Visit our Annanagar office · CICC + MARA certified since 2011
Study Abroad Consultants in Chennai
Chennai's CICC + MARA certified study abroad and immigration consultancy. 4,700+ students placed since 2011. Walk in to our Annanagar office for a free 30-minute consultation, or book a video consult from anywhere in India.
🇨🇦 CICC Licensed·🇦🇺 MARA Registered·4,700+ students placed·14 years, Annanagar
Our Chennai office
A-WAY Consultancy
L49A, 24th Street, L Block, Annanagar East
Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600102
India
Hours: Mon – Sat, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Phone: +91 8939644545
Email: info@a-wayconsultancy.com
Get directions on Google Maps →Why Chennai students choose A-WAY over IDP, Y-Axis, or KC Overseas
The single biggest difference is this: A-WAY is CICC + MARA licensed. That means we are regulated by the governments of Canada and Australia to charge a fee for immigration advice and to file your application directly. Most Chennai consultancies — including the large ones — are not licensed. They outsource your file to a third party, charge a hidden commission, and disappear once your visa is granted (or refused). Here is what CICC + MARA licensing actually means for you:
🇨🇦 CICC licensed for Canada
The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants is the Canadian government's regulator. CICC-licensed consultants can file Express Entry, PNP, study permit, and work permit applications directly. They can charge a regulated fee, are subject to a complaint process, and must carry professional indemnity insurance. If your application goes wrong, you have a regulator to complain to. A-WAY's CICC licence number is on file — ask us in consultation.
🇦🇺 MARA registered for Australia
The Migration Agents Registration Authority is Australia's equivalent regulator. MARA-registered agents file Subclass 500 (student), 189/190/491 (PR), and 485 (post-study work) applications directly. They are bound by a Code of Conduct, must carry PI insurance, and are subject to a complaints process. A non-MARA Chennai consultancy can't legally give you Australian immigration advice — they do anyway, and you have no recourse if it goes wrong.
4,700+ students placed since 2011
A 14-year track record from our Annanagar office. We've placed Chennai students in 800+ universities across 50+ countries. The number is verified — ask us for the breakdown by destination, intake, and university during your consultation.
Transparent fees, EMI available
One-time service fee of ₹40,000 – ₹1,20,000 depending on destination and the number of applications. No hidden charges. No "university commission" we don't disclose. EMI available on 6- and 12-month tenures. Refundable if your visa is refused for reasons within our control (subject to terms).
Your consultant, not a salesperson
At A-WAY, the person who consults with you is the CICC or MARA licensed consultant who will handle your file — not a B-school fresher with a script. We do not pay commissions to "counsellors" based on conversion rate. Our consultants are paid a salary, not a commission, so there is no incentive to push you toward a university that pays us a higher commission.
Document review by a licensed consultant
Every SOP, LOR, and visa document is reviewed by a CICC or MARA licensed consultant before it leaves our office. Not by an AI tool, not by a junior intern, not by a template engine. This is the single biggest factor in approval rates — and it is the cost we cannot cut if we want to keep our licences.
The Chennai study abroad landscape — what we've seen since 2011
Our Annanagar office is where most of our India-side work happens. Walk in for a free 30-minute consultation, document review, or visa interview prep — no appointment needed during office hours.
- Chennai is the #1 South Indian source market for Canada and Australia study permits, driven by engineering and medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu.
- Many Chennai students apply under the SDS (Student Direct Stream) for Canada — processing time is 20 calendar days vs 8+ weeks for the regular stream.
- Tamil Nadu is also the largest source of PR applicants to Australia under the skilled migration programme, and A-WAY is MARA-registered to file these directly.
- Chennai students regularly target Germany for free-tuition MS programmes and the UK for one-year MSc routes — both are core A-WAY specialities.
- Every visa application is reviewed by a CICC or MARA licensed consultant, not a salesperson — this is the single biggest difference vs IDP / Y-Axis / KC Overseas.
Popular destinations for Chennai students (2024-2026 intakes)
Chennai student success story
Priya R. — Chennai, Tamil Nadu to Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson)
B.Tech in Computer Science, 7.2 CGPA, 6 months work experience at a Chennai-based fintech as a junior data analyst.. MSc Data Science and Analytics, intake 2025.
