Most students on courses of more than 6 months will be given a passport stamp that allows them to work part-time during the term (up to 20 hours a week) and any number of hours during the vacations. For further information from UKCOSA about this topic, download the Guidance Note, 'Students and employment'.

The Rules state that applicants must be able to support themselves and any dependants without working. This means that while there is provision for students to take employment during vacations or spare time, no account may be taken of any prospective earnings from that employment in assessing the ability of a student to meet the maintenance requirement, except where the educational establishment at which the student has a place:

• is a publicly funded institution of further or higher education which is itself providing and guaranteeing the employment, and has provided details of how much the applicant will earn
• is able to guarantee that there are jobs available and how much if anything the applicant will earn.