Travel Guides / UK
7 must-see sporting events in the UK
SWAP staff
Mar 26 2026
Picky bits and Pimms packed, it's time to revel in some competition.
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Apply now on our JENZA website
Swap x Jenza Intern UK
Intern in the UK
UK visa sponsorship for 1-12 months
Run by our UK-based team – put your career on the map with a professional internship in the UK. From tea breaks to big breaks, excitement and opportunities await.
Swap resume worry for real life work experience
Why should Canadians do an internship in the UK
The UK might bring to mind tea, castles and rainy weather, but under the London fog is one of the world’s leading business hubs. Banking, tech, food, fashion, politics, the arts – you name it, the UK has it. You'll turn your academic achievements... Read more
Need to know
What is Intern UK?
Intern UK is a SWAP x JENZA program for Canadian students (or international students studying in Canada) who want to use their summer break or semester abroad to get valuable short-term work experience. Or if you’ve graduated in the last two years... Read more
At a glance
18+
Canadian + international students
Great for your career
1-12 months in duration
Depart any time of year
Ideal for uni summers
Your Euro summer
The gateway to Europe
Just over two hours by Eurostar, you can be knocking off work in London and eating your body weight in Paris by 8pm. And with heaps of low-cost airlines out of the UK, spending your weekends clubbing in Ibiza, sailing in Croatia or skiing in the Alps.
Talk to us
Find out more about UK internships
The JENZA Travel Group (SWAP, JENZA, BUNAC + USIT) have been running UK work and travel programs for 50+ years. Set up a call to run through your career goals, what internships you can do, and when you should be thinking of applying.
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Got questions?
We’ve got answers
You can find out more about interning in the UK and apply for this program on our JENZA website.
SWAP is part of the JENZA Travel Group – made up of JENZA (our global work and travel brand), BUNAC (our dedicated summer camp brand and UK visa sponsor), and USIT (our Irish work and travel brand).
One team with one mission, together we open up a world of opportunities for global 18-30s and students.
Open to students and grads of all nationalities, not just Canadians, and fulfilled by our London HQ – Intern UK lives over on our global JENZA site.
Confusingly, BUNAC is the UK Government authorised sponsor for the Intern UK visa. (Who said families where easy?!). So if you see BUNAC on any of your official paperwork, that's why!
- An internship is a paid or voluntary (unpaid) position within a company where you are constantly learning and training under a mentor. Internship placements must not be made up of manual or administrative tasks, but should show clear progression – enhancing the skills you have, learning new skills, and getting exposure to different areas of the department or business. See the next FAQ for more.
- Yes, you must be a full-time degree level student or you must have started your internship within 24 months of graduating. Other than UK passport holders, all nationalities can do Intern UK. Including overseas students currently studying at a UK university who either wish to intern over their summer holidays or after they graduate to put their academic achievements to work in a professional environment.
- Other than healthcare and hospitality, you can intern in most industries. Your internship also doesn’t need to be connected to your degree subject, so you have the freedom to explore other career paths and routes. Speak to us about the sector you wish to intern in and we’ll let you know what is permitted on this visa.
When reaching out to UK employers, your internship offer must meet these requirements. This is to meet UK Government criteria for this visa, protect you as an intern, and ensure your experience is a valuable one:
- Be a maximum of up 12 months in duration and at least 25 hours per week
- Must be a supernumerary position, meaning that the role is designed for an intern and not a permanent employee
- Your internship must include complex activities rather than routine tasks, and have a good level of rotation and clear objectives backed up by a detailed training plan
- It must include enough supervision from your employer. We recommend the company can demonstrate a full-time staff member to intern ratio of 5:1, and no less than 3
- If it’s a paid internship, it must meet the UK National Minimum Wage legislation; and for voluntary internships, the UK Volunteer Rights legislation
- All internships longer than six months must be paid
- The company you intern with should be registered with Companies House for at least the last 12 months. - At least 30% of a hybrid internship must be based in the company’s registered office.
- We do not offer sponsorship for fully remote internships.
We can sponsor you to do either a paid or voluntary (unpaid) internship. See the 'What must my UK internship include' above.
If you do an unpaid internship, this will be a voluntary arrangement between you and your employer and your status would then be that of a 'volunteer'. However, being a volunteer does not simply mean that you are willing to work for no pay. Specifically, you and your employer must agree that you have no contract or formal arrangements and that you are under no obligation to perform any specific work or carry out instructions. You're able to come and go to work as you please and will have no expectation of, and will not receive, any payment or tangible benefit (including accommodation) for the work you do. JENZA will verify this with your employer before issuing the Certificate of Sponsorship.
JENZA will consider the training plan and contact the employer to discuss the nature of the internship. We will look for good rotation around various departments/areas of an organisation and strong objectives for each period. JENZA are happy to consider a training plan before you apply for Intern UK.
All internships over six months must be paid.
Unfortunately not. Your visa and sponsorship are granted based on your application to complete a specific internship. If there is a problem at your internship, you should contact JENZA for assistance.
You cannot do multiple internships during your sponsorship. However, we can sponsor you to return to the UK to do a second internship providing it is with a different employer.
- Previously known as the Tier 5 visa, the Temporary Work GAE (Government Authorised Exchange) visa allows international students and graduates to come to the UK for a temporary period to do short-term work experience.
- We can sponsor internships for up to 12 months in duration. Your visa is only valid for the duration of your internship and you cannot extend it.
- You must apply for your visa from the country that matches the nationality of your passport. If you are looking to apply from a country that differs to your passport nationality, you must provide a valid visa proving your residential status in that country.
You are not permitted on this UK visa to get a casual, evening or weekend job alongside your internship.
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