Some very drastic changes. It will hit students very hard although it will discourage people coming to work here.
The question is will it affect British business’s and the economy in the long run who will no longer be able to make the most of another cheap and hard working labour group?
What’s changing on 3 March 2010 in relation to work?
If you make a Tier 4 immigration application on or after 3 March 2010 in order to study a course at degree level or above or to study a foundation degree course, your permission to work will be the same as it is before 3 March 2010. For details, see What kind of work can I do during my studies?
If you make a Tier 4 (General) immigration application on or after 3 March 2010 in order to study a course which is not at degree level or above and which is not a foundation degree, or if you apply as a Tier 4 (Child) Student to take a course at any level, you will be allowed to take employment for up to 10 hours a week in term-time and full-time in the holidays. If you make or made your most recent immigration application before 3 March 2010, the maximum number of hours you can work in term-time is 20 hours a week.
If you make your Tier 4 (General) immigration application on or after 3 March 2010 in order to study a course which is longer than six months but which is below degree level and is not a foundation degree course, your family members can come with you or stay with you in the UK. However, they are not allowed to work, even if your course lasts 12 months or longer.
The UK Government has announced that further changes will take place on 6 April 2010. They will affect you if your course is below degree level and includes work placements. Only Tier 4 sponsor education providers which are Highly Trusted Sponsors will be able to offer these courses. All publicly funded Tier 4 sponsor education providers will automatically be Highly Trusted Sponsors when this new scheme is launched. Tier 4 sponsor private education providers will have to apply to be Highly Trusted Sponsors. There are no details yet about Highly Trusted Sponsors, so you should talk to your education provider to see if this proposed change applies to you.
Can I continue working after the new immigration rules for students come into force on 31 March 2009?
If you have immigration permission which you applied for before 31 March 2009, you continue to be subject to those conditions and restrictions. If you apply for and are granted immigration permission as a student on or after 31 March 2009, you have to meet the new requirements. The main difference between them is who can work full-time on work placements. For details, see What kind of work can I do during my studies?
Can I work while I study in the UK?
Check what your passport sticker (entry clearance or residence permit) or identity card says. If you are in the UK with student immigration permission and your ID card says “Restricted work, p/t term time, f/t vacations” or your passport sticker says “Work (and any changes) must be authorised” or “Able to work as authorised by the Secretary of State” or “Restricted work in term-time”, you are allowed to work . More information in ‘Can I work?’
What kind of work can I do during my studies?
If you have student immigration permission that allows you to take employment, you can work up to 20 hours (in some cases, up to 10 hours) a week during term-time and full-time during your holidays, a work placement or an internship. More information in ‘What kind of work?’
Can I work an average of 10 or 20 hours a week?
No. If you work more than 10 or 20 hours in any week in term-time (and you are not doing a work placement for your course or an internship), you are in breach of your immigration conditions, even if you work under 10 or 20 hours in other weeks. More information about how many hours a week you can work in ‘What kind of work?’
Can I work full-time while I write my dissertation or thesis?
If you are still studying, even if you are not attending classes, this is not a vacation period for you. This means that you should not work full-time until you have submitted your dissertation or thesis and finished your studies, unless you are doing a work placement.
Can I pay for my studies through work?
Usually, you must be able to pay your tuition fees and living costs without having to work in the UK . More information in ‘Can I pay?’
Can I take a gap year and work full-time?
No. If you want to defer your studies for a year, you should leave the UK and come back when your studies start again. You can work full-time only in your holidays, when you have finished your studies, and if you are doing a work placement or an internship.
My employer says I must prove I can work during my studies
If you have a passport sticker or identity card that does not prohibit work, you are allowed to take employment as described above without getting any further approval or permission . More information in ‘My employer says I must prove’
What obligations does my employer have towards me?
UK employers have a number of legal duties towards their employees. These include anti-discrimination measures, health and safety requirements, the obligation to pay the minimum wage, comply with laws relating to maximum working hours and breaks, pay National Insurance contributions, and provide wage slips.
Directgov - UK Government information for employees.
Do I have to pay tax if I work while I study?
If you earn more than a specified personal allowance in any tax year, you will have to pay income tax. The HM Revenue & Customs and the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group provide detailed information about how the tax system in the UK applies to students.
What is a National Insurance number and how do I get one?
Your National Insurance number (NINo) is a unique personal number which is used to record your National Insurance (NI) contributions. Employees and employers both pay NI contributions, which help to fund contributory benefits, for example, the state pension and jobseeker’s allowance. You do not need to have a NINo before starting work, but you must obtain one when you get a job.
HM Revenue & Customs - information about how to apply for a NINo
Can I apply for tax credits?
If the entry clearance or residence permit in your passport states that you are subject to the condition “No recourse to public funds”, or if your identity card says “No public funds”, you must not apply for tax credits. This would be a breach of your immigration conditions.
Welfare benefits
Can my family members work while I study in the UK?
This depends on the amount of time you are given to study in the UK and your level of study. If you are or if you have been given permission to be in the UK for 12 months or more and your course is at degree level or is a “foundation degree”, your family members who are in the UK with you should be given permission to work. If your course is at any level and your student immigration permission is under 12 months long, or if you are studying a course which is below degree level and which is not a “foundation degree”, your family members will not be allowed to work if they make their immigration application on or after 3 March 2010.
A “foundation degree” for immigration purposes is a course which leads to a qualification at level 5 or above of the National Qualifications Framework, and which is awarded by a UK higher education institution which has degree awarding powers. This means that some courses called foundation degrees will not meet this definition, but other courses which are not called foundation degrees, for example some HNDs, do meet this definition. You will have to check with the college or university where you are studying whether your course meets this description and, if it does, ask that the words “foundation degree” appear on your confirmation of acceptance for studies if you are applying at the same time as your family members, or any documents your family members submit with their applications if they are applying separately from you