Guides for students applying abroad

These guides are for students and parents who want to check before they trust or pay anyone. Each guide gives a short answer first, then the steps, then the official sources and the date we checked. If something has already gone wrong, start with 'I already paid a scammer or fake agent: what to do now'. If someone is threatening you, start with 'Someone is threatening to share my photos or video'. None of this is your fault.

• How to check if a UK university or college is licensed to sponsor student visas

  Search the UK Register of Student Sponsors to see if a university or college can sponsor student visas, and learn what a listing does not prove.

• CRICOS (the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) check: is my Australian college registered?

  Search the official CRICOS register for the provider and the exact course, and learn what a CRICOS listing does not prove about your offer or CoE.

• Is this US school SEVP certified, and is my I-20 real?

  Search the official SEVP school list, learn who issues the Form I-20, and pay the SEVIS fee safely. What each step does and does not prove.

• Is this German university recognised? How to check

  Check a German university on Hochschulkompass, use anabin to see how foreign qualifications are rated, and book visa appointments only on the official portal.

• How to open a Germany blocked account safely

  Open a German blocked account (Sperrkonto) yourself, in your own name, and check the provider with the financial regulator. Never send the money to an agent.

• Studying medicine abroad: how to check the rules of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC)

  Rules for Pakistani students who want to study medicine abroad changed in 2026. Check the institution yourself on the PMDC website before you pay an agent.

• Is my offer letter, CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) or CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment) real?

  Check your offer letter, CAS, CoE or I-20 in the university's own portal and with its admissions office, not through an agent.

• Warning signs of a fake study visa agent or consultant

  Warning signs of a fake education agent or consultant, what a British Council badge does and does not mean, and what you can check yourself.

• How to pay university fees and rent safely

  Pay tuition only through the payment page linked from the university's own website, in its name. Learn the fee discount, rent and bank account scams to avoid.

• Scholarship fee scams: how to spot a fake award

  Genuine scholarships do not charge you to apply or to release an award. Learn the fake scholarship message signs, what to do, and where to apply safely.

• I already paid a scammer or fake agent: what to do now

  If you already paid an agent or a scammer: stop paying, call your bank at once, save every receipt and chat, and report to NCCIA, FIA and the university.

• What HEC recognition of a foreign university really means

  No agent can promise HEC recognition before you study. Learn what to check first and why to ask HEC about your degree in writing.

• Fake calls from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), the Home Office, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the police

  Government offices do not phone you to demand fines, gift cards or transfers. Hang up, call back on a number from the official website, and report the scam.

• Someone is threatening to share my photos or video

  If someone is blackmailing you with photos or video, it is not your fault. Do not pay, keep the messages, and report to NCCIA on 1799. Support is available.

• Save TaleemParakh to your home screen

  A step by step guide to put TaleemParakh on your iPhone, Android phone or laptop like an app. It is free, needs no app store and does not track you.