Stow College

Working in the UK

Students who are studying under the terms of a Tier 4 Visa are legally permitted to work for up to 20 hours per week during term time, and may work longer hours during official College holiday periods. 

In general, you should only seek or accept additional hours during the Christmas, Easter and summer vacation periods. Weekend holidays, bank holidays etc are not normally accepted by immigration authorities as countable periods, and if you do additional hours during such periods you will almost certainly be in breach of your visa conditions and this may jeopardise your status in the UK, or even your right to continue.   

Remember too, that it is not an average of twenty hours over a period of time. You cannot work, say 25 hours one week then balance it by working only 15 the next. It is a weekly maximum of 20.

The UK operates a National Minimum Wage which stipulates the lowest rate you can be paid for work, whether you are a part-time or full-time employee.

There are three levels of minimum wage, and the rates from 1 October 2008 are:

• £5.73 per hour for workers aged 22 years and older
• A development rate of £4.77 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive
• £3.53 per hour for all workers under the age of 18, who are no longer of compulsory school age