Whether and how long you can work holding a UK student visa depends on the visa conditions and the norms of the university.
If you are doing a full-time course at a degree level with a student visa, you can work in the UK. For this, you have to meet the following rules and requirements:
- You can work up to 20 hours per week while you are doing term time n the university. As per UKVI, a “week” is a seven-day period that begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday.
- You may work full-time during vacation time at the university.
- You may work full-time while doing term time if you are placed in work that’s an integral as well as an assessed part of your course. No work placement must extend longer than 50% of the total length of your course.
- You may work as a sabbatical officer for a student union for a period of not more than 2 years.
- In case you hold a UK student visa for a course done on a part-time basis, you won’t have the right to take up any paid/unpaid work in the UK.
As a student visa holder in the UK, you can only do temporary work. You cannot enter into a permanent contract for employment. You also aren’t allowed to be self-employed or establish a business. You can’t be employed as an entertainer or a professional sportsperson while holding a student visa.