Placement year CV in the UK: sandwich years, internships and the visa rules for students from Türkiye
A placement year CV opens with your degree title, available months and the modules nearest the role. On a Student visa the placement must be an assessed part of the course; students in Türkiye need an approved exchange scheme.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First step: name the kind of placement you are applying for
The CV, the dates you can offer and the visa you need all depend on where you are enrolled and whether the placement is part of your course. Settle that before you write the header.
| Your situation | What the placement is | Immigration permission |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled at a UK university on a degree with a placement year built in | A sandwich year, assessed for credit | Your Student visa covers it if the rules below are met |
| Enrolled at a UK university, course has no placement yet | You need the university to add one | A new CAS and a visa extension, at least at Leeds |
| Enrolled at a university in Türkiye | A UK internship outside your UK study | A Government Authorised Exchange visa through an approved scheme |
| Visiting the UK as a tourist | Not possible | Standard Visitors may not do paid or unpaid work for a UK company |
- Ask your placement tutor or careers service whether your degree title includes a placement year.
- Write down the exact window you can work, in months, and the latest end date your course allows.
- If you study in Türkiye, find an approved exchange scheme before you contact employers.
Placement year, sandwich year or internship
Prospects describes a work placement as temporary work done as an integrated part of a degree, also called a sandwich year, year in industry or placement year, usually between the second and final years. It is assessed and earns academic credit. An internship, by contrast, usually happens over the summer or after graduation and is not part of the degree.
How long and in which subjects
Prospects says mandatory placements usually last a year and are common in engineering, science and construction degrees, and in social work, healthcare and teaching. Optional placements arranged in the holidays often last one to three months.
Pay and fees
- Year-long placements are usually paid, according to Prospects, and the university often charges a reduced fee for that year: Prospects cites 20% of the full fee at York and 15% at Leeds.
- GOV.UK says students required to do an internship of less than one year as part of a UK further or higher education course are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
- Prospects advises agreeing the terms in writing before you start.
The Student visa rules for a placement
The Immigration Rules (Appendix Student) set the conditions. A placement must be assessed as an integral part of the course. On a degree-level course at a higher education provider with a track record of compliance, it may not be longer than half the total course; below degree level the limit is one third. Paragraph ST 26.2 then permits work related to such a placement.
What a university adds
The University of Leeds says the placement must be approved by the university, that you can work full time on it, and that adding a placement after your course has started means a new CAS and a visa extension, applied for in the three months before the placement or before your return. It also notes the five-year limit on degree-level study: a placement that takes you over it is not allowed. Check your own university's visa team for its process.
Term-time hour limits for other jobs are covered on the part-time job page, not here.
Studying in Türkiye: the Government Authorised Exchange route
A student at a Turkish university who wants a UK internship needs a sponsor. The Temporary Work, Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) visa covers work experience through an approved exchange scheme, and the scheme operator gives you a certificate of sponsorship reference. Figures below were read on GOV.UK on 13 October 2026.
| Rule | Detail on GOV.UK |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | An organisation running an approved exchange scheme, listed in the Immigration Rules |
| Length | Work experience schemes: up to 12 months |
| Application fee | £340 |
| Healthcare surcharge | Usually £1,035 a year |
| Money | At least £1,270, held for 28 days in a row, unless exempt or the sponsor certifies support |
| Pay | At least the minimum wage, or the application is refused |
| Timing | Apply up to 3 months before the start date |
Schemes that take students
- BUNAC, Intern UK: internships for eligible students and recent graduates, all UK.
- GTI Recruiting Solutions, GTI intern scheme: graduates and undergraduates in UK industry.
- Twin Training International, Engineering work placement scheme: engineering undergraduates and graduates.
- IRARA Services Ltd, Erasmus+: eligible Erasmus+ traineeships in the UK.
- AIESEC internships: aimed at recent graduates, typically with some experience.
Sample placement CV block
Below is the top half of a placement CV for an invented second-year computer science student from Türkiye at a UK university. Square brackets are placeholders. The lines that differ from a graduate CV are the availability line, the right-to-work line and the first-year marks.
- [Name], [City], [phone], [email], github.com/[user]
- Seeking a 12-month industrial placement from July 2027 to June 2028, as part of BSc Computer Science with a Year in Industry.
- Right to work: Student visa; the placement year is an assessed part of my degree.
- BSc (Hons) Computer Science with a Year in Industry, [University], 09/2025 to 06/2029. Year 1 average: 68%. Year 2 modules: Software Engineering, Databases, Operating Systems.
- Year 2 group project: a booking app for the university's sports centre, team of five; I built the REST API and its tests.
- Lise Diploması, [School], İstanbul, Türkiye, 06/2024.
- Customer assistant (part time), [Retailer], [City], 10/2025 to present: tills, stock counts and weekend opening.
