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Work placements and exchanges for visa holders

Work placements

When doing a work placement you must follow the special conditions that come with your Tier 4/Student Route visa. These apply whether you’re going to do a short work placement as an assessed part of your course or taking part in a Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) year.

Find out the requirements for single or multiple placements, including working hours and the types of work you can do.  Understand how to get a placement approved or changed.  Read more about doing a work placement outside the UK or going on an exchange at another university.

As your sponsor, UAL remains legally responsible for you while you’re on placement. If you meet the conditions of your Tier 4/Student Route visa while on placement, UAL will continue to sponsor you.

Can I do a work placement?

Find out more about the Diploma in Professional Studies at UAL

Placement requirements

Your placement must meet all the following criteria to comply with the conditions of your visa:

Term time and holidays

Your work placement needs to take place during university term time. You don’t need to work during university holidays.

The DPS spans the whole academic year, so you must continue in a placement until the end of the summer term to keep your visa. This applies even if you have completed the minimum number of hours or weeks of the DPS for your College.

Single and multiple work placements

Your DPS can be 1 single placement or several different placements during the academic year.

If 1 placement alone isn’t full-time hours, you may take a second placement at the same time, but:

  • you can’t have more than 2 placements at once
  • you can’t have more than 5 work placements over the course of the academic year.

Time between work placements

You should be on placement consistently throughout the academic year.

If you’re not able to secure 1 placement for the duration of the year, you may have a gap of no more than 10 working days between the end of 1 placement and the start of another. You can have up to 4 gaps during the academic year.

These gaps may help you to finish paperwork or agree on the final details of your next placement, but they’re not for you to start looking for a new placement at that point.

Working hours

Your placement should cover full-time working hours.

All DPS work placements should aim to be 35 hours per week, but no less than 25 hours per week.

Ending placements late

If approved from your College, you can finish a placement late and continue with your placement once the academic year has ended. You can work full-time hours outside of term time.

Your engagement with your placement will not be monitored beyond the end of the academic year.

Restrictions and permissions on the type of work

There are limits on the type of work that you can do while studying on a Tier 4/Student Route visa. This includes your placement year and all holiday periods.

Find more information from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

For example, you can’t under any circumstances be self-employed, work on a freelance basis or be a consultant. You mustn’t sell goods or services (including through websites or applications) or set-up/run any sort of business.

You can’t usually work as an entertainer. There are exceptions if you are a Drama, Dance or Music student taking part in a placement organised by UAL.

Paid and unpaid work

Work can be paid or unpaid. You must receive any pay through your placement provider’s payroll. You can’t be self-employed, so you can’t invoice a company or a person for payment for your work.

You may work a further 20 hours per week in addition to the work for your DPS placement activity. Any extra work (paid and unpaid) that you do must not add up to more than 20 hours per week in total.

Voluntary work

You’re permitted to carry out voluntary work, but not work as a volunteer as part of your placement.

Although voluntary work is unpaid, you’ll have a contract. This will detail the days and hours of work and your responsibilities. You should also be allocated a line manager or supervisor. Altogether this means you should have the employment status of a worker.

If your placement is unpaid and does not meet these requirements, you’re likely working as a volunteer. This is not permitted for Tier 4/Student Route visa holders if they are doing a placement.

Work outside term time

Outside of UAL term time, you can work. This can be paid or unpaid work but should not exceed full time hours.

Work placement approval

Your College must approve and confirm your placement(s) at least 2 weeks (10 working days) before the date you want to start the work placement. UAL will report your placement location and dates to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) before your placement starts.

If your placement activity isn’t approved in advance:

  • Your activity may be uninsured.
  • It may not be counted towards the minimum amount of time you need to spend on placement.
  • You may also breach the conditions of your Tier 4/Student Route visa.

Work placement changes

Tell your College immediately if any of your work placements change, such as moving to a different workplace location or changes to your placement start and end dates.

UAL must report these changes to UKVI. Where possible, tell your College at least 2 weeks (10 working days) in advance of the date when the change will come into effect.

Engagement monitoring while on placement

You must check in during the academic year to show that you’re staying engaged on your placement. Your College will provide details but you can expect there to be 10 contact points throughout the academic year.

Your College will also contact your placement provider(s) about you and your placement.

You’ll only be asked to check in during UAL term time.

If you miss a contact point check in there can be serious consequences. These can include suspension or withdrawal from your course, leading to your visa being cancelled.

Read the Course Engagement Monitoring Guidance for more detailed information.

Completing a placement outside of the UK

You can complete a placement outside the UK. If you do, you must follow the same terms and conditions of your visa. This means engaging with the monitoring arrangements outlined by your College. If you don’t do this, UKVI cancel your visa.

If your visa is cancelled, you’ll need to apply for a new Student visa before you can return to the UK to complete your studies.

Giving up your Tier 4/Student Route visa to do a work placement may have unintended consequences for you. Contact UAL’s Student Advice Service to get advice about what may happen if you give up your visa.

Extending your Tier 4/Student visa

If your Tier 4/Student visa does not cover the length of your course including the DPS year, you’ll need to apply to extend your visa. Usually you’ll apply after you have completed your DPS year, before you return for the final year of your course.

Read about applying for a CAS as a continuing or returning student [LINK] to find out what you need to do next.

Contact the Student Advice Service for guidance on how to submit your visa application and to check your supporting documents.

Exchanges

Tier 4/Student Route visa holders are allowed to go on an exchange at another partner university during their studies. If you fulfil the conditions of your visa while on an exchange, UAL will continue to sponsor you.

Exchange approval and reporting

Your College must approve and confirm your exchange in advance. UAL must then report your exchange details to UKVI:

  • The name and address of the institution that you will be studying with.
  • The dates of your exchange period.

If the dates of your exchange change, you must inform your College as soon as you are aware and UAL will update UKVI.

Engagement monitoring while on exchange

You must complete and return an Academic Engagement Form to your College each month. This is to show that you are staying engaged while on exchange. See the Course Engagement Monitoring Guidance for more information.

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