International Students

Work restrictions

As an international student you may have restrictions on:

• the numbers of hours you can work
• the type of work that you can do while you study

It’s very important for you to check for any restrictions before applying for jobs.

Student Progress explain these restrictions in their guide to working while studying.

Visas

The Careers Service is not authorised to give any advice on work permits and visas.

Contact the Visa Team if you have any questions or concerns about your visa.

You can also explore resources from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA). They offer information and advice about working in the UK during your studies.

It's likely that you will be asked for your National Insurance (NI) number when applying for jobs.

This is your personal account number for working in the UK. It ensures that any National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded.

If you haven’t got a National Insurance number, you can apply for one online at Gov.uk.

After applying, you will be asked to prove your identity. This could involve:

• sending your documents to be checked
• attending an in-person appointment

It can take several weeks to get your number, after you have proven your identity.

You can legally work in the UK without your NI number. However it is something most employers will ask for and expect you to have.

Employers are required by law to see evidence of your right to work in the UK before they can employ you.

This can involve looking at identity documents such as your:

• Biometric Residence Permit
• Passport

Fill in the Gov.uk Prove your right to work to an employer form to receive a unique sharecode which you can give to employers.

Not all employers use this system, but it can speed up the recruitment process if an employer asks for it.

We offer many resources for students interested in working while studying:

• see part-time jobs for resources to help you find work while you study
• find out about opportunities on campus
• attend our part-time job workshops for international students during September and October
• apply for one of our term-time or vacation internships
• discover work experience opportunities
• consider volunteering
• learn about graduate skills and how you can develop them at Newcastle University

You can also read targetjobs' guide to job hunting for international students.

Attend one of our part-time job workshops or watch our YouTube guide to discover more about finding a part-time job. Find out:

• current part-time work regulations and entitlement
• where to look for jobs you can do while you study
• schemes we run to help you find part-time jobs

Before applying for graduate jobs in the UK, explore UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Check this site regularly as government regulations are subject to continuous change.

The University Visa Team can help you understand immigration routes into graduate employment. They offer:

• a monthly workshop in partnership with the Careers Service
• a detailed guide to the Graduate route

The Careers Service is not authorised to give advice on work permit or visa applications.

Frequently asked questions

AGCAS Working in the UK guide (PDF: 478KB) answers international students’ frequently asked questions. This includes information on:

• available immigration routes
• how to explain your immigration status to prospective employers.

Further information on immigration and visas

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) is an excellent source of information. They provide:

• an up-to-date breakdown of options for switching from a student visa to a work visa within the UK
• details of the Skilled Worker route for sponsored skilled work, and the new unsponsored 2-year Graduate route
• an employer guide to Recruiting international graduates. It can be useful to understand the process from a recruiter’s perspective

For the most up-to-date visa guidance, go to Gov.uk.

There are many resources to help you find opportunities to work in the UK after you graduate.

To get started, see our graduate jobs and explore occupations web pages. The resources on our website are for all students to access, regardless of nationality.

You also have the option to work for yourself after you graduate. Our START UP team can offer advice and support for anyone wanting to develop a business idea in the UK.

Student Circus

Student Circus is an online job search platform dedicated to international students.

Search their platform for graduate job opportunities from employers willing to sponsor the Skilled Worker visa. Employers include KPMG, Deutsche Bank, McKinsey & Company, Land Rover, Siemens and many more. 

To access these vacancies, register with Student Circus using your @ncl email address. 

If you're a Newcastle graduate from the last 3 years log into MyCareer. Click on the Resources tab in the top right hand corner and select Student Circus - Graduate Access. Register with them and log in.

Other relevant schemes and resources:

• UKhired - search for UK jobs with visa sponsorship. Not all vacancies are aimed at graduates
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) - partnerships between a business, a graduate and an academic institution. These paid projects last between 1-3 years. They welcome applications from international graduates. View current opportunities.
• 80,000 hours - jobs board for careers with a positive global impact. Includes a filter to confirm the employer can sponsor visas.

