Work placements and internships on a Student visa

Integral and assessed placements are work placements that form a required part of your degree programme. 

If you are a Student visa holders, you may undertake a full-time work placement during term time where it is an integral and assessed part of your full-time degree programme.

To qualify, the placement must:

• Be an integral and assessed part of your programme. This means it is built into the design of the programme and you would not be able to achieve the award without completing the placement.
• Not be more than 50% of the total length of your programme, unless it is a statutory (legal) requirement.
• Require you to remain enrolled as a student at the University without interrupting your studies (for example, recorded as on a Leave of Absence for approved placement purposes rather than taking an interruption of studies).

In addition, your School or academic department must continue to monitor your attendance and stay in regular contact with you, as they remain responsible for you during your work placement.

Working hours

The Employers Right to Work Guidance states that hours worked as part of an official assessed work placement do not count towards your 20-hour term-time work limit. This means many employers will allow you to take an additional part-time job of up to 20 hours per week alongside your main assessed placement.

If your placement is an integral and assessed part of your programme, you can: 

• work up full-time on your approved work placement during term time, and
• work up to the usual term time 20 hours per week, in addition to your assessed work placement hours.

The University will report your assessed work placement to UKVI, and your Student visa will remain valid. You must continue to follow all the conditions of your visa.

If a placement is not integral and assessed (that is, it does not meet the required conditions), you cannot undertake it on a full-time basis during term time.

If you are studying a full-time degree programme and wish to undertake a work placement or internship that is not integral and assessed, you may do so:

• Part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during term time; and
• Full-time during official vacation periods.

You must not exceed your permitted working hours under your Student visa.

If you wish to interrupt your studies to start a full-time work placement or internship, you will need alternative immigration permission. You must not rely on or use your Student visa for this purpose.

If you later return to your studies, you would need to apply and pay for a new Student visa.

Internships provide an excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience. Some UK employers offer internships during vacation periods.

• Winter (Christmas) and Spring (Easter) vacations – All Student visa holders, except Postgraduate Research (PGR) students, can undertake full time internships during Winter and Spring vacation periods. 

If your programme 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 internships.

• Summer vacation – Only undergraduate students can work full-time.

Postgraduate students during Summer vacation must either:

• Undertake an integral and assessed placement; or
• Work no more than 20 hours per week.

If your work placement is outside the UK, you must obtain appropriate immigration permission for the country where you will be working (unless this is your home country).

If the placement is an integral and assessed part of your degree programme, your Student visa will remain valid during this period.

If your planned placement outside the UK is not related to your degree programme, you are strongly advised to contact the Student Immigration Service to assess the potential impact on your visa.

If you are studying a Postgraduate Research (PhD, MPhil or MScR) degree, it is unlikely that a work placement will form part of your programme design.

However, if the placement forms an essential part of your research, you may be able to undertake it using your Student visa, provided it meets all the requirements for an integral and assessed work placement.

The University will report the change of circumstances to the Home Office where required.

The placement must still meet all Student visa conditions relating to work placements.