Warwick’s student population includes around 30% International students, who can bring diversity and a global perspective to your business, together with in-depth knowledge of different cultures and languages and the opportunity to develop understanding of international markets and new opportunities.

Student visa holders have visa restrictions that differ from UK students, for example a limit on working hours during studies – it is the student’s responsibility to abide by their visa, and your responsibility as an employer to check you understand any restrictions as part of checking potential employees’ right to work in the UK. To see the advice we give these students about working hours etc. please see our student-facing Immigration Service webpages about working on a Student visa. Even though non-student visa holders have no working hour restrictions, we would still recommend that those students also do not work more than 20 hours per week.

Postgraduate students (Masters and PhD) who have study commitments such as writing a dissertation, attending conferences, teaching and development training will affect when students are available. You can only employ them for a maximum of 20 hours per week during the full length of the course, they can start full-time after the course end date, or if the work they are doing with you is an assessed and integral part of their course (better known as placement).

All University Term Dates can be found on our website here with graduation taking place in January and July. Please note that the term dates are only relevant to undergraduate students, all other students are considered “term-time” from course start to end date.

Please note that it is illegal for employers to discriminate against international students: whilst the law requires employers to only employ individuals with a right to work in the UK it is unlawful not to accept applications from or employ someone based on their nationality. Some exemptions apply (for example roles relating to national security), but in general employers that refuse to accept applications from people just because they may need a visa could be open to claims of discrimination. Please always refer to the government’s guidance on discrimination and avoid possible claims of indirect race discrimination by instead:

• Accepting and considering applications from any candidates with suitable skills and experience, irrespective of their nationality.
• Using statements such as: “the successful candidate must by the start of their employment have permission to work in the UK” in vacancy advertisements/person specifications.
• If your vacancy is open to international students, you can highlight this in the vacancy list category as ‘Opportunity for international students’ via the myAdvantage jobs portal.
• If you are a non-UK employer, you may need to consult with your equivalent to the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) to ensure that you are meeting any legal requirements around hosting international students.
• For information on hiring options under the Graduate and Skilled Worker routes – please see the International Student Employability Group's Recruiting International Graduates: A Guide for Employers.

The majority of requirements remain the same for student visa holders (International Students) and non-visa holders (UK Nationals).

Requirements only differ in relation to when undergraduates can start work during vacation periods, 'self-employment', 'business activity' and freelance work and taking a voluntary year out for work experience.

Here is more information on where requirements remain the same and where they differ.

All students should have an additional 4 months of visa after the end date of their course to allow them to wait for their results and decide what to do next. For an undergraduate student this might be the period in between June and October, and for a Master’s student this is usually the period between September and January.

During this time, they can work full time on their student visas, as long as they do not fill a permanent vacancy or work on a freelance basis. If you require some guidance on, please refer to our immigration team’s student facing page ‘Employment during and after your studies’.

It has never been easier to hire from the rich pool of international talent coming from UK higher education providers. Employers without a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence can still hire student visa holders via the Graduate Route, which is ideal if you have a fixed-term project, aren’t yet sure of your longer-term requirements, or are looking to access skills or fill gaps.

The UK Government introduced the Graduate Route post-study work visa from summer 2021. This is an unsponsored route and allows the majority of student visa holders successfully completing their degree level course or above at the University of Warwick to apply to remain in the UK for a further period of 2-3 years (depending on their level of study) to work or look for work at any skill level.

This represents a significant increase in flexibility for employers when considering applications from student visa holders.

Please read our ‘Graduate route – Employer Information’ leaflet for more information on this visa route and refer to the ‘Recruiting International Graduates’ website.

Undergraduates apply for their visa from July-November in the year of graduation. Postgraduate taught students (Masters students) are more likely to apply November-January in the year of graduation, based on the completion date of their studies. PhD students can apply once their degree is complete.

For further information please see:

• ISEG to recruiting international students
• GOV.UK information for the Graduate Route and Graduate Visa

The Skilled Worker route that has replaced the Tier 2 visa for hiring longer term, the hiring organisation will need to sponsor the applicant to do a role which meets the skill and salary requirements outlined by the Home Office, see GOV.UK Skilled Worker Visa.