Choose a Course and University Abroad: 15-Point Checklist

Before you choose a course and university abroad, check 15 things: that the institution is on the official government register for international students, that the course leads to post-study work rights, the full cost in rupees, the refund policy, the location, and official graduate employment data. Each of these can be checked for free on a government website in the USA, Canada, the UK or Australia. This checklist shows you exactly where.

Last checked: 20 October 2026.

Still deciding between countries? Start with our comparison of study abroad destinations, then use this list to judge individual offers.

Official registers at a glance

Country	Register to check	What it tells you	Official outcome data
USA	SEVP school search (Study in the States), plus the US Department of Education accreditation database (DAPIP)	Whether the school can issue an I-20, and whether it is accredited	No single national tool listed here; ask the school for its own published data
Canada	IRCC list of designated learning institutions (DLIs)	Whether the school can host international students, and which DLIs offer PGWP-eligible programs	Ask the school; check the PGWP rules for your program
UK	Register of licensed sponsors: students (GOV.UK)	Whether the institution can issue a CAS	Discover Uni (undergraduate courses)
Australia	CRICOS (course and institution search)	Whether the provider and the exact course are registered for student visa holders	QILT and ComparED

Sources: Study in the States, US Department of Education, IRCC, GOV.UK, CRICOS, Discover Uni, QILT. Checked 20 October 2026.

15-point checklist to choose a course and university abroad

A. Is it legitimate?

Check the government register for international students. In the US, F-1 students can only attend schools certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). In Canada, you need a letter of acceptance from a DLI. In the UK, the institution must appear on the register of licensed student sponsors, which GOV.UK updates often (last on 20 October 2026). In Australia, search the exact course on CRICOS, the official register of institutions and courses for student visa holders.
Check accreditation separately in the US. Study in the States explains that SEVP certification and accreditation are different. Accreditation is not required to study on F-1, but it matters for quality, for transferring credits and for STEM OPT: the STEM OPT extension needs a degree from an SEVP-certified school that is accredited. The US Department of Education points students to its DAPIP accreditation database.
Match the exact course, not just the university name. A university can be registered while a particular course, campus or partner college has different conditions. In Australia, CRICOS lists courses individually. In Canada, IRCC warns that not all programs at a DLI are PGWP-eligible.
Watch for partner or “pathway” arrangements. In Canada, programs delivered by a private college under a public college’s curriculum licence are generally not PGWP-eligible, with only narrow exceptions for students who began before 2023 or 2024 cut-off dates.

B. Will it lead to post-study work?

Canada: check the PGWP rules for your level. IRCC’s PGWP eligibility page says there is no field of study requirement for bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral graduates. College, polytechnic and other non-degree graduates who applied for a study permit on or after 1 November 2024 must graduate in an eligible field. Language: CLB 7 for university degrees, CLB 5 for college programs. The program must be at least 8 months long. See our PGWP field of study guide.
Australia: check the 485 stream your qualification fits. Study Australia says the Temporary Graduate visa requires a recent qualification from a CRICOS-registered course. Degree-level graduates usually get 2 to 3 years in the Post-Higher Education Work stream; diploma and trade graduates may get up to 18 months if the qualification relates to an occupation on the skilled occupation list. Applicants must generally be 35 or under. The application charge rose to A$5,750 on 1 July 2026.
UK: check the Graduate route timeline. GOV.UK says the Graduate visa is 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months from 1 January 2027 (3 years for PhD graduates). The fee is £937.
USA: understand OPT. Post-completion OPT is often 12 months, and a 24-month STEM extension is possible for degrees on the DHS STEM list. A proposed DHS rule published on 8 October 2026 would add OPT fees; it is not final.

C. Can your family afford it?

Add up the total cost, not just tuition. Include every year’s fees, the living costs the visa rules require, the visa fee, health cover, flights and a first-month buffer. Use our student visa money calculator in NPR.
Read the refund policy before paying any deposit. Ask in writing: what is refunded if the visa is refused, if you withdraw before the course starts, or if the course is cancelled? Get the answer as a document, not a WhatsApp message.
Check scholarships against the conditions. Some awards need a minimum grade each year to continue. Read the renewal terms.

D. Is it the right place and the right outcome?

Check the actual campus location. Where will you study and live? Rent, part-time job options and transport vary a lot between a capital city and a regional town. In the UK, the living-cost amount you must show is higher for London.
Use official employment data only. In the UK, Discover Uni is run by the UK’s higher education funding and regulatory bodies and includes Graduate Outcomes survey data, collected 15 months after students finish. In Australia, QILT is funded by the Department of Education; its Graduate Outcomes Survey covers employment 4 to 6 months after graduation, and ComparED lets you compare up to six institutions. Treat agent claims like “98% get jobs” with caution unless the source is official.
Check entry requirements you actually meet. English score, academic grades and any gap in study. A conditional offer you cannot meet is not an offer.
Check that the course fits your story. Visa officers ask why this course, this university and this country. If your plan does not make sense to you, it will not convince them.

Nepal-specific checks

Check your consultancy. Many Nepali families choose a course through an agent. Before you rely on their shortlist, check the consultancy is registered and take our consultancy red flag test.
Ask about the agent’s commission. Some institutions pay agents. That does not make an offer bad, but it is a reason to compare independently.
Think about coming back. If you may return to Nepal, find out how a foreign degree is recognised here. From 1 Shrawan 2083, equivalence for higher education degrees is handled by the University Grants Commission, not TU’s Curriculum Development Centre.
Plan your funds trail. Visa officers look at where money came from. Start organising bank and income papers early.

Common mistakes

Choosing by ranking or brochure photos alone.
Paying a deposit before checking the register and the refund terms.
Assuming every course at a “good” university gives post-study work rights.
Enrolling at a private college partner in Canada without checking PGWP eligibility.
Using unofficial “employment rate” figures from social media.
Forgetting the cost of a second or third year, or the higher living costs of a big city.

What to do next

Shortlist no more than five courses.
Run each through points 1 to 15 and write the answers in one spreadsheet.
Ask each institution the refund and post-study work questions by email.
Build a personal plan with our free study abroad planner.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a university abroad is genuine?
Use the official register: SEVP school search for the US, IRCC’s DLI list for Canada, the GOV.UK register of licensed student sponsors for the UK, and CRICOS for Australia. For the US, also check accreditation in the Department of Education database.

Does every course in Canada give a PGWP?
No. IRCC says not all programs at a DLI are PGWP-eligible. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees have no field of study requirement, but college programs started on a study permit applied for on or after 1 November 2024 must be in an eligible field.

Where can I find official graduate employment rates?
Discover Uni for UK undergraduate courses and QILT/ComparED for Australian institutions. Both use national graduate surveys.

Is an unaccredited US university a problem for F-1 students?
You can study on F-1 at an SEVP-certified school that is not accredited, but you would not be eligible for the STEM OPT extension, and credits may be harder to use elsewhere.

Is the UK Graduate visa still 2 years?
Yes if you apply on or before 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 it is 18 months, except 3 years for PhD graduates.

Sources

Last checked: 20 October 2026. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change; confirm on the official page before you pay a deposit.