Suella Braverman’s plans to crack down on visas for foreign students taking “low-quality” degrees are in doubt after ministers warned it could leave the Government open to legal challenges, i has been told.
Ministers have discussed the possibility of only allowing foreign students who will study at top-ranking British universities to bring family members with them to the UK, in a bid to reduce net migration, i understands.
The Home Secretary has repeatedly pledged to target “low-quality” courses as a method of curbing foreign student numbers, saying last year that there were too many international students “bringing in family members who can piggyback on to their student visa” and “propping up, frankly, substandard courses in inadequate institutions”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said last November that the Government was “considering all options to make sure the immigration system is delivering, and that does include looking at the issue of student dependents and low-quality degrees”.
However, the plans are understood to have faced significant pushback from senior Cabinet ministers, who argued that it would create a “high risk of legal challenge”.
