Overseas Students and Vacation Work
The position is fairly straightforward with respect to overseas students and vacation work. If you are an undergraduate registered on a UK course, you have the right to work in the UK during the vacations without a work permit. Sometimes the employers themselves are confused, as a small number assume that the rules are the same as for Graduates, however, they are not.
Please note that if you are a Romanian or Bulgarian student, you will need a Registration Certificate. See the following link to Border Control Regulations. You must complete a form BR(1) and send in certain documents to obtain a Registration Certificate. The form is availbale via the Quick Links to the side of this page.
Also students may also be confused by those employers who make eligibility to work full time in the UK on graduation as one of the criteria for vacation work jobs. Effectively this means they are looking to recruit potential future full-time employees via vacation work opportunities so they want to make sure that if they like you, there are no barriers to hiring you when you complete your course.
Work Permit regulations for Undergraduate Vacation Work
If any employer has any doubts, you should refer them to the HMG Home Office UK Border Agency website which clarifies the issues with regard to Work Permits and Overseas Students.
Work Permit regulations for Full Time Work on Graduation
Regarding the graduate market, this is infinitely more complicated and forever changing. So much so that it is fdar safer to click the link to the Careers Service web site to keep up to date. The link is to the right of this page.