Working during your studies

During term time you can work part-time for a job, not exceeding the total number of hours (10 or 20 hours) per week. This is a maximum limit on the number of hours you can work in any one week.  

During term time, you must count all paid and unpaid work hours to make sure you do not go over your weekly limit. You cannot average your hours over multiple weeks. For example, you cannot work 25 hours one week but 15 hours the next. The limit applies to each individual week.

A “week” is defined by UKVI as Monday to Sunday. You are responsible for tracking your total working hours, especially if you:

• Work irregular shifts
• Have more than one job

If your programme includes a mandatory 'assessed and integral' work placement, the work placement hours do not count towards your 20-hour weekly limit. During an ‘assessed and integral’ work placement which is part of your programme, this 20 hours per week term time limit is in addition to any assessed work placement hours.

Volunteering

You can volunteer while you are studying. Volunteering is different from Voluntary Work (unpaid employment) and does not count towards your weekly working hours limit.

Volunteers will normally help a registered charity or public sector organisation. Volunteers are not paid and will not have a contract. Volunteers would not be paid, though it is possible to receive ‘reasonable’ travel and subsistence expenses. This is usually limited to food, drink or travel expenses only. 

If you are volunteering with an organisation, you must not:

• have a contract of employment
• take the place of an employee
• be paid for your contribution, including payment in kind

Voluntary Work

You are permitted to undertake voluntary work in the UK however this is different from volunteering. Voluntary work is classed as ‘unpaid employment’, therefore any worked hours must be counted towards your maximum number of hours of work during a week.

As a voluntary worker you:

• are usually paid in some form
• often have a contract with an employer

If you are unsure, you should check with the organisation whether what you are doing can be regarded as Voluntary Work. 

A Student Union Sabbatical Officer is a full-time, paid, elected role in the students’ union. You can work as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer for a maximum of two years in total.

A Sabbatical Officer role usually lasts one academic year, and your Student visa can be used to cover that time. If you are re-elected for a second year, you will need to apply for another visa extension.

You can take this role during your studies or in the academic year after you graduate. 

The University of Edinburgh can continue to sponsor your visa for up to two years while you undertake the role. If you start a Sabbatical Officer role while your Student visa is still valid, the University (your Student visa sponsor) will need to report this as a change of circumstances to the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI). You do not need to make a special visa application for the time that you will be in the role. However, it is likely that you will eventually have to extend your visa to complete your programme. The University remains responsible for your Student visa until it expires.

UKCISA - Students' Union Sabbatical Officer guidance

Edinburgh University Students' Association - Sabbatical Officer  

If you hold a Student visa, you can work full-time:

• Before your programme starts (if your visa is valid),
• During your programme's official vacation periods, and
• In the final 4 months of your Student visa after you have reached the official programme end date as shown on your CAS.

'Vacation periods' includes the time before your programme officially starts and after your programme has finished.

Postgraduate Research (PGR or PhD) students are considered to be in term time for the whole duration of their programme unless on an approved period of annual leave. Please see 'Postgraduate Research (PGR) Students' section below for further details.

If your programme begins teaching earlier than the standard semester start date, you are considered in term time from the first day of teaching. During this period, you must follow the term-time work hour limits shown on your visa.

If your programme has different vacation dates from the standard semester dates, you must not work more than your term-time work limits, even if students on other programmes are on vacation at the same time.

If you have non-standard vacation dates, or you are not sure when your vacation periods are, you should contact your school or student adviser to check this before starting any full-time work. It is recommended for you to consult your programme handbook and familiarise yourself with the vacation period for your programme of study.

If you are studying at degree level or above, your Student visa is issued for the length of your programme plus an additional four months. This extra time is known as the wrap-up period.

You can work full-time during official vacation periods. This includes the wrap-up period after your official programme end date, as long as your Student visa is still valid.

Finishing your exams or assessments slightly earlier than your expected programme end date does not mean term time has ended. You remain in term time until the official end date for your programme.

You can start working full-time once:

• You have reached the official programme end date shown on your CAS; and
• You have no outstanding academic requirements (such as exams, assignments, or corrections).

For Postgraduate Research students (e.g. PhD or MScR), your official programme end date will be when you have completed all academic work, viva and have submitted your final thesis after any required corrections. Your student record must confirm that any submitted corrections have been approved by examiners before you start working full-time.

You can work full-time hours on a temporary contract up until your visa expiry date.

Before your Student visa expires you must:

• Apply for the Graduate visa if you are eligible,
• Obtain sponsorship from an employer and apply for the Skilled Worker visa,
• Apply for another visa that would allow you to remain in the UK, or
• Leave the UK before your Student visa expires.

Students studying an undergraduate degree (for example, BSc, BEng or MA Hons) are commonly referred to as UG students. If you are an undergraduate student at degree level:

• You will only be permitted to work (paid or unpaid) up to 20 hours maximum per week during term time. This includes voluntary work.
• You will be permitted to work full-time during University vacation periods only. Normally you will have three official vacation periods - Winter (Christmas), Spring and Summer vacation. You should refer to the semester dates.
• Once the programme end date on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) has passed and you no longer have any outstanding assignments or exams to complete, you will be allowed to work full-time until your Student visa expires, but cannot fill a full-time permanent vacancy.

