Working in the UK after your studies

You can work full-time:

• after the course end date stated in your most recent CAS if you have finished your studies
• during the official vacation dates and after your course end date if you have finished studies

You can work full-time after both your submission date and CAS end date have passed. This means that i) if you submit later than your CAS end date e.g. because you have had an academic extension, you must wait until after your submission date to work full time and ii) if you submit before your CAS end date you will have to wait until your CAS end date has passed to be able to work full time.  

You can work full-time after both your submission date and CAS end date have passed.  You can request leave between submission and viva to work more than 20 hours if you have submitted and you submission date has passed but not the CAS end date, read our webpage for more details Working in the UK during your studies | Directory of Professional Services | University of Bristol

You can work full-time after your CAS course end date has passed, if you have completed studies.

If your course end date is extended past your CAS end date due to extension/resubmission/major corrections or resits, you will be not be able to work on a full-time basis.  You will need to continue working under your working hours restriction until the end of your studies. You will still be considered as being in term-time during this period, especially if your registration status is ‘Registered’. 

• There is no limit on the number of hours you are allowed to work
• You can work in a part-time permanent or temporary role.  Permanent means a job without an end date 
• You can work in a temporary full-time post
• Work in a full-time permanent role if you have applied for the Graduate route, but you must wait for a decision if you want to work as an entertainer, or plan to be self-employed
• You may be able to work in a full-timer permanent role if you have submitted a valid application for a Skilled Worker visa, you will need to ask your employer to confirm this for you

Whilst you remain on your Student visa you cannot

• ​be self-employed
• engage in business activity
• work as an entertainer, or a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach)
• work in a full-time permanent role. Permanent means a job without an end date.  Check your contract for an end date if you are unsure.  The exceptions to this are:
  • If you have applied for the Graduate route you can start working in a full-time permanent role, but you must wait for a decision if you want to work as an entertainer, or plan to be self-employed
  • If you have submitted a valid application for a Skilled Worker visa you may be able to start working in a full-time permanent role, you will need to ask your employer to confirm this for you

If you apply for the Graduate route visa, you must apply in the UK whilst your Student visa remains valid.  You can only apply for the Graduate route visa after:

• you have been awarded your degree at Exam Board and
• we have reported this to the UKVI
• we email students once the report has been made so it will be clear when you can apply 

You don't have to have attended a graduation ceremony to apply. 

If you have summer travel plans please ensure that you read the information below regarding travelling out of the UK after studies so that your travel does not negatively impact your next visa application.

Please see the information on our website  Graduate Route | Directory of Professional Services | University of Bristol for full details about the Graduate route visa and when to make a Graduate route visa application.

The main sponsored route is Skilled Worker visa you can apply for this visa after:

• you have secured a job which is eligible for sponsorship with an approved employer and
• they have issued you a CoS (Certificate of Sponsorship) so that you can apply for the visa
• the employer will provide guidance as to when you can apply for the Skilled Worker visa once you have secured sponsorship

Please see UKCISA for further information about when to apply.

Please see the UKCISA information regarding working after studies for other visa options and when to apply for them.

If you apply for a new visa in the UK you must submit a new visa application (and pay the visa fees) before your current visa expires. 

As long as you do not leave the UK whilst the application is pending you can stay here legally whilst waiting for the new visa outcome.  If you leave the UK whilst your application is pending your application will be withdrawn, please see the information below regarding travelling out of the UK after studies for full details. 

You can travel in and out of the UK on your Student visa after your studies have ended provided you have not submitted a new visa application in the UK or completed your course early. Please read the section below regarding when you cannot travel in these circumstances.

You cannot travel out of the UK:

• After you have submitted a new visa application in the UK.  If you leave the UK before receiving a decision on a pending visa application, the application will be withdrawn.  If you have urgent travel you have two options:
  • you could leave the UK before submitting a visa application and then return to the UK before your Student visa expires and submit a new visa application once you are back in the UK OR
  • you could leave the UK and apply for a new visa overseas to return.  However, importantly be aware that you cannot apply for the Graduate route visa outside the UK.  

• If you complete your course early.  If you complete your course early and this is reported to the UKVI this may mean that you cannot re-enter the UK if you leave the UK or try to travel back into the UK after the report is made, even though your visa remains valid.  You can read more about early completion and how travel is affected. This will not affect students completing on time.

Please visit the Graduate Route page for more information.

Skilled Worker visa is for those who have secured sponsorship for an eligible job with an approved employer.  Employers can confirm if a job is eligible for the Skilled Worker visa.  Students with valid Student visas are eligible to switch to Skilled Worker in the UK. 

Salary requirements - 'new entrants'

The minimum salary to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa is £38,700 or your job's usual 'going rate' whichever is higher.  However, it may be possible to show a lower salary and apply under Option E 'new entrants'.

The most common ways to be considered a new entrant are if:

• You are under 26 on the date you apply for Skilled Worker visa OR
• You are switching from Student/Graduate route from within the UK OR if you are in your home country, applying within 2 years of visa end date (& your last UK visa - other than Visitor visa - was Student/Graduate route) ​
• Your Student visa must have been issued to study one of the following: Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, PhD or other doctoral qualification, Postgraduate certificate in Education
• See UKCISA for additional options​​

Salary for 'new entrants'

• new entrants can be paid 70% of the usual going rate for the job if their salary is at least £30,960 per year ​
• See jobs in Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations: column headed “70% of going rate”
• See UKCISA for examples of how this works in practice and gov.uk website for further details  
• Check with your employer if your salary meets the requirements as they are responsible for evaluating your eligibility

Healthcare or education jobs minimum salary - £23,200 or more if your job’s ‘going rate’ is higher View the list of eligible healthcare and education jobs 

Please see UKCISA and the UKVI website for full details.

Innovator Founder visa is aimed at those who want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK.  The business or business idea has to be endorsed by an endorsing body.

Youth Mobility Scheme visa is a 2 year visa to live and work in the UK for certain passport holders, for the full list see the gov.uk website. 

India Young Professionals is a 2 year visa to live and work in the UK for Indian citizens aged between 18 and 30.  Applicants must be successful in a ballot offering 3,000 places and must have completed a degree level qualification and prove they have £2,530 in personal savings.  Applicants cannot apply if they have already had a Youth Mobility Scheme visa.​

​It is not possible to switch into these visa categories in the UK from a Student visa.

High Potential Individual visa is a 2 year visa for those who graduated from an eligible University overseas in the past 5 years. Essentially a Graduate route visa, but for graduates from selected overseas Universities.

A student with a valid Student visa is eligible to switch to this visa in the UK.