International students can provide valuable skills and experience to employers in the UK. They possess language skills, cultural awareness, and contacts in other countries. Most international students have the right to work in the UK subject to some restrictions. Employers should check a student's immigration status before hiring to ensure they are legally allowed to work. There are also schemes that allow international students to gain work experience in the UK after graduation through the Points Based System.

1. Student
Development
PROVIDING WORK EXPERIENCE FOR AN
International Student –
Information for Employers
www.le.ac.uk

2. 2 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · PROVIDING WORK EXPERIENCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
Providing work Full-time International Students -
experience for an Principal Countries of Domicile
International Student
– Information for 31 26
Employers
The University of Leicester is a
9
leading UK university with a 2
worldwide reputation for 4
excellence. It is a popular choice 5 7
5 6
for international students with 5 5
citizens of over 80 countries
represented on our campus. International students studying in the UK
Each year, there are more than make a substantial financial investment in
their education. They are committed,
1500 students from outside the motivated and put a premium on getting
UK studying the full range of work experience in the United Kingdom to
subjects and degree courses add value to their course programmes, to
develop their employability skills and to give
available with the majority of them a competitive edge in their search for
international students choosing employment.
to take courses in business,
engineering, science, computing What contribution could an
international student make to
and law, the majority of these my organisation?
being at Masters and PhD level. • language skills – helping you to
In 2007-8 the University had communicate with overseas markets
students from 67 countries and/or suppliers;
outside of the European Union • cultural and cross cultural awareness –
providing advice and information to
on its degree courses and Study ensure you make the right impact on
Abroad Programmes. your international customers and clients;

3. INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS 3
As an employer you will want to be
China (26%) reassured that you can lawfully employ an
India (9%) international student. Most international
students do have a right to work in the
Canada (7%) UK subject to some restrictions.
Nigeria (6%) Students from most countries within the
Malaysia (5%) European Economic Area and Switzerland
are allowed to work in the UK without
Pakistan (5%) any restrictions. Students from the Czech
Taiwan (5%) Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovak
USA (5%) Republic may need to register to work in
Hong Kong (4%) the UK during their first 12 months. This
must be done within one month of
Saudi Arabi (2%) starting work; however, no permission is
Other (31%) needed before the student begins to
work.
• knowledge of UK and overseas business Students from Bulgaria or Romania may
practice – many international students need to apply for a registration certificate
have worked in their home countries before they are allowed to work. They
and regions, often in professional and must obtain this from the Home Office
management positions;
• overseas contacts and networks –
making sure you reach the right people
and organisations to maximise your
export potential;
• business and technical skills –
international students often follow
highly vocational courses allowing them
to make an immediate impact at work;
• creating a diverse workforce – enabling
your organisation to reflect the
changing pattern of the UK working
population and the need to develop
relationships across a global business
community.

4. 4 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · PROVIDING WORK EXPERIENCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
before they start work. They are not • project work to provide you with a
allowed to work more than 20 hours a business solution, organised as part of
week during term time but may work their course or on completion of their
unlimited hours during the vacation and studies;
on work placements.
• informal work experience or job
Students from outside the EEA are allowed shadowing placements;
to work during their studies although this
is subject to some regulation. It is • voluntary work placements for a fixed
important that employers check the period;
student’s status before employing them. • part time or temporary work not
Students with a passport sticker (entry
exceeding 20 hours per week during
clearance or residence permit) that says
term time (University regulations
“No work” must not work and it would
suggest 15 hours as a maximum);
be illegal for them to do so. Students
with a work restriction stamp in their • full time work during the vacations
passport which states ‘no recourse to provided they meet the conditions* set
public funds, work must be authorised’ out below;
DO NOT need to obtain a work permit
• full time work on completion of their
and can take part in:
studies up to a maximum of four
• industrial placements of up to one year months (in line with valid student visa
organised as part of their course; dates) provided they meet the
• a paid internship placement for up to 3 conditions* set out top right.
months;

5. INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS 5
*Conditions – international students must copy of the student’s application form for a
not: National Insurance number as proof of
• pursue a career by filling a permanent application.
full-time vacancy;
Good practice when recruiting
• work on a self-employed basis;
an International Student
• work as a professional entertainer or
• Take a photocopy of the EEA identity
sports person.
card or page of the student’s passport
The majority of international students that contains their name, nationality and
studying at the University of Leicester date of validity if they are not from the
have student immigration permission. EEA/Switzerland.
This means that they are able to work
• Take a photocopy of their travel
during and after their studies as set out
document or the page in their passport
above.
that has the most recent stamp allowing
An international student is not required to them to work during their studies.
have a National Insurance number before
• If the student is subject to the Workers’
they start work (provided they have
Registration Scheme or requires an
immigration permission allowing them to
Accession Worker Card keep a
work). You can allow an overseas national
photocopy of it on file.
to commence work, and deduct National
Insurance contributions on a temporary • Contact the UK Borders Agency
number, whilst a National Insurance card is employer helpline on 0845 010 6677 for
being issued. This will normally take advice on the legal rights of international
between 6 -12 weeks. You can ask to see a students to work in the UK.

6. 6 UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · PROVIDING WORK EXPERIENCE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
How to employ an 2008) a Bachelors or Master degree, PhD
international student after they or postgraduate certificate or diploma or
Scottish HND at a UK institution can apply
have graduated
to remain in the UK for a maximum of 2
There are a number of schemes that allow years. The individual student applies for
overseas nationals to work in the UK upon the scheme after being awarded the
graduating. These schemes are part of a degree. The scheme requires no further
new system known as the Points Based input from the employer than would be
System (PBS) which has 5 Tiers. The main expected when employing a UK citizen.
ones concerning graduate employment are Experienced gained under the PSW
Tier 1 for highly skilled workers and Tier 2 Scheme could subsequently be used to
for sponsored skilled workers, and these contribute to an application for a Tier 2
are likely to be of most interest to visa.
employers seeking to employ highly skilled
foreign nationals. To apply for permission Tier 1: General (Highly Skilled)
to work under the PBS, students must have (up to 5 years)
proof of successful completion of their This has replaced the Highly Skilled
course. However, Non EEA students can Migrants Scheme and allows a person to
work full-time on completion of their work and/or be self-employed without the
course until the expiry of their student visa need for a work permit. Following
for up to a maximum of 4 months. successful application, initial approval is
granted for 3 years (with an extension
The key difference between Tier 1 and Tier
available for a further 2 years). Like the
2 is that those given permission to work in
Post Study Work Scheme, the applicant
the UK under Tier 1 do not require an
does not need a job offer from a sponsor
employer to act as a sponsor, so there is no
to qualify. This category can lead to
immigration work for the employer to do,
permanent residency so may be more
whereas for Tier 2, the employer will need
suitable for people who have made a long
to act as a sponsor. Tier 1 of the PBS is of
term commitment to live and work in the
most relevance to the majority of
UK, provided that they meet the qualifying
international students looking to stay on
and work in the UK and to employers conditions of the scheme.
interested in employing them. Further guidance can be found on the East
Midlands Universities Association website
Tier 1: Post Study Work Scheme (2 http://www.emua.ac.uk/careersgroup/in
Years) ternational.html, from the UK Border
Under Tier 1 ‘Post Study Work’ Agency
international graduates who have http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/wo
successfully completed (on or after 30 June rkingintheuk/ and from UKCISA

7. INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS 7
http://www.ukcosa.org.uk. ‘Find your vacancy management system, JOBSonline,
way to work’ is a government publication to is one way you can advertise your
help international students understand the vacancies and work experience
regulations concerning working in the UK. opportunities.
Whilst the information on the regulations is
• recruit on campus – the Employer Liaison
out of date (a new version is being
Team organises many events which your
produced) the guidance to employers on
organisation may wish to get involved
page 14 is still current. You can find it at
with including careers fairs, presentations,
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/files/pdf/worki
interviews, insight/management
ng/find_your_way_to_work.pdf
programmes, departmental and themed
events.
How the University of Leicester
Employer Liaison Team can You can find out more about how
help you international students might contribute to
your organisation by contacting Valerie
At the University of Leicester, we are Matthews-Lane on 0116 229 7696 or by
committed to involving employers in our emailing Valerie at vml7@le.ac.uk. You can
students’ development and to building also find out about the services we offer to
sustainable and successful relationships with employers by contacting the Employer
employers who support this. We offer a Liaison Team on 0116 252 5117 or by e
range of ways for organisations to engage mailing employerlink@le.ac.uk.
with our students including:
Information reproduced by permission of the
• advertising vacancies – the University’s East Midlands Universities Association.

8. © University of Leicester 2009
Leicester LE1 7RH
UK
www.le.ac.uk
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