Volunteering and International students
Volunteering is a good way to get to know London, meet new people, and learn new skills. It can also improve your chances of getting paid work. It’s a very popular student activity here at UCL – over 1600 students took part last year.
The VSU exists to make volunteering as easy as possible – whether you’re new to volunteering, or have volunteered a lot if the past, we’re confident that we have an activity for you.
Visit our ‘Get Involved’ pages to find out what is on offer.
Volunteering and Visas
If you’re an international student, you will need to check your immigration status before volunteering. You can find more information about this at http://uclu.org/services/advice-welfare/information-sheets
If you have the right to work in the UK – for example, if you have an EU passport or a TIER 4 visa – then you will be able to volunteer. However, if you have a limit on the number of hours you can work, any hours spent volunteering might count towards this limit.
If you do not have the right to work (for example, if you have a student visitor visa) the guidance from the UKBA is ambiguous. We are therefore advising students who do not have the right to work that they should not volunteer.
If you would like further advice, please contact UCLU’s Rights & Advice Centre http://uclu.org/services/advice-welfare