The UK Agent Quality Framework (AQF)

What the AQF is

The UK Agent Quality Framework (AQF) is a sector-wide initiative that sets standards, training and resources for the education agents and counsellors who help international students apply to study in the UK.

It applies to UK education providers on the Home Office register of licensed Student sponsors that work with recruitment agents. It sets out the standards those providers should follow when they choose and manage agents, and it supports agents and counsellors in keeping their knowledge of the UK up to date.

The framework was developed following research with international students, education providers and agents.

Who is behind it

The AQF is a partnership of the UK's main international education bodies:

Association of Colleges (AoC)
Boarding Schools' Association (BSA)
British Council
British Universities' International Liaison Association (BUILA)
Destination for Education
Independent Higher Education (IHE)
UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
Universities UK International (UUKi)

The four principles

Empowering student choice and enabling informed decision making.
Good agent governance and professionalism.
Ethical agent practices, professional knowledge and competency.
Transparency and accountability.

What is in the framework

The National Code of Ethical Practice for UK Education Agents, updated in July 2025. It asks agents to act with integrity, objectivity and transparency, to give accurate information, to protect students' personal data, to have systems to stop fraudulent documents being submitted, and to offer clear routes for complaints.
British Council training for agents and counsellors, and a public database of UK knowledge trained counsellors who have completed it.
Good practice guides for universities that use agents, and for agents that partner with UK institutions.
A student and parent guide to choosing an education agent, published by Study UK.

What the AQF does not do

The AQF does not license or accredit agents. In its own words, it "does not provide accreditation, licensing, or ongoing assurance" of any individual, agency or institution. The UK does not license education agents either.

That means no agent can honestly claim to be "AQF approved". What students can do is check how an agent works against the AQF principles, ask whether its counsellors have completed British Council training, and confirm that it is listed as a representative by the universities it says it works with.

Why it matters to you

UK universities are under close scrutiny from the Home Office. From 1 June 2026, sponsors must keep their Student visa refusal rate below 5%, enrol at least 95% of the students they issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies to, and see at least 85% complete their course. That makes universities careful about the agents they work with, and it makes honest, accurate applications more important than ever.

How we work

We support the aims of the AQF and our approach follows its principles:

We explain all of your options, including universities we do not work with, so the choice is yours.
We do not take cash and we do not charge students fees. You pay universities directly.
We check documents carefully and will not submit anything we believe is false.
We tell you how we are funded, and we give honest feedback on your chances.
We have a clear route for complaints, explained on our student rights page.

Raising a concern about an agent

The student guide to choosing an agent recommends three steps:

Use the agent's own complaints process first.
If it is not resolved, contact the universities you are applying to and ask them to investigate.
If you are still unhappy with a university's response, check whether you can take it to an ombudsman: the OIA in England and Wales, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, or the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.

The UK Agent Quality Framework