How to Earn Money on Student Visa in the UK

Updated on: 2022-11-08 - 3 mins read

Living in the UK as a student can be very expensive. Every student face expenditure such as rent, insurance, food, supplies, and other bills. The tuition fees can be costly; the above-mentioned statutory expenses fuel the fire. Thus, students generally tend to look for part-time jobs to reduce the burden on their pockets.

Before going into the ways, you can earn money on a student visa, it is essential to know the restrictions on a student visa.

Work Restrictions on a Student Visa:

You can work up to 20 hours a week on a student visa. This limit includes both paid and unpaid work for one or more organizations. The 20 hours cannot be averaged over a more extended period. A student can take up any job except:

  • Self-employment
  • Business activities
  • Vacant full-time posts in organizations
  • Professional sports (as a coach or sportsperson)
  • Entertainment activities (both paid and unpaid)
  • Doctors or dentists in training

Some of the standard and easy ways to earn money as a student in the US are mentioned below:

1. University Jobs

Almost every university offers part-time job opportunities to its students. These jobs include being a part-time librarian, research assistant, teaching assistant, volunteer, and so on. Students are paid on an hourly basis. The university sets the wage according to government norms. You require good language skills and lexical knowledge to qualify for university work. Apart from this, you can also approach your universities for internship opportunities in the university itself or a company from the university’s network. You can contact the concerned department in your university for the same.

2. Waitressing or Bartending

One of the most common jobs chosen by students is waitressing or bartending. Students take part-time shifts at local restaurants and bars to get extra money. Apart from the daily wage, you can also get some additional tips. Cafés like Starbucks and fast-food chains like Dunkin donuts, KFC, McDonald’s, and Taco bell are some of the famous choices. Apart from that, students also have a penchant for working in the kitchen. Bartending is also quite famous among the student force. However, knowing about different liquors and mocktail or cocktail recipes is a prerequisite for this job. Both waitressing and bartending pay students quite well.

3. Data Entry

Data entry jobs are famous all over the world. Several companies work on piles and piles of data. Entering them in the proper format for analysis is a time taking job. Thus, they employ part-time or full-time data entry personnel and pay them daily or weekly. You can work from the comfort of your home; therefore, if you’re worried about going to an office, you can choose this job. You don’t require any special education to pursue this job. Anyone with a computer and internet can apply for this job.

4. Content Writing

Like Data Entry, Content writing allows you to work from the comfort of your home. You should apply for such jobs if you’re good at writing blogs, news articles, or social media posts. Companies pay you based on the number of articles or words you’ve written in a week or month. Usually, the work hours are flexible; you don’t have to work on a fixed schedule. If you’re looking for such flexible, good pay jobs, then you can try content writing.

5. Tutoring

Tutoring school kids or any student who needs help can pay you a good amount hourly. For this job, subject knowledge is required. For instance, you need to be good at math if you wish to be a math tutor. Hourly rates generally range from $30 to $50 based on the subject and the student’s grade. You can choose to take physical or online classes. You can post advertisements in your local schools or educational institutions. You can also advertise on social media platforms for a more extensive outreach. The noteworthy point is that the UK does not allow you to tutor sporting activities.

6. Freelancing

Freelancing is a very general and broad term. This job allows you to work on your schedule and get good pay. To become a freelancer, you must be technically competent in your chosen line of work. Popular freelancing jobs include graphic design, engineering design, webpage design, programmers, copywriters, and social media marketers.

7. Dog walking or baby-sitting

Europeans love their pets and would give anything to help care for them. Dog walking is a good-paying part-time job. Similarly, babysitting is another common kind of job for students. These jobs are comparatively less stressful. However, this may not pay as much as the other positions. Several people post advertisements on the local notice boards of the community or universities for the same. You can approach them and get a job.

8. Online Surveys

Several websites, such as Swagbucks, pay you for taking surveys. All you have to do is take a 10- to 15-minute-long survey and earn extra pocket money. Some websites pay you in the form of vouchers, and some pay you with cash. You earn points or credits for each survey you answer. Based on the total credits, the organization pays you. They also allow you to choose the voucher. For instance, Swagbucks have coupons for amazon, apple, Nike, and so on. You can redeem your points by selecting a suitable voucher for you.

There are several ways to earn money on a student visa. If you don’t violate the student visa norms, you can choose to work on a student visa. Other jobs available in the market can help you earn some extra cash. You must ensure you don’t violate the student visa -work limits.