New to the UK > What does "restricted right to work in the UK" mean?

What does "restricted right to work in the UK" mean?

Wollit TeamUpdated 23rd September 2024

“Restricted right to work in the UK" means that you have the right to work in the UK but it’s limited by your visa. This can often happen if you’re an international student or a temporary visa holder. Here is how this type of work permit works, what restrictions apply to you, and how this can affect you while you live in the UK.

Who has a restricted right to work?

Several groups of people may have a restricted right to work in the UK:

Students from outside the UK often have specific working hours and job types they can take.
People on temporary visas, like Tier 2 (Skilled Worker) or Tier 5 (Temporary Worker), may have restrictions, depending on their sponsorship.

One thing to keep in mind: if you’re a EU citizen who has pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, then you have full right to work in the UK. The only challenge for you is the fact that you have to stay in the UK for five continuous years if you want to convert this to settled status (“British PR”).

What does "restricted right to work" mean?

Types of Jobs: Some visas
Number of Hours: Certain visa holders may be limited in how many hours they can work each week.
Duration of Employment: Some individuals may only be allowed to work until their visa expires or for a set period.

For example, international students on a Student Visa can usually work 10 or 20 hours per week during their studies, depending on their course level. They can work full-time during official breaks but must follow these rules while studying.

What are the usual kinds of restrictions?

When someone has a restricted right to work, it means they can only work under certain rules set by their visa or immigration status. Here are some examples:

Some visas say what kind of jobs you can do. For example, if you’re a Tier 4 (Student) visa holder, then you cannot be self-employed or start your own business.
Other visas only allow people to work in specific roles or industries.
Most employment visas also limit your right to work only for a certain employer (your sponsor). If your contract ends, you might need to re-apply.
Many visas also limit how many hours you can work. For example, if you’re a student then you may only work part-time (10-20 hours a week) during school terms. The good news is that you can work full-time during breaks.
If your visa has an expiration date, your right to work ends when your visa does unless you apply for an extension or a different visa.

What happens if I break my work restrictions?

If you break the rules of your visa by working more hours than allowed or taking an unauthorised job, there could be serious consequences.

First, you might lose your visa status, which could lead to immediate deportation.

Your employer might also face heavy fines and get into legal trouble. If you hid your restricted right to work from them, they might even be able to take you to court for damages.

What else am I limited from?

In the UK, having a restricted right to work can also indirectly affect your ability to get basic financial products, like credit cards or loans.

Lenders often look at job stability and income when deciding whether to give you a loan. If you have work restrictions, they might not feel so confident about your commitment to the UK or your ability to pay back your loan.

However, if you do plan to stay in the UK and perhaps have hopes of settling here, you should take steps now to build your credit profile. This will be very helpful when getting mobile phone contracts, renting, and even getting a mortgage later on.

Luckily, now there are many apps that can help you build and improve credit.

One such app is Wollit. Wollit is an app that reports your monthly subscription as loan repayment, helping you build a history of timely repayments without the risk of getting hit with high-interest charges or going over your card limit. It can even report your monthly rent payment to Experian, adding another line in your credit report that shows lenders you're responsible and pay your bills on time. This can make it easy for you to settle in the UK properly – and even become a homeowner at some point.