The UK has a National Minimum Wage (NMW) that all employers have to meet, regardless of whether you’re an international or home student. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re not a UK national - international students will be paid the same rates as everyone else.
At the time of writing, the NMW for workers aged between 18 and 20 is £6.45 per hour. For those between 21 and 24, the NMW is £8.20 per hour and if you're over 25, it's £8.72. These rates change every April so you can keep up to date here. Now you know the minimum wage for international students, here are some other frequently asked questions about part-time jobs answered.
If you’re an international student, you may be curious about whether you can get a job while studying.
International students are allowed to work in the UK, you’ll need a Tier 4 student visa. However, it’s important to check if you can as there are some exceptions.
Students who are on a short-term study visa are not allowed to work.
To work part-time while studying, a National Insurance number is required*. This ensures all tax and national insurance contributions made while working are recorded correctly.
*Keep in mind that you’ll need a National Insurance number for any type of paid work in the UK, not just for part-time work. So, you’ll need one if you secured an internship or placement as well.
If you’re an international student enrolled on a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree, these are the hours you’re allowed to work:
If you’re not sure, you can check your visa vignette or biometric residence permit (BRP) for your personal work eligibility. You can learn more about working and studying in the UK as an international student in this blog here.
There are several ways you can find a part-time job. We’d recommend speaking to your university’s career team first. For example, our Careers Service manages The JobsOC, where students can apply to be part of a pool of students who are contacted when there are short-term jobs available across the University.
Check if your university offers a similar service.
You can also search for part-time roles on employment websites, such as:
As well as running JobsOC, the Careers Service at Newcastle University also provides support where students can access advice from an information adviser. They help you find part-time work through the 1-1 drop-in, as well as workshops on the topic
If your visa allows you to work during term time, you’re able to apply for jobs in nearly every industry and at any level. Just make sure you don’t exceed the 20 hours per week limit (or whatever limit is stated on your visa).
Some common example areas you can work in are:
These are just a few of the part-time jobs you could do. Find out more here.
Let’s look into the advantages and disadvantages of working while studying abroad...
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Ready to read more about them? Check out this blog.
It’s possible to balance your social life, study life and a part-time job at the same time. Here are some tips:
You can find more helpful tips for working while studying in the UK here.
Part-time jobs are fantastic ways to develop your own skills and increase the chances of employment after you graduate. Interested in learning how to develop your future career further? We've got some resources that can help.
If you’re looking to advance your career after university, you need to be able to create CVs, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles that impress your potential employers. You also need to be able to impress in an interview.
We have plenty of useful advice created by our careers team which you can check out here.