Working on a student visa after study

Eligibility

If your Tier 4 Student Visa remains valid once you’ve completed your course you can work full-time, within the following limits:

• You cannot fill a full-time permanent vacancy (other than on a recognised Foundation Programme)
• You cannot be self-employed
• You cannot be employed as a professional sportsperson, coach or entertainer
• You can work unlimited hours once you’re considered to have completed your course, but not in a permanent role.

Most students will be granted 4 months 'wrap up' time after the end of their course. This is usually the course end date as stated in your last CAS. You’re allowed to work during this time as it’s considered vacation time.

You can get a letter from SSiD which will confirm your official course end date which you can use to prove your right to work full time to employers.

You may be able to start full time work earlier than your official course end date, if you can show that you have completed all exams, coursework and submitted your dissertation (if applicable). Your department would need to confirm this for you, should you need to provide evidence for an employer.

• For PhD students, course completion means you have submitted your final E copy of your thesis after corrections.
• For Masters Students you must have completed all exams, coursework and submitted your dissertation.
• For Undergraduate students you must have completed all coursework and exams.

An employer's guide to right to work checks also confirms your right to work after you have completed your course. This can be useful to refer to if employers are unsure about your right to work. Please note that some Employers may only wish to employ you on a full-time basis after your official course end date.

If you later fail your exams and/or are repeating any modules or coursework during the wrap up period, you will be a term-time student and you should only work 20 hours per week.

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If you complete your course early

If you complete your course early we have to report this to UKVI. This could result in your visa being curtailed to 4 months after the new course end date.

You should work for a maximum of 4 months after the completion of your course or until the end of your student Visa, whichever comes soonest.

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Taking a permanent role

You cannot start a full-time permanent role whilst holding a Student visa.

You may be able to start work full time for an employer in a permanent role if you’ve completed your degree and have made a Skilled Worker visa application. Check with your employer/sponsor.

Course completion in this scenario means the official course end date as per your CAS.

PhD students can apply for a skilled worker visa after 24 months of study but should only start working full time for the sponsor when the Skilled worker has been granted

If your Student visa was granted after 6 April 2022, you can also start work full time in a permanent role if you have:

• successfully completed your course; and
• made a Graduate Immigration Route visa application

Successful completion is the date that you receive your official results not the course completion date.

If your student visa was granted before 6 April 2022, you must not start full-time work until your Graduate Route visa has been granted.