Check what your passport sticker (entry clearance or residence permit) or identity card says. If you are in the UK with student immigration permission and your ID card says "Restricted work, p/t term time, f/t vacations" or your passport sticker says "Work (and any changes) must be authorised" or "Able to work as authorised by the Secretary of State" or "Restricted work in term-time", you are allowed to work .

If you have student immigration permission that allows you to take employment, you can work up to 20 hours (in some cases, up to 10 hours) a week during term-time. You can work full-time during your holidays and on work placements.

During term-time you can work for

• up to 20 hours a week if you are studying at degree level or above

• up to 20 hours a week if you are studying a foundation degree course

• up to 10 hours a week if you are studying any other type of course

While many HND & EDSML qualifiers continue into full-time education, many students join the workforce. According to recent research, 46% of HND qualifiers enter work. The percentage is higher amongst those who have studied part time (74%), while 80% of the part-time students continue working for the employer they had prior to beginning their course. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

This depends on whether you meet the requirements for any of the schemes that the UK Government operates. At the moment, the schemes that are most significant for students who have finished their studies are:

Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) for those who have obtained a UK degree, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (or an HND from a Scottish institution). This replaced the International Graduates Scheme (IGS) and the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme from 30 June 2008. If you have already been granted one year's immigration permission under the IGS (or under Fresh Talent, though this is unusual), you can apply for an extra year under Tier 1 (Post-Study Work), and it does not matter what type of qualification you have, as long as you have immigration permission under IGS or Fresh Talent.

Tier 2 for jobs where no one in the resident labour market can be recruited, and occupations where there is a shortage of qualified workers. This replaced work permits and some other work routes from 27 November 2008

Tier 1 (General) for those with degrees and work experience and prior earnings at a certain level. This replaced the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme.

According to latest figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the average salary for full-time first degree graduates whose destinations were known and who were in full-time employment in the UK six months after graduating was £19,677. This figure covers graduates in all roles across the UK economy, including those occupied by graduates but which might be considered 'non-graduate', and comes from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, which is the annual survey which explores graduates’ destinations six months after graduation. DLHE covers all graduates from UK higher education.