Term Dates
International Students' Vacation Dates
In order to assist both international students who have student visas, and their potential employers, the University has published the following vacation dates for the academic years 2025/26 and 2026/27 during which international students can work full time. Further information is provided in the Guidance Notes
A small number of courses may have slightly different dates, your Faculty will advise if this applies to your course.
All dates are inclusive.
Guidance Notes
Under the UKVI rules students studying in the United Kingdom on a student visa, are restricted to specified working hours per week during the term-time as detailed in the individual student’s visa contained on their digital visa. The restrictions are usually 20 hours per week, being the seven-day period from Monday to Sunday, for Master's Degrees, Research Degrees and Bachelor's Degree.
However, during vacation periods, as detailed above, Student visa holders may be employed on a full-time basis. There are still some restrictions on the type of work that can be done at these times. Those on a Student visa who are seeking employment can never:
- be employed as a doctor in training;
- be employed as a professional sportsperson (including a sports coach);
- be employed as an entertainer;
- be self-employed;
- engage in business activity; or
- fill a full-time, permanent vacancy
International students entering the UK with a Standard Visitor Visa may not take any paid or unpaid employment.
Potential employers are strongly advised to check both the restrictions detailed in an individual student’s visa and seek guidance from the UKVI directly or via the UKVI website regarding a migrant student’s legal right to work. Employers are also advised to undertake a Right to Work check or use the Employer Checking Service available through UKVI. Our document Employing International Students from the University of Chester highlights some useful information for those employing student visa holders from the University of Chester.
Both employers and students are reminded that for the purposes of employment or working the UKVI define a 'week' as the seven-day period commencing on a Monday and ending on the following Sunday. Training also counts towards the total hours per week.
- Vacation Dates 2025-26 (PDF file)
- Vacation Dates 2024-25 (PDF file)
- Vacation-Dates-2026-27.pdf