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The short answer
If you study at degree level or above with a university that has a track record, you can usually work up to 20 hours a week in term time and full time outside term time; below degree level the term-time limit is 10 hours (UKCISA guidance, checked October 2026). A week means any seven-day period starting on a Monday. At the £12.71 National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over, 20 hours earns £254.20 a week before deductions.
For many Nigerian students in the UK, part-time work is how rent and food get paid once the naira has done its damage to the family budget. The limits on student work are strict, and breaching them can put your visa at risk, so it pays to know exactly what is allowed and what the hours really earn.
The limits
GOV.UK says how much you may work depends on what you study and whether it is term time. UKCISA, the UK council for international student affairs, sets out the detail (updated 28 January 2026):
| Course and sponsor | Term time | Outside term time |
|---|---|---|
| Degree level or above, sponsor with a track record, full-time course | Up to 20 hours a week | Full time |
| Below degree level, same sponsor type | Up to 10 hours a week | Full time |
| Part-time postgraduate | No work | No work |
| Private providers or colleges without a track record | Work not allowed (a course placement may be) | Work not allowed |
Your own limit is the one written on your visa conditions and confirmed by your university. UKCISA's list of things you must not do includes self-employment (including selling for profit online or through apps), business activity, professional sport, work as an entertainer and a permanent full-time job. Full-time fixed-term work outside term time is allowed.
How hours are counted
UKCISA says a week means any seven-day period starting on a Monday. There is no averaging: 25 hours one week and 15 the next breaches the limit even though the average is 20. If you have two jobs, the hours add up, and it is your responsibility to keep a record, because neither employer may know about the other.
What the hours earn
GOV.UK's minimum wage rates from April 2026 are £12.71 an hour at 21 and over and £10.85 at 18 to 20. Employers can pay more.
| Example | Weekly gross |
|---|---|
| 20 hours at £12.71 (term time, 21+) | £254.20 |
| 20 hours at £10.85 (term time, 18 to 20) | £217.00 |
| 37.5 hours at £12.71 (vacation, 21+) | £476.63 |
A year's earnings (illustrative)
Example: a student aged 21 works 20 hours a week for 30 term weeks and 37.5 hours a week for 10 vacation weeks, all at £12.71. Term: 30 × £254.20 = £7,626. Vacation: 10 × £476.63 = £4,766.25. Total: £12,392.25 for the year, just under the £12,570 Personal Allowance, so no Income Tax should be due over the year. If you are taxed on an emergency or BR code, you may overpay; see getting a tax refund as a student.
National Insurance on student pay
National Insurance is charged at 8% on weekly earnings above £242 (GOV.UK, 2026-27). In the example, a term week at £254.20 costs about £0.98 in NI, and a vacation week at £476.63 about £18.77. Unlike Income Tax, NI is not worked out over the year, so it is not refunded because your annual income was low. Factor it into vacation budgets.
If you go over
Working more than your permitted hours, even for one week, breaches your visa conditions and can put your visa at risk. If an employer offers extra shifts in term time, check your hours log for that Monday-to-Sunday week before saying yes, and tell a second employer about the hours you already work.
Budgeting around the limit
- Treat work income as a top-up. The visa required you to show you could support yourself, and term-time hours rarely cover London rent on their own.
- Budget term time on term-time pay, and use vacation earnings to build a buffer for the next term rather than spending them.
- Shifts often change week to week; plan on your lowest likely week.
- Keep payslips and a simple hours log, Monday to Sunday, in your phone notes.
- Ask your university when its term dates and vacation dates fall; the official dates decide which limit applies.
For family sending support from home, see money to and from student family members.
Where Pryme fits
Students often receive support in naira and spend in pounds. A Pryme Personal Account holds both (multicurrency), and Swap shows the rate and the fee before you approve a conversion. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
How many hours can I work on a UK Student visa?
Usually up to 20 hours a week in term time at degree level and 10 below degree level, and full time in vacations, per UKCISA. Check the condition on your own visa.
Is the 20 hours averaged?
No. UKCISA says a week is any seven-day period starting on a Monday, and the limit applies to each week.
Can I do Uber or freelance work on a Student visa?
UKCISA says self-employment, including selling goods or services for profit online or through apps, is not allowed.
How much can I earn working 20 hours a week?
At the £12.71 rate for those 21 and over from April 2026, £254.20 a week before any deductions.
Sources
- UKCISA: Student work (updated 28 Jan 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Student visa, what you can and cannot do · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: National Insurance, how much you pay · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.