Working while studying
- CPD and Short Courses
- Degree Apprenticeships
- International
- Country Specific Entry Requirements
- English Language Requirements
- Fees and Finance – International
- International Pathways
- International Short Programme Unit (ISPU)
- International Student Support
- Meet our International Students
- Study Abroad and Exchange
- Study and Apply
- Visa and Immigration
- Your Country Representatives
- Open Days and Campus Tours
- Order a Prospectus
- Postgraduate
- Undergraduate
The Careers & Employability Team is here to support your steps into the world of work.
Visit us at the Careers Centre in the Chichester LRC or at our careers desk in the Bognor LRC with quick queries about your career.
Alternatively, call us for a chat, email, or book an appointment via our Careers and Jobs Board.
Book a careers guidance appointment
- Finding part-time jobs.
- Checking and updating your CV.
- Searching for graduate roles and schemes.
- Referring you to one of our careers consultants.
- Any other questions or issues you might have.
Book your appointment or come and meet us at the Careers Centre.
Book a careers guidance appointment
Professionally-trained careers consultants can discuss any aspect of your career decisions, and work with you to understand your ideas and develop your skills to help you plan for your future.
Whether you know exactly what you’d like to do after university, or really don’t know where to start, we are here to help you.
For more information, please visit the Careers and Employability webpages
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Student route visa holders
Your work entitlement depends on the level of your study and type of degree you are enrolled on.
Students studying:
- at degree level (RQF 6) or above can work up to 20 hours per week during term-time and full-time during vacations
- below degree level (e.g. Pre-Sessional course) can work up to 10 hours per week during term-time and full-time during vacations
- on part-time postgraduate degrees (RQF 7 or above), are not allowed to work, volunteer or take part in work placements.
There are some restrictions in terms of what kind of work you can do as a student route visa holder. Visit our student route visa and employment section for more information.
Others, e.g. PBS dependants, ILR, visitors, short-term students, etc…
Your vignette/biometric residence permit will tell you if you are allowed to work or not.
If you are a dependant of a student route visa holder who is studying is at the University of Chichester, you are allowed to work.
If you are in the UK on a visitor route or short-term study route visa, you are not allowed to work, volunteer or take part in work placements.
The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends on your age. You can see the regulations and current minimum wage rates in the UK government website.
Your National Insurance (NI) number is your own personal account number. It is unique to you and you keep the same one all your life. It makes sure that the NI contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded against your name.
Every person who works in the UK is assessed for the amount of NI they have to pay. The amount depends on how much you earn. If you are an international student and you have the right to work in the UK you will need an NI number so that you can be assessed correctly.
The NI number application is simple. You need to complete a short online application form, which will ask you some questions about your personal circumstances and you will be asked to post some documents to verify your identity. If you need any help with this the international student advisers can assist you.
Income tax is deducted from your pay by your employer. Each employee has a personal allowance which tells you how much you can earn before paying tax. If your earnings are below your personal allowance then you do not pay any tax. For more information on income tax please visit the UK government website . UKCISA also has a lot of useful information on tax and NI.
If you are a Tier 4/student route visa holder, you have various options for staying in the UK to work after completing your studies.
For example:
- Graduate route ‘post-study work visa’
- Skilled worker route (formerly Tier 2)
- Tier 5 youth mobility scheme visa
- Tier 5 temporary worker – government authorised exchange visa
Visit our post-study work section for more information on the above options.
There may be other immigration routes available to you depending on your circumstances. You can contact the international student advisers for more information.
We can also refer you to an external immigration adviser in the local area.
For more information on working after your studies please visit the UKCISA website.