PETITIONOpenPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Allow 24 work hours for student & skilled worker visa holders outside main job
We call on the UK Government to increase the weekly working hour limit for: Skilled Worker (Health and Care) visa holders from 20 hours to 24 hours per week outside main job, and international students from 20 hours to 24 hours per week.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
56
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 56/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 56/100,000
Background
Most health care shifts are 12 hours long and workers can only complete one full shift and part of another under the current rule. Raising the limit to 24 hours would allow two full shifts per week, helping to fill NHS and care staff shortages and improve service continuity while offering fairer income opportunities.
This small change could strengthen the health and social care workforce and support the UK’s ongoing healthcare needs.