For full details of University vacation periods, see: 

Semester dates

Students studying a taught masters (for example, MSc) are commonly referred to as PGT students. If you are a PGT or Masters student:

• You will only be permitted to work (paid or unpaid) up to 20 hours maximum per week during term time. This includes voluntary work.
• Your official vacation periods are during Winter (Christmas) and Spring only*. This means that you will only be permitted to work full-time during the Winter and Spring vacation periods. Please see semester dates.
• You are expected to be studying during the summer whilst you write your dissertation. This period is considered to be term-time, and therefore you will only be permitted to work 20 hours per week during this time.
• Once the programme end date stated on the CAS or your student record, whichever is earlier, has passed and if you no longer have any outstanding assignments or exams to complete, you will be allowed to work full-time until your Student visa expires, but cannot fill a permanent vacancy.

Students studying a research degree (for example, MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD) are commonly referred to as PGR students. If you are a research student:

• You are required to be in continuous attendance throughout the duration of your programme as the standard University term dates do not apply to you.
• You do not have any designated vacation periods. You are in term time all year unless you have written permission from your supervisor to take a period of vacation or annual leave.
• Your supervisor must agree and confirm the dates for the annual leave in writing. 

Details of PGR vacation leave or annual leave can be found in:  

Vacation, maternity and parental leave

Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students (PDF)(Chapter 5, section 5.8).

• During a period of annual leave, you can work full-time hours as it is considered 'outside of term time' or 'vacation period'.
• You should only work full-time hours if you have a full week of annual leave from Monday to Sunday to avoid accidentally breaching your work conditions.
• If your annual leave starts or ends partway through a Monday-Sunday week, you should not work more than your term-time 20-hour per week working limit for that week.
• Should your employer require confirmation of your annual leave period, please refer them to your academic department.
• Once you have completed all academic work and submitted your final thesis including corrections, you will be allowed to work full-time until your visa expiry date, but cannot fill a permanent vacancy.

Your programme will be considered complete (end of term time) once you have submitted all required academic work — including your thesis, viva, and any final corrections — and your student record confirms that all corrections have been approved by the examiners.

If your programme of study is below degree level you will be permitted to work 10 hours per week during term time and full-time during vacations. 

Please check your permitted working hours on your eVisa status.

eVisas: access and use your online immigration status

You are considered in term time throughout your PGR programme (includes Thesis/Viva/corrections) unless you have supervisor-approved 'PGR Annual/Vacation Leave'. 

Programme completion (end of term time) occurs after submitting all final work, including thesis submission, Viva, and any final corrections. Your student record must confirm that any submitted corrections have been approved by examiners (Post Viva with final Thesis submission). 

PGR Annual Vacation Leave is 'outside of term time/official vacation'. A vacation leave request must be agreed to and approved by your supervisor. 

• During a period of Annual/Vacation Leave, you can work full-time hours on your Student visa:
• To avoid accidentally breaching your work conditions, you should only work full-time hours if you have a full week of Annual/Vacation Leave from Monday to Sunday.
• If your Annual/Vacation Leave starts/ends partway through a Monday-Sunday week, you should comply with your term-time 20-hour working hours limit for that week. 

PGR Annual/Vacation Leave Policy 

Please ask our team for individual advice as it differs depending on your specific scenario.

If you are an Undergraduate student and need to resubmit a piece of work, e.g. an essay:

• You can work full time hours throughout your official vacation period

If you are an Undergraduate student and need to resit an exam/multiple exams in the August diet

• You can work full time hours during your official vacation period, except during the August resit exam diet.
• If you have resit exams during the August diet, you should revert to 20 hrs per week (term time). 

Examinations - Timetables and guidance 

Semester dates

Employee

The UK Government states that a person is generally considered an employee if most of these apply:

• Required to work regularly (except on authorised leave).
• Works set hours and is paid for time worked.
• Managed or supervised, with tasks directed by the employer.
• Cannot send someone else to do the work.
• Tax and National Insurance deducted through PAYE.
• Entitled to paid holiday and statutory benefits (e.g. sick, maternity/paternity pay).
• Covered by company disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Works at the employer’s premises or a specified location.
• Uses tools and equipment provided by the employer.
• Usually works only for that employer.
• Has a contract referring to “employer” and “employee.”

Self-Employed

According to the UK Government, a person is usually self-employed if PAYE does not apply and most of these apply:

• Quotes or bids for work.
• Works without direct supervision.
• Submits invoices for completed work.
• Pays their own tax and National Insurance.
• Does not receive paid holiday or sick pay.
• Has a contract describing them as “self-employed,” “consultant,” or “independent contractor.”

For full details, refer to the official guidance on the UK Government website: Employment status: Overview - GOV.UK

If you are uncertain whether the role is being offered on a self-employed basis, please contact us before starting any work. Working in breach of your immigration permission is a serious offence and can have implications on your ability to remain in the UK.

Student Immigration Service - Contact us

You will be able to find extensive guidance on finding work while you study on the Careers Service website. 

Careers Service

Yes, it does, and you will be expected to work full-time as a Sabbatical Officer. You are also permitted to do additional work on a part-time basis (normally 20 hours per week).

Yes, but you should talk to your student adviser or supervisor about how this might affect your studies. You will be expected to complete your programme when the Sabbatical Officer position is finished, and it is likely that you will need to extend your visa to do so.

No, you can use your existing Student visa, providing it covers the full length of the position. If your visa does not cover the full length of the Sabbatical Officer position, you will need to make a visa application for the Sabbatical Officer position, and then another visa application if you need to return to studies to complete your programme.

No, if you are granted a Student visa for the purpose of working as a Sabbatical Officer, that time does not count towards the limit on UK study time under the Student visa rules.

Time limits

If you have finished your programme of study and your visa will expire before the elections, you will not be able to make an application to extend your visa under Student visa to stay in the UK for the elections. This will, most likely, mean that you have to leave the UK during the election period, which is likely to affect your campaign.