Petition · Home Office
Allow 24 work hours for student & skilled worker visa holders outside main job
Closed
56 signatures
What the petition asks
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.
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.
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.
This small change could strengthen the health and social care workforce and support the UK’s ongoing healthcare needs.
Timeline
| 1 Dec 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Jun 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
56
Status
Closed
Department
Home Office
Opened
1 Dec 2025
Closed
1 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 18 Aug 2026.