Indian student offers to work '12 hours a day, 7 days a week' for free to stay in the UK: 'Fire me on the spot if...'

The Indian student has offered to work for free in a desperate bid to stay in the UK. (Representational)

An Indian student has stirred a social media storm after offering to work without pay if hired in a bold yet desperate plea to remain in the United Kingdom. In a LinkedIn post that quickly went viral, the Leicester-based design engineer graduate revealed her struggle to secure a visa-sponsored job, despite applying to over 300 positions.

With just three months left on her Graduate Visa, she made a last-ditch appeal to potential employers, vowing to work long hours without compensation to prove her worth.

“I’ll work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to prove my worth,” she wrote, adding, “Hire me for free for one month. If I don’t deliver, fire me on the spot, no questions asked.” Her unconventional approach, which included an offer to forgo weekly time off, was seen by some as a reflection of the increasingly brutal job market for international students post-graduation.

The student, who arrived in the UK in 2021 for higher studies, has faced a slew of rejections over the past year, leaving her with few options. "The job market feels like there’s no value for me, my degree, or my capabilities," she shared, expressing frustration over her inability to secure a job that would allow her to stay beyond her visa’s expiration. She admitted that her post was a "final chance" to secure her future in the UK.

With Attitude and approach like this...forget about Indian workplace,we are even gonna make other workplaces toxic too
byu/Resurrect_Revolt inIndianWorkplace

One user commented, “This kind of desperation paints a bad image of Indians abroad and hurts genuine candidates who deserve a fair shot.” Another user expressed alarm, saying, “Indians love working as slaves. It’s very difficult to change their mindset.”

“12 such candidates for 12 months and the company's golden. Zero salary given and free labor. These folks don't realise the level of harm these kind of posts do,” a third wrote.

“I couldn't imagine what's going through her mind right now, in 30 days she has to get a job or else it's back to India with a huge loan to repay,” a fourth empathised.

The United Kingdom's visa rules for international students are designed to offer a pathway for students to gain valuable experience while studying but come with strict limitations and time constraints. Under the current system, students are initially granted a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa, allowing them to study and work part-time.

Upon completing their studies, they can apply for a Graduate Visa, introduced in 2021, which permits them to stay and work in the UK for up to two years (or three for doctoral students) without needing a job offer.

However, for those wishing to extend their stay beyond this period, securing a visa-sponsored job under a Skilled Worker Visa is essential. This requires the employer to have a sponsorship license, and the role must meet salary and skill thresholds, creating significant hurdles for many graduates facing an increasingly competitive job market.