Where a student is following a course of degree level study or above, the following work is usually allowed. 

• Part-time during term-time, that is, no more than 20 hours per week, which is defined by the Home Office as Monday to Sunday   
• Full-time before the course start date and after the course end date as cited on your CAS, provided that it is on a temporary or rolling contract and not a permanent position
• Full-time during vacation periods (out of term). Some courses operate extended teaching periods outside the published semester dates. Please contact your School if you require further clarity regarding term-time and vacation periods.
• Full-time on a work placement if it is an assessed part of the course and is not more than 50% of the total length of the course   

The University is unable to issue any centralised documentation confirming permitted UK Working Hours, however your School may be able to detail their specific term-time and vacation periods in writing, if required.

Where a student is following a course of degree level study or above, the following work is usually allowed. 

• Part-time during term-time, that is, no more than 20 hours per week, which is defined by the Home Office as Monday to Sunday   
• Full-time before the course start date and after the course end date as cited on your CAS, provided that it is on a temporary or rolling contract and not a permanent position
• Full-time during vacation periods (out of term) except during summer vacation, as master's students must study full-time to complete their dissertation. Please contact your School if you require further clarity regarding term-time and vacation periods.
• Full-time on a work placement if it is an assessed part of the course and is not more than 50% of the total length of the course   

* Please note that as a postgraduate taught student you are considered to be participating in full-time education during any period of time spent completing a dissertation / research project

The University is unable to issue any centralised documentation confirming permitted UK Working Hours, however your School may be able to detail their specific term-time and vacation periods in writing, if required.

Where a student is following a course of degree level study or above, the following work is usually allowed. 

• University term dates do not apply to PhD / Postgraduate Research students
• A PGR student is only entitled to work part-time, no more than 20 hours per week, which is defined by the Home Office as Monday to Sunday  up until their course end date as cited on their CAS has passed, provided that it is on a temporary or rolling contract and not a permanent position

As PGR vacation periods do not fall in line with the University calendar, PGR students must always seek permission from their School when they wish to take a vacation. Once on a period of approved annual leave which has been agreed by their supervisor, PGR students can work more than 20 hours per week.

Please ensure you complete an Authorised Absence Form and submit this through to your School for authorisation. It is very important that you do this so that you are not in breach of your visa conditions.   

The University is unable to issue any centralised documentation confirming permitted UK Working Hours, however your School may be able to outline any approved periods of authorised absence in writing, if required.

The official course end date as stated on a student's CAS cannot be brought forward, however, for work, once all exams have been sat and all work submitted, students will be able to request a letter from their School of study confirming that: 

• The student has sat all exams and submitted all the work towards the degree, and 
• The student is considered as 'out of term time' and thus permitted to work full time before the official dissertation/project submission deadline as they have submitted the final piece of work earlier

This letter must be requested from the school not from ISS, as the school knows best a student’s academic record, this letter can then be used to show the employer that they are permitted to work more than 20 hours per week. 

We are aware that some employers will prefer to wait until a student's degree has been conferred before they lift the restriction on the number of hours. This is because until the degree is conferred, there is always a possibility that students may be required to re-submit their thesis/retake exams and therefore, revert to being a full-time student with a period of 'academic extension'. If this were to happen when you are working full-time, there is the risk of working illegally which carries heavy penalties for both the employer and employee. 

Students who undertake full time employment after the official course end date but before the date of the Board of Examiners do so at their own risk and on the understanding that, if it is recommended that the award not be conferred and further study is required to complete the course, they will return to restricted work rights, that is a maximum of 20 hours per week, during this period of extension. Furthermore, if the Exam Board recommends that the student be permanently or temporarily withdrawn, the student should notify their employer of this change in circumstance and contact ISS at isscompliance@qub.ac.uk 

These are general guidelines for what vacation periods are, but you must always check with your School.

• Undergraduate students: Vacation periods are generally in line with the University calendar however some courses operate extended teaching periods outside the published semester dates, e.g. medicine, dentistry. Please contact your School if you require further clarity regarding vacation periods.
• Postgraduate taught students: Vacation periods are in line with the University calendar except during summer vacation, as Masters students must study full-time to complete their dissertation.
• Postgraduate research students: Vacation periods do not fall in line with the University calendar and students must seek permission from their School at all times when they wish to take a vacation.

For courses that start in January: Unfortunately, there is no information on the Semester dates referring to Jan starts, and the structure differs widely between courses these must therefore be referred to the School to advise accordingly. 

What is a Work Placement?
UK Visas & Immigration specify that any work placement opportunity for a student sponsored on a student visa, must be an integral and assessed part of the course. In addition, a placement cannot be more than 50% of the total duration of a student’s course, or time spent studying in the UK where the student is here as part of a study abroad exchange. 

Can I partake in a Work Placement?
If you want to undergo a work placement as part of your course, it is very important that you tell the Immigration Support Service team by emailing immigration@qub.ac.uk. We will be able to tell you if you are allowed to do the work placement, and if there are any immigration implications. 

Can a Work Placement be full-time?
Work placements are not the same as 'permission to work', and are not subject to the same restrictions. They can therefore be full time. Students can partake in a full-time work placement even if their visa says that their working hours are restricted to a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time, provided the work placement meets UKVI guidelines. 

Can I work additional hours whilst being on a Work Placement?
If you are partaking in a work placement as part of your course, you can work up to 10 or 20 hours per week dependent on your weekly working hour limit (as stated on your visa) in addition to your work placement. For more details, please see the UKCISA work placements and internships webpage.

Students who have applied in advance for, or were granted immigration permission on arrival as short-term students or visitors are not permitted to do any paid or unpaid work, and are not permitted to do work placements as part of their course. 

You will not be guaranteed to find a job when you are studying at Queen's and you must make sure that you will have enough money to support yourself without a job before you come to Queen's. However, finding a job can be a worthwhile experience and will help you to meet people, practice English and get to know more about the culture of Belfast.

If you would like to try to find a job you can register with QWork. They will keep you informed of jobs both on and off campus. You can also look for jobs in local newspapers or online.

You will need a National Insurance number in order to get a job. To apply for a National Insurance number you will need to telephone the National Insurance helpline on 0845 915 7006. They will also tell you what information and documentation you will need to support your application.

You will find details of National Insurance local processing centres on the NI Direct website.

Voluntary work is unpaid work which gives you the chance to meet local people of all ages and backgrounds and to learn more about Belfast and your local community. Voluntary work helps you develop employability skills such as leadership, communication and team working while taking part in fun activities. It also enables you to provide a valuable service to the local community. You can volunteer for just a few hours, or make a more long-term commitment.

Voluntary work and your visa:
If you are in the UK on a student visa, voluntary work counts towards your 20 hours per week term-time working limit. If you have a short-term student visa, you cannot partake in voluntary work, as your visa prohibits all work, paid or unpaid. Contact immigration@qub.ac.uk for further information.

After the official course end date as stated on a student's CAS, a student can work full-time if it is on a temporary or rolling contract but not a permanent position.  

A student is not permitted to commence a permanent post until they obtain a work-related visa such as Graduate or Skilled Worker visa.

Students cannot:

• be employed as a professional sportsperson (including a sports
  coach)
• be employed as an entertainer
• be self-employed
• engage in business activity; or
• fill a full-time, permanent vacancy (except on a recognised foundation
  programme or as a Student Union Sabbatical Officer)