Guides:

• targetjobs - guide to job hunting for international students
• Prospects - work in the UK
• prepare2getahead - career planning guide for Chinese students from The University of Warwick

With the Graduate route option, you don’t need to be sponsored by an employer to work in the UK.

f you’re interested in the Skilled Worker route, you may want to know whether an employer can sponsor your visa. The Home Office Register of licensed sponsors lists all current visa sponsors.

When using this register, be aware that organisations may only offer sponsorship for:

• experienced hires, not recent graduates
• specific roles
• some of their offices, not across the UK
• internal transfers, not new entrants

If an organisation is on the list, it means they have previously, or are currently, sponsoring a migrant worker. It is not necessarily a commitment to sponsor in the future.

If an organisation is not on the list, you could still apply to work for them.

Try to start your job search as early as possible. Deadlines for students requiring a sponsored visa are sometimes earlier than general deadlines.

Watch our 10 minute video on enhancing your chances in the UK graduate job selection process.

You could consider including information about sponsorship in your application. For more information, see Gov.uk: UK visa sponsorship for employers.

See Making Applications below for information about how to:

• present international qualifications on UK applications
• improve your English communication skills

When making applications in the UK, you may be asked about qualifications such as:

• UCAS points
• GCSEs
• A-levels
• Bachelors degree
• Master's degree

These qualifications form part of the UK National Qualification Framework (NQF).

If you need to find out what level the qualifications from your home country compare to on the NQF, contact UK ENIC. They are the only official provider of international qualification comparability in the UK.

UK ENIC can’t tell you how your grades compare to the grade system of equivalent UK qualifications. They could tell you whether your qualifications can be compared to A-levels, for example, but not how many UCAS points they are worth.

When making applications we recommend that you present your qualifications as they are.

Organisations set their own criteria regarding international qualifications and the grades they accept. You don't need to work out the UK equivalent qualification yourself.

To get an idea of whether you can apply, look for:

• online guides from large graduate recruiters. For example, Deloitte have an International Academic Requirements web page
• qualification guides from universities. For example, you could select the 'Entry Requirements' tab on Newcastle University's Find Your Country tool

If you're unsure whether your qualifications meet the requirements, contact the employer or academic institution. They should be able to tell you:

• whether they would accept your qualifications and
• how to present them on their application form

Employers in the UK expect international applicants to demonstrate a good level of written and spoken English.

There are many ways you can improve your English communication skills while studying.

Tutorials

Access virtual one-to-one tutorials and group sessions through the In-Sessional English Language programme. You can ask for advice on the language and structure of your CV and cover letter.

Self study

The Language Resource Centre offers a range of self-study online and distance learning resources. These include:

• World TV & Film streaming platform, with a vast English section
• an Online Tandem Board where people can post about their language requirements and their own spoken languages and find a partner.
• an eLearning community with access to Clarity English software packages and others
• listening skill materials from the British Council, BBC, and EAP

Conversational English

The following ideas and activities could help you practice and improve your conversational English.

• Take time to practise with friends. It can be tempting to speak to classmates from your home country in your own language, but try speaking to them in English. The more you practise, the more confident you will feel.
• Consider finding a part-time job, try volunteering, join a sports club or student society.
• Beyond is a student-led project through the Students' Union which helps students to integrate into the local community. The project involves a mix of activities including volunteering and fun outings. For more information contact Yovelyn at [email protected].
• The Globe Café run weekly sessions in Jesmond for international students to make friends with UK volunteers. They also run free English language classes.

To access the pathway:

• login to MyCareer and select “search” then “pathways”
• click ‘Status’ then select ‘Available’ to find the International Student Pathway
• click on Start Now to begin. Complete the short registration form in the introduction to get started

You don’t need to do all the activities listed. Select which ones you want to do and work through them at your own pace, in any order.

You can return to the Pathway and continue working through the activities at any time.