- Skills: Python, Java, SQL, Git, Docker. Languages: Turkish (native), English (IELTS 7.0, 2025).
| Line | Why a placement recruiter needs it |
|---|---|
| Placement window with months | Placements fill fixed 12-month posts; the dates must match your course |
| Degree title with Year in Industry | Shows the placement is part of the course, which is what makes it lawful on a Student visa |
| Right-to-work line | Answers the sponsorship question before it is asked |
| Year 1 average as a percentage | UK recruiters read UK marks; give the scale they use |
| Group project with your part | The nearest thing to work in your field so far |
| Part-time job with dates | Shows reliability; keep it to one line |
Version for a student at a Turkish university
Replace the first two lines with your Turkish degree and its staj requirement, for example: 'BSc Mechanical Engineering, [University], Türkiye, 3rd year; 40 working days of compulsory internship (staj).' State the window, such as 07/2027 to 09/2027, and add: 'Would join through an approved Government Authorised Exchange scheme.' Name the scheme once you have one.
Proof: sources and the date we read them
All read on 13 October 2026. Immigration rules change; check the linked GOV.UK page before you apply.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Definitions, length, subjects, pay, reduced fees | Prospects, Work placements (August 2025) |
| Integral and assessed; one half or one third; work permitted | Immigration Rules Appendix Student, ST 17.2, ST 17.3, ST 26.2 |
| University approval, full time, new CAS, five-year limit | University of Leeds, Work/study placements and extending your visa |
| GAE fee, surcharge, money, minimum wage, timing | GOV.UK, Government Authorised Exchange visa overview and eligibility |
| Approved schemes and sponsors | Immigration Rules Appendix Government Authorised Exchange schemes |
| No minimum wage for required internships under a year | GOV.UK, Employment rights and pay for interns |
| Visitors may not work | GOV.UK, Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor |
Who this page is not for
- Graduates looking for a first job: the Graduate route page covers that.
- Students who want a term-time job in a shop or café: see the part-time CV page.
- Students with no work history who need the basics of a one-page internship CV: the internship resume page covers sections and evidence.
- Medicine, nursing and teaching students: those placements follow your course's own rules, so ask your placement tutor first.
Next steps and other options
| Option | What it offers | Fits you if |
|---|---|---|
| Your placement tutor or careers service | Employer contacts and help with applications; Prospects calls it the first port of call | You are enrolled at a UK university |
| An approved GAE scheme | The sponsorship a UK internship needs | You study in Türkiye |
| A UK cover letter | The letter many placement applications still ask for | The advert asks for one |
| CitedCV | An English CV with UK conventions, built only from the facts you enter, with free PDF, DOCX and TXT exports | You want one placement CV per employer without retyping |
Questions people ask
What should a placement year CV include?
Your degree title with the placement year, the months you are available, first-year marks, relevant modules, a project with your role, and a right-to-work line.
Can international students do a placement year in the UK?
Yes, on a Student visa, if the placement is an integral and assessed part of the course and, at degree level, no longer than half of it.
Do I need a new visa to add a placement year?
Often yes. Leeds says adding a placement after your course started needs a new CAS and a visa extension, because your visa no longer covers the longer course.
Can a student from a Turkish university do an internship in the UK?
Yes, through an approved Government Authorised Exchange scheme such as BUNAC Intern UK or the GTI intern scheme, which sponsors the visa. A visitor visa does not allow work.
Are placement students paid in the UK?
Usually, for year-long placements, Prospects says. GOV.UK says required internships of under a year in a UK course do not attract the National Minimum Wage.
How much does the GAE visa cost?
The application fee was £340 on 13 October 2026, plus a healthcare surcharge of usually £1,035 a year and at least £1,270 in savings unless exempt.
Is a placement year the same as an internship?
No. Prospects says a placement is an assessed part of your degree, usually between the second and final years, while an internship sits outside the degree.
How long can a placement be on a Student visa?
Up to half the total course length on a degree-level course at a compliant university, and one third below degree level, under Appendix Student.
Sources
- Prospects, Work placementswww.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/work-experience-and-internships/work-placements
- Immigration Rules Appendix Studentwww.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-student
- GOV.UK, Student visawww.gov.uk/student-visa
- University of Leeds, Work/study placements and extending your visastudents.leeds.ac.uk/visa-information-working-travelling/doc/visas-work-placements
- GOV.UK, Government Authorised Exchange visa (Temporary Work)www.gov.uk/government-authorised-exchange
- GOV.UK, Government Authorised Exchange visa: eligibilitywww.gov.uk/government-authorised-exchange/eligibility
- Immigration Rules Appendix Government Authorised Exchange schemeswww.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-government-authorised-exchange-schemes
- GOV.UK, Employment rights and pay for internswww.gov.uk/employment-rights-for-interns
- GOV.UK, Visit the UK as a Standard Visitorwww.gov.uk/standard-visitor