Part-Time Work Rules for International Students on a UK Student Visa
Almost every international student underestimates how tightly the UK enforces its part-time work rules, and almost every year a small number of students lose their visa entirely over what looked like a minor mistake. The rules themselves are actually simple once you understand the exact wording your university uses on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) — the confusion usually comes from guessing instead of checking.
The headline rule
Most full-time degree students on a Student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during term time, and full-time during official vacation periods. This is the standard condition for degree-level study at most universities. Some pathway or below-degree-level courses are restricted to 10 hours per week instead — your CAS states which limit applies to you specifically, and it's a condition of your visa, not a suggestion.
What actually counts as "term time"
This trips people up constantly. Term time isn't defined by when you personally have classes scheduled — it's defined by your university's official academic calendar. A reading week or a quiet week with no timetabled lectures is still term time unless the university's calendar explicitly marks it as a vacation period. Always check your university's published term dates directly rather than assuming based on your own timetable.
How the 20 hours is actually counted
The limit applies across all jobs combined, not per employer. Two part-time jobs at 12 hours each is 24 hours total — a visa breach, even though neither job alone exceeds the limit. It's calculated weekly, not averaged over a month, so working 30 hours one week and 10 the next doesn't average out to something acceptable; each individual week has to stay within the limit.
What you're not allowed to do at all
- Self-employment or freelancing — running your own business or working as a freelancer/contractor is not permitted on a Student visa, regardless of hours.
- Filling a permanent, full-time vacancy — even if the hours technically fit within your weekly limit, you cannot take a role that's structured as a permanent full-time position.
- Working as a professional sportsperson or entertainer — these are explicitly excluded categories under the visa conditions.
What actually happens if you breach the limit
This isn't a minor administrative slap on the wrist. Working beyond your permitted hours is treated as a breach of your visa conditions, which can lead to your visa being curtailed (cut short), future visa applications being refused, and in serious or repeated cases, removal from the UK. Employers are also required to check your right-to-work status and hour limits — a responsible employer will ask, but the legal responsibility for staying within the limit sits with you, not them.
A practical way to stay safe
- Check your CAS for your exact weekly hour limit (20 or 10) before accepting any job offer.
- Get your official term dates in writing from your university's registry, not from your own class schedule.
- If you take more than one job, track combined hours weekly, not monthly.
- Never accept freelance, self-employed, or contractor-style work, even if it seems like a one-off.