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How to check an education agent or visa adviser before you pay

The official and industry registers that show whether an agent or adviser is authorised, what each one proves, and what it does not.

By the Studies Multiverse team · checked 26 September 2026 against each official page · how we check

Visa and immigration advice: official registers

  • United Kingdom: anyone giving UK immigration advice must be registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or belong to an approved professional body. It proves they may give immigration advice, not that they are a good education agent.Source: gov.uk, 18 October 2024
  • Australia: only registered migration agents or Australian lawyers may give visa advice. Search the OMARA register.Source: portal.mara.gov.au, checked 26 September 2026
  • Canada: anyone paid to represent you with the immigration department must be authorised; for consultants, the CICC register must show “Entitled to Practise: Yes”. Using an unauthorised paid representative can get an application refused.Source: canada.ca, 18 August 2026
  • New Zealand: immigration advice needs a licence or an exemption. An education agent outside New Zealand advising only on student visas is exempt, so it will not appear on the register.Source: iaa.govt.nz, checked 26 September 2026
  • New Zealand also publishes student visa approval rates by education agent for several markets.Source: immigration.govt.nz, checked 26 September 2026

Education agents: what exists

  • United Kingdom: the British Council keeps a public database of counsellors who completed its training and signed its code of ethical practice. Certification shows training, not a licence or results.Source: study-uk.britishcouncil.org, checked 26 September 2026
  • Australia: the government advises checking the university’s own list of agents, getting fees, services and refund terms in writing, and avoiding anyone who promises a visa.Source: studyaustralia.gov.au, 1 May 2026
  • ICEF Agency Status is a yearly private accreditation with a public directory. It checks identity, ownership and references, not results.Source: icef.com, 11 August 2026
  • AIRC certification (United States) is a private review against five standards. It gives no authority to advise on visas.Source: airc-education.org, checked 26 September 2026
  • Ireland: the immigration service advises researching a provider before paying any money to it or to an agent; only programmes on the ILEP list qualify for a study permission.Source: irishimmigration.ie, 27 March 2024

Five checks before you pay anyone

  • Ask the university directly whether the agent represents it. Universities publish or will confirm their agents.Source: studyaustralia.gov.au, 1 May 2026
  • If the agent gives visa advice, find them on the official register for that country (above).Source: gov.uk, 18 October 2024
  • Get every fee and the refund terms in writing before you pay.Source: studyaustralia.gov.au, 1 May 2026
  • Treat any promise of a visa as a warning sign: no agent can promise one.Source: studyaustralia.gov.au, 1 May 2026
  • Remember that an agent may only show you the universities that pay it. Our own pages list every institution, with no commission from any.Source: study-uk.britishcouncil.org, checked 26 September 2026

Questions

Is an ICEF or British Council certificate a licence?

No. Both show training or a private accreditation. Only a government register, such as the UK Immigration Advice Authority or Australia’s OMARA, shows that someone may give visa advice.

Rules change. Every line above links to the official page it comes from; read it before you act, and tell us if something has changed: report a correction.

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