave to remain as a student. Information about Legal Matters Legal requirements varies from one country to another. The following legal matters may affect you as a student in the UK. Knowing what the requirements are can help you avoid breaking the law unintentionally.

At Trivedi Consultants, once a student gets their Visas, we guide them personally on how to make successful applications and to apply for part time jobs. Majority of our students within the 1st month manage to get part time job at the university.

For more details and to be a part of a lucrative career do contact us.