If you’re planning to come to London for studies then you will perhaps have also wondered about the possibilities of getting a part time job here. Actually it seems that in spite of all the news stories about high unemployment rates it is relatively straightforward to find part time jobs. The first thing to understand though is the legal situation – are you allowed to work?

If you come form the EEA (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK). Bulgaria and Romania are a part of the EEA but there are some working restrictions so you’ll need to check, and Switzerland is treated as an EEA country for working.

If you come from any other country then you can work but only in certain very specific circumstances. If you are here as a student then you must be here with a General Student Visa if you want to work. If you have a Visitor Visa, or a Student Visitor Visa then you are not allowed to work at all. With a General Student Visa you can work but only for up to 10 hours a week. If you are at University then you can work for longer – up to 20 hours a week and more in the holidays but you should check that with your university.

For permanent jobs the situaiton is more complicated and depends on skills you might have. The situaiotn about which skilled workers are allowed to work in the UK does change from time to time, so best to check the situation – either on the UKBA website or with the British Consulate where you live.

And if you are here as a student (with the right visa) or an EEA national – what kinds of jobs are you able to do – what work is there?? You can find jobs in coffee shops, restaurants, cleaning and so on easily enough – and there are plenty of agencies here in London to help you. There’s a minimum wage as well and though it’s not very high, it is OK and means you won’t get ripped off.  It might be worth thinking of one alternative – to take a course with UIC which includes a work placement – check out the Workskills course and see if that gives you what you need.

Any questions, just ask – you can email the school from our website anytime!

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