Careers Service

International Students

International Students: Finding Jobs

International Student Finding Jobs

This section offers information about working while you study, working in the UK after you study, and returning home. You can also find out about our China Career Gateway career development programme.

For more information and advice specifically for international students, join our International Student Pathway.

Work While Studying

Before you apply for a job there are important things you must check.

As an international student you may have restrictions on the numbers of hours you can work and the type of work that you can do while you study. Visit the Student Progress website for information about working while studying.

It is your responsibility to check for any restrictions before applying for jobs.

The Careers Service is not authorised to give any advice on work permits and visas. You can talk to the Visa Team in Student Progress who are happy to help.

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

National Insurance

National Insurance

It's likely that you will be asked to provide 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, which could involve sending your documents to be checked, or attending an in-person appointment. It can take up to 16 weeks to get your number, after you have proven your identity.

You can work in the UK without your NI number, however it is something employers often ask for.

Proving your right to work in the UK 

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 your Biometric Residence Permit, your passport and other identity documents.

Filling in the Gov.uk Prove your right to work to an employer form provides you with a unique sharecode which you can give to employers. Not all employers use this system, but it would be helpful to have when applying for work in case an employer asks for it. 

Visit Gov.uk for more detailed information.

Finding opportunities

Finding opportunities

Our part-time jobs page offers information and resources to help you find work while you study, including information about Opportunities on campus. You can also attend one of our part-time job workshops for international students during September and October. 

See our work experience section for opportunities related to your degree. You can also read targetjobs' guide to job hunting for international students.

Our advice about making applications, includes information on equivalence of qualifications and improving English communication skills.

 

How to find a part-time job in the UK

Our 21 minute presentation on 'How to find a part-time job in the UK' covers:

  • 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

To view the presentation with subtitles, click the cc button in the player. You can also view a full screen version. 

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Work After Studying (UK)

If you are thinking of working in the UK after your studies there are important things you must check.

Working in the UK

Before applying for graduate jobs in the UK, we recommend you consult UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Be sure to check regularly as government regulations are subject to continuous change.

Understanding your visa options

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

The Visa Team offer a range of resources to help you make sense of the available immigration routes into graduate employment, including:

  • a monthly workshop in partnership with the Careers Service
  • a 10 minute video covering the different immigration routes available to international graduates
  • a detailed guide to the Graduate route

Frequently asked questions

You can find answers to international students’ frequently asked questions in the AGCAS Working in the UK guide (PDF: 478KB). This contains useful information on the immigration routes available and how students can explain their 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 about working in the UK after your studies. This includes:

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

Finding opportunities

Finding opportunities

There are many options open to you in finding opportunities to work in the UK after you graduate. 

To get started, see our Graduate jobs and Explore Occupations web pages.

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. 

For the most up-to-date guidance about the Innovator and the Start-Up visas, go to Gov.uk. 

International student specific resources 

The resources on our website are for all students to access, regardless of nationality.

There are also schemes and resources which are specifically aimed at or are useful for international students:  

  • Student Circus - only advertises jobs and internships from employers who are registered to sponsor Skilled Worker visas. You can browse opportunities, and sign up for a 30 day free trial to apply for them
  • UKhired - search for UK jobs with visa sponsorship, though not all vacancies are aimed at graduates
  • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) - three-way partnerships involving a business, a graduate and an academic institution, lasting between 1-3 years. These paid projects require research in specialist areas, and welcome applications from international graduates. View current opportunities.
  • 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

Register of licensed sponsors

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

If you’re interested in working in the UK via the Skilled Worker route, you can check the Home Office Register of licensed sponsors to find out if a company is able to sponsor your visa.

When using this register, be aware that organisations may only sponsor:

  • experienced hires, not recent graduates
  • specific roles
  • for 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.

Job search and application tips

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

We've produced a 10 minute video on how international students can enhance their chances during the graduate job selection process in the UK.

For more information about equivalence of qualifications and improving English communication skills, see International students: Making Applications. 

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

Work for yourself

The Graduate Route visa allows you to work self-employed in the UK for a 2-year period after your studies (or 3 years for PhD students), although not as a professional sportsperson or coach. You can also look at UKCISA's information about the different routes available.

There are different ways in which the Careers Service can support international students thinking of developing a business or independent career in the UK after graduation.

For more information:

  • Discover what makes a good business idea and how to come up with one of our START UP Ideas Generation workshops.
  • Learn how to test and improve your business idea at one of our START UP Essentials workshops.
  • Visit our events page for details of our other upcoming live START UP events.
  • Use MyCareer to book an online START UP appointment to talk through your ideas with one of our team.

 

 

 

Returning Home

Find information and advice on returning to your home country after your studies.

Returning to your home country

Returning to your home country

Use the following resources for information about finding work in your home country, or worldwide.

How to get started

How to get started

Our 15 minute online masterclass on returning to your home country covers:

  • how to market your international experience
  • how to plan and research international opportunities and recruitment processes
  • what to expect when you return home and how to prepare for this

To view the presentation with subtitles, click the cc button in the player. You can also view a full screen version. 

 

China Career Gateway

Over 150,000 Chinese students were studying at UK universities in 2021/22, and every year many Chinese students will return to China after studying overseas.

So how can you stand out from the competition?

We've created an exclusive career development programme for Chinese students studying at Newcastle University to help you prepare for the UK and Chinese job markets.

China Career Gateway 2023/24 will be delivered as a six-week programme and will offer a combination of in-person and online sessions.

China Career Gateway aims to help you:

  • understand the graduate job market in the UK and China
  • learn how to make effective applications for graduate roles in the UK and China
  • connect with Newcastle University graduates and hear about their experiences in finding employment in the UK and China after university

You’ll also get the opportunity to join live sessions to connect with Chinese alumni and employers. Students who complete the programme will receive Newcastle University’s China Career Gateway certificate.

The 2023/24 programme will start with an in-person session week commencing 9th October. You can enrol now before the programme starts. 

The programme is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate Chinese students or students interested in working in China. You must be registered as a Newcastle University student in academic year 2023/24 to access the content. If you haven’t registered yet you may need to wait until your University registration is complete before you can enrol.

China Career Gateway logo

China Career Gateway online masterclass


You can also watch our 12 minute online masterclass for Chinese students, which covers how to:

  • describe key features of the Chinese graduate labour market
  • sell your Newcastle University experience to a prospective Chinese employer on your CV
  • explain where to search for graduate job opportunities in China

To view the presentation with subtitles, click the cc button in the player. You can also view a full screen version.