Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the visa brake on student visa applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan on individuals who are studying a foundation course in the UK on a valid student visa but whose next course begins more than 28 days after the expiry of their current permission; and whether she plans to make any provision for such students to continue their studies in the UK.

The visa brake applies only to relevant out‑of‑country applications.

It was introduced in response to patterns of visa‑linked asylum claims by nationality, and at present we do not intend to introduce exceptions for students who have previously studied in the UK on foundation courses.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review. It is not intended to be a permanent measure and will be lifted once the Government considers it appropriate to do so.