Six countries. We do not pretend to cover more.

The best odds on this list and the fastest route through: a one-year master's, a decision usually in three weeks, and two years of work afterwards for anyone applying to the Graduate Route on or before 31 December 2026. The whole health surcharge for the course is paid before the visa is issued, which catches families out.

Still the largest English-speaking destination for Nepali students, but a much harder one than it was two years ago. The attestation letter cap, the closure of the Student Direct Stream and tighter post-study work rules have all landed since 2024, and the refusal rate has moved with them.

Smaller and slower-moving than Australia, with similar work rights and a longer post-study visa at degree level. NRB does not quote the New Zealand dollar, so rupee figures here are converted at the Australian rate and are indicative only.

The hardest of the five English-speaking destinations to get a visa for right now, and the one where an application is most often refused on the story rather than the paperwork. The AUD 2,500 lodgement fee is not refunded when that happens.

The most expensive to attempt and the least likely to work. Between the SEVIS fee, the visa fee and the application fees, a refused American application costs a family well over a lakh with nothing to show for it. Worth doing when the profile is genuinely strong, and worth saying no to when it is not.

Tuition is mid-range and scholarships are unusually common, but the money has to be genuinely in the bank: EUR 9,600 in the student's own account on the day of application, with no interview later in which to explain a gap. Work is 30 hours a week averaged over the year, which is more generous than it first reads, and a graduate gets two years to find a job. Budget above the official figure — the national portal puts real living costs at EUR 900 to 1,200 a month.