Her challenges
- IELTS first attempt was 6.0 overall with a 5.5 in Writing — below the 6.5 SDS threshold
- Parents had savings of ₹35 lakh but a large ₹20 lakh deposit 3 weeks before applying (parking-of-funds risk)
- 6-month study gap explained by competitive exam prep (GATE), but the application narrative was weak
What A-WAY did
- Two-week IELTS Writing bootcamp with our test-prep team — score lifted from 5.5 to 6.5 in Writing
- Built a source-of-funds letter explaining the source of every deposit in the parents' savings account (sale of ancestral land, EPF, business income)
- Wrote a 1-page study gap narrative tying the GATE prep to a clear MS research direction (data engineering for fintech)
- Applied under SDS with ICICI GIC of CAD $20,635
Outcome
Study permit approved in 22 days under SDS. Priya joined TMU in September 2025 and is now on a co-op term at a Toronto-based AI startup.
“I was about to give up on Canada because my first IELTS score was so low. A-WAY gave me a 2-week plan, fixed my financial documents, and the visa came back in under a month. I cannot recommend them enough.”Read Priya's full case study →
More Chennai + Tamil Nadu success stories
Australia · 2025
Arjun K.: Master of Information Technology at Monash University, Melbourne
Subclass 500 approved in 11 days. Arjun joined Monash in February 2025 and is currently on a part-time internship with an Australian fintech.
Read full story →Germany · 2025
Meera S.: MSc Computer Science (English-taught) at Technische Universität Berlin
APS cleared, blocked account opened, German student visa issued by the Consulate General in Chennai in 4 weeks. Meera joined TU Berlin in October 2025 and now works 20 hours/week as a research assistant in the Algo4ML group.
Read full story →Frequently asked questions — Chennai students
Which is the best study abroad consultant in Chennai?
A-WAY Consultancy is the only CICC + MARA certified consultancy with a physical office in Annanagar. CICC (Canada) and MARA (Australia) are government-issued licences that allow us to charge a regulated fee and represent you directly with IRCC and the Department of Home Affairs. Walk into our Annanagar office for a free 30-minute consultation, Mon-Sat 9 AM - 7 PM.
What is the cost of studying abroad from Chennai?
Total first-year cost (tuition + living + insurance) for Chennai students typically ranges from ₹15 lakh (Germany public university) to ₹45 lakh (USA MS). A-WAY charges a transparent one-time service fee of ₹40,000 - ₹1,20,000 depending on the destination and number of applications, with no hidden charges and EMI options.
How do I apply for a Canada study permit from Chennai?
Step 1: Get a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from a designated learning institution. Step 2: Open a GIC of CAD $20,635 with an SDS-eligible bank. Step 3: Take IELTS (min 6.0 in each band for SDS). Step 4: Create an IRCC account, fill the study permit form, pay fees, submit biometrics at the Chennai VAC. Total timeline: 6-8 weeks for SDS, 12-16 weeks for regular stream. A-WAY handles all four steps end-to-end — we are CICC-licensed, so we file your application directly.
Do you offer IELTS coaching in Chennai?
Yes. A-WAY runs in-person and online IELTS coaching from our Annanagar office. The course is 6 weeks (72 hours), covers all four modules, includes 8 full mock tests, and an AI-based score predictor. We also run TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo English Test prep — see our /test-prep page for the full list.
Where is your Chennai office?
A-WAY Consultancy, L49A, 24th Street, L Block, Annanagar East, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600102. We are 5 minutes from the Annanagar Tower Park bus stop and 15 minutes from the Chennai Central railway station. Open Mon-Sat, 9 AM - 7 PM. Walk-ins welcome for a free 30-min consultation.
Do you help with PR applications from India?
Yes. We handle Canada Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program applications (CICC-licensed), Australia Skilled Independent (subclass 189), State Sponsored (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) applications (MARA-registered), and UK Skilled Worker visas. PR applications typically take 6-18 months — book a free eