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Volunteering and Unpaid Employment
There is a distinction between unpaid employment (otherwise described as 'voluntary work') and volunteering.
This is particularly relevant to students from overseas who are studying in the UK, as time spent in unpaid employment will be counted towards your maximum number of hours of work per week. Similarly, for those international students with a work prohibition, undertaking unpaid employment would be a breach of your work prohibition and is treated very seriously by the Home Office.
Please note that the Students' Union volunteering scheme may promote both roles that are considered to be unpaid employment and roles that are considered to be volunteering. If you are unsure as to whether a role you have found is classified as volunteering or unpaid employment, please contact your Students' Union Employability and HR Team.
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