Study-abroad & visa FAQ for Punjab

Ask for the agent's licence number under the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act and confirm it on the official district register before you pay. On this directory, each listing shows the licence status with a link to the government source.

Be wary of anyone who "guarantees" a visa, demands the full fee upfront in cash, wants to keep your original passport, refuses a written agreement, or is not on the official register. No genuine agent can guarantee a government's visa decision.

The Punjab Travel Act licence is a state licence issued by the District Magistrate to operate as a travel/immigration agent in Punjab. It is separate from the central MEA registration for overseas recruitment — a genuine agent may hold one or both.

No. Never pay the full fee upfront in cash. Get the fee and refund terms in writing, pay through traceable methods, and keep your original documents with you.

No. Recepta is a free directory of licensed travel/immigration agents in Punjab and Chandigarh, built from official government registers. We are not an agent and do not provide immigration advice — we show public register facts with their source links.

Every listing is reproduced from an official government register — the district travel-agent registers published by each Punjab district and the relevant Chandigarh sources — with a link to the exact document and the date it was fetched.

Most undergraduate courses ask for IELTS 6.0–6.5 overall and most postgraduate courses 6.5, but some programmes need 7.0+. Your offer letter states the exact requirement — check it and each institution's rule.

It is the average of your four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band — with the official quirk that a .25 average rounds up to the next half and .75 up to the next whole. So 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0.

Most institutions in Canada, the UK, Australia, the USA and New Zealand accept PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT as well as IELTS. Check which tests your chosen institution and visa route accept before booking.

Book directly on the official British Council or IDP IELTS website — never through an unofficial middleman. Test centres run in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Chandigarh and more.

Beyond tuition, most countries require proof of living funds for at least the first year — from about CAD $22,895 (Canada) or AUD $29,710 (Australia) to a €11,904 blocked account (Germany). Confirm the current figure on the official immigration site.

Every country needs a valid passport, an acceptance/enrolment letter, proof of funds, an English-test score and academic transcripts, plus country-specific items (a PAL for Canada, a CAS for the UK, an I-20 for the USA).

Yes — unsecured education loans exist from private banks, NBFCs and international lenders, but they are usually smaller and costlier and lean on your co-applicant's income. A collateral-backed loan generally offers more at a lower rate.

About 12–18 months before your intended intake — enough time to prepare for IELTS, apply to universities, arrange funds or a loan, and file the visa without rushing. Starting 3–4 months out often means missing the intake.

A study gap does not automatically stop a visa. What matters is explaining and documenting it honestly — work, family reasons or exam preparation. An unexplained or fabricated gap is the real problem.

It varies and changes: Canada allows up to 24 hours/week off-campus, the UK 20, Australia up to 48 hours/fortnight, the USA 20 (on-campus in year one). Never exceed the limit, and verify the current rule at source.

Sometimes, but the rules have tightened and depend on the course level. The UK, since January 2024, allows dependants only for postgraduate research or government-funded courses; Canada and Australia have also narrowed eligibility. Check your exact course and country.

Yes. Read the written refusal reasons, genuinely fix each one with new evidence, and reapply — do not resend the same file. Common reasons are weak funds, an unconvincing SOP, or "not a genuine student".

Show genuine, well-documented funds; a specific, honest SOP that fits your background; a course consistent with your studies; and clear ties to home. Consistency across your whole file matters most.

No. Genuine scholarships are free to apply for and never ask for a fee to "secure" or "release" an award. Any request to pay a registration fee, or to share your OTP or bank details, is a scam.

Germany is often the lowest-tuition option — most public universities charge no tuition, only a semester fee — though you still show a €11,904 blocked account (2024). Compare tuition, living and funds per country before deciding.

It varies by course: Canada offers a PGWP of up to 3 years, Australia a Temporary Graduate visa of 2–4 years, the UK a 2-year Graduate Route (3 for a PhD), and Ireland up to 2 years. Confirm current terms at source.

No — IRCC ended the Student Direct Stream in November 2024. All applicants now use the regular study-permit stream, showing full proof of funds (a GIC is still commonly used). See our Canada guide for the current process.