Work rights on a UK Student visa
A Student visa is not closed to work, but the permission is conditional. GOV.UK ties the scope of the right to the course being studied and to whether the work falls in term time or outside it.
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Most questions about student work start from an hours figure, but the figure is not the same for everyone and it is not published as a single number. The visa itself is at the UK Student visa.
01
Can a Student visa holder work in the UK?
Work is permitted, but the permission is conditional and is not the same for everyone. GOV.UK ties a Student visa holder's ability to work to the course being studied and to whether it is term time or outside it.
Because the answer varies by course and by period, an hours figure quoted without those two facts is unreliable. The condition attached to a particular person is written in their own visa decision.
02
How is the number of hours determined?
The only source that sets the limit is the visa decision issued at the end of the application. GOV.UK states that a successful applicant is told what the visa permits and what it does not, and that document governs.
03
Which work is prohibited on a Student visa?
GOV.UK prohibits four categories of work outright: self-employment, certain occupations including professional sportsperson and sports coach, claiming public funds, and drawing a state pension. These apply regardless of how many hours a person works.
- Self-employment and freelance work.
- Certain occupations, including professional sportsperson and sports coach.
- Claiming public funds.
- Drawing a state pension.
- A permanent full-time post, which is prohibited separately.
04
Where is the work condition written?
The work condition is stated in the text of the visa decision itself. GOV.UK confirms that a successful applicant is told what this visa permits them to do and what it does not, and that statement is the record.
Keeping the decision accessible matters, because an employer carrying out a right to work check reads the condition from it rather than from the course or the institution.
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05
What happens if the work condition is breached?
Breaching the work condition affects a person's immigration status directly. Working more hours than the visa permits, or working in a prohibited occupation, puts the current visa at risk and carries consequences for any later application.
The consequence is not confined to the current visa: a breach is recorded and is a matter the Home Office weighs in any later application, including settlement.
06
What does British Global do on this?
British Global follows the process on your behalf: it sets out your course details and your own timetable in a written preliminary report, and shows exactly which document the work condition attached to you is written in.
Any question about what a specific condition permits is referred to an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority rather than answered here.
07
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single hours limit for all students?
No. The scope depends on the course and on whether it is term time, and the limit that applies is written in the visa decision itself.
Is self-employment allowed?
No. Self-employment is one of the four categories GOV.UK prohibits outright on a Student visa.
Does a breach only affect the current visa?
No. A breach is recorded and is weighed in later applications, including an application to settle.
Sources
- GOV.UK — A Student visa holder's ability to work depends on the course and on whether it is term time; self-employment, certain occupations including professional sportsperson, claiming public funds and drawing a pension are prohibited. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — A successful applicant is told what the visa permits and what it does not, and the condition is stated in the visa decision. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — The Graduate visa permits work without employer sponsorship after a UK degree, with wider rights than the Student visa. — 26 August 2026
