Part-time study on Student visa

Short answer

Yes, you can study a part-time postgraduate course on a Student visa, but only in fairly narrow circumstances. The Student route allows part-time study only where the course is above degree level (that is, RQF level 7 or above, which covers most postgraduate courses such as a master’s or PhD) and where your sponsoring higher education provider holds a track record of compliance. Part-time study below degree level is not permitted on the Student visa. The trade-off is that part-time Student visa holders lose several of the entitlements that full-time students have.

The core rule

Under Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules (paragraph ST 8.2), a Student visa can be granted for a part-time course only where it is a part-time course above degree level that leads to an approved qualification and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) has been issued by a higher education provider with a track record of compliance.

Two conditions therefore both have to be satisfied:

1. The course must be above degree level. A postgraduate taught master’s, research master’s or doctoral programme normally qualifies. A course at exactly degree level or below (for example an undergraduate degree, or a level 6 or lower qualification) cannot be studied part-time on this visa.

2. Your sponsor must be a higher education provider with a track record of compliance. This is a specific UKVI status; not every licensed sponsor holds it. Colleges and providers that are not HEPs with a track record of compliance cannot sponsor part-time students, so you should confirm your institution’s status before relying on this.

If either condition is not met, you cannot use the Student route for part-time study, even for a postgraduate course.

Restrictions that apply to part-time students

The restrictions are significant and are the main practical difference from studying full-time.

No right to work. Part-time Student visa holders have no permission to work at all. This is different from full-time degree-level students, who usually get limited term-time working rights and full-time work in vacations. On a part-time Student visa you cannot work, whether employed or self-employed, and cannot undertake a work placement or a sandwich year in the same way.

No dependants. You cannot bring, or be joined by, dependant partners or children on a part-time course. The right to sponsor dependants is restricted to certain full-time postgraduate and government-sponsored students.

Length and nature of permission. Permission for a part-time course is granted for the entire length of the course rather than in the shorter blocks sometimes used elsewhere. You must still comply with attendance and engagement requirements set by your sponsor, and your sponsor is obliged to report non-attendance or withdrawal to the Home Office, which can lead to curtailment of your visa.

Genuine student and other general requirements. You still have to meet the standard requirements: an unconditional offer and a valid CAS, the financial (maintenance) requirement, English language ability where relevant, and the genuine student requirement. You must also comply with the general prohibition on undertaking unauthorised activities.

Points to check before you commit

Confirm with the institution’s international student advice team, in writing, three things: that the course is classed as above degree level for immigration purposes, that they will class and sponsor it as part-time, and that they hold a track record of compliance as a higher education provider. Getting this confirmed avoids applying for a visa that cannot lawfully be granted.

Consider whether the loss of working rights and the inability to bring dependants make part-time study workable for you in practice, particularly given the financial requirement will still have to be met.

If your course is not above degree level, or your provider does not have the required status, look at whether a full-time version of the course, or a different immigration route, would be more suitable. If you are already in the UK on another visa that permits study, you may not need a Student visa at all.

Where this comes from

The rules are set out in the Immigration Rules Appendix Student and in the Home Office Student route caseworker guidance, both available on GOV.UK, together with the public guidance at gov.uk/student-visa. These are the authoritative sources and are updated periodically, so check the current version before applying, as the detail of dependant eligibility and work conditions has changed in recent years.

If you tell me the exact qualification level of your course (for example master’s or PhD, and the RQF level), whether your provider is a university, and your current immigration status, I can tell you more precisely whether the part-time Student route is open to you and what the best alternative might be.