1. Introduction
Study Abroad from Nepal ("we," "our," or "the Company") is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect the data you provide to us through our website at studyabroadfromnepal.com ("the Website") and through our education consultancy services.
We operate from Putalisadak, Tinkune, and Koteshwor in Kathmandu, Nepal, and have been serving Nepali students since 2007. This policy applies to all visitors to our Website and all clients who use our consultancy services.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information depending on how you interact with us:
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you contact us, book a consultation, or engage our services, you may provide:
- Personal identification: Full name, date of birth, citizenship number, passport number and details
- Contact information: Email address, phone number, mailing address
- Academic information: Educational transcripts, certificates, test scores (IELTS, PTE, GRE, GMAT, SAT, etc.), GPA, and academic history
- Financial information: Bank statements, sponsor details, and financial documents required for visa applications (we do not store bank account numbers or PINs)
- Career information: Work experience, employment letters, salary certificates
- Application documents: Statement of Purpose, recommendation letters, CV/resume
- Communication records: Emails, messages, and notes from counseling sessions
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect:
- Device information: Browser type, operating system, screen resolution
- Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referring websites
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7 below)
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Providing consultancy services: To assess your profile, recommend universities and programs, prepare applications, and guide you through the visa process
- Communication: To respond to your inquiries, schedule appointments, send application updates, and provide important information about your study abroad journey
- Application processing: To submit applications to universities, visa offices, and scholarship bodies on your behalf or with your authorization
- Service improvement: To understand how our services are used and to improve the quality of our guidance
- Website improvement: To analyze how visitors use our Website and improve its content and functionality
- Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations in Nepal
4. How We Share Your Information
We share your information only when necessary for the services you have engaged us to provide:
- Universities and educational institutions: When submitting applications on your behalf or with your authorization
- Embassies and visa processing centers: As part of your visa application process
- Scholarship bodies: When applying for scholarships on your behalf
- Government agencies: Such as MoEST for NOC processing, as required by Nepali law
- Service providers: We may use third-party services for website hosting, email communication, and analytics, which may process data on our behalf
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your data with any entity for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.
5. Data Security
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Secure storage of physical documents in our offices
- Password-protected digital systems for storing client information
- SSL encryption on our Website
- Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis among our staff
While we take data security seriously, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy. Specifically:
- Active clients: We retain your data throughout the duration of our service engagement and for a reasonable period afterward in case you need follow-up assistance
- Completed cases: We retain records for up to 5 years after the completion of services to assist with any future reference, re-application, or verification needs
- Website analytics data: Anonymized usage data may be retained indefinitely for analytical purposes
You may request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us (see Section 10).
7. Cookies
Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Website so we can improve it
- Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences for a better experience
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain parts of the Website.
8. Third-Party Links
Our Website contains links to external websites, including university websites, embassy portals, scholarship program pages, and government resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external website you visit through links on our Website.
9. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data
- Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal data, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain certain records
- Objection: You can object to the processing of your data for certain purposes
- Portability: You can request your data in a structured, commonly used format
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 10.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us:
- Email: info@studyabroadfromnepal.com
- Phone: +977-9861293812
- Offices: Putalisadak, Tinkune, and Koteshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
You can also visit our contact page or review our Terms of Service.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.