Under new measures to reduce immigration, international students may not be allowed to enroll in "low quality" postgraduate courses in Britain.

Fearing that the so-called 'graduate path' is being used as a backdoor to a new life in the UK, Rishi Sunak is contemplating making the transfer.

The prime minister is about to issue an order banning colleges from using recruiting agencies in an effort to draw in more international students.

However, he is also considering ideas to restrict graduate visas to the most esteemed programs.

The actions are in advance of this week's official statistics, which are anticipated to demonstrate that while net immigration is declining from all-time highs, it is still far higher than what the Conservatives promised to cut before the 2019 election.

Some institutions are allegedly providing 'poor quality' postgraduate courses to international students who are ready to pay for a visa that enables them to work in the UK for at least two years after finishing their studies, which is reportedly concerning to Mr. Sunak.

Figures from HM Revenue and Customs were cited by government sources, indicating that 41% of those working on the graduate visa were making less than £15,000 annually.

However, top Cabinet ministers would oppose any additional tightening of the regulations, and institutions that depend significantly on tuition from international students may push back.

He said the Government would 'continue to support sustainable increases in international students coming to the UK'. 

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, has also stated that she will not support efforts to outlaw international students pursuing postgraduate degrees of lesser caliber, stating, "This can't all be about PPEs from Oxford."

A study last week from the Migration Advisory Committee, which said there was no proof of "widespread abuse" of the plan, strengthened their argument.

All the same, Whitehall insiders said that the PM is exploring ways to 'tighten' the graduate path, making it exclusive to the 'brightest and the finest'.

Applications have already sharply decreased as a result of reforms implemented earlier this year, such as the prohibition on master's students bringing family members.

But a No 10 spokesman said the PM 'still thinks there's further to go,' adding: 'We are committed to attracting the best and brightest to study at our world-class universities whilst preventing the abuse of our immigration system.'

It is anticipated that the Office of National Statistics' numbers for this week would indicate a small slowdown in arrivals. According to the most recent data, net immigration reached 672,000 in the year ending in June of last year, a significant increase from the 212,000 reported during the last election.

Major adjustments announced by Mr. Sunak last year included a prohibition on family visits by foreign social workers. These were not enacted in time to have an effect on the most recent statistics, which will demonstrate net immigration for the year ending in December.

The Migration Advisory Committee chairman, Brian Bell, stated last week that there was a "fighting chance" that the adjustments already proposed will reduce net migration to pre-2019 levels, maybe to as low as 150,000.

In the meanwhile, Mr. Sunak will fly to Vienna for discussions on combating illegal immigration with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer tomorrow (TUES). One of the 19 EU nations now debating whether to adopt Britain's model Rwanda plan in order to address the situation on the continent is Austria.

Labour's resolve to abandon the Rwanda plan, according to the PM, will "play into the hands of the smuggling gangs and risk our national security."

He added: 'Countries across Europe now see a meaningful deterrent is the only way to break the model of the smuggling gangs and stop the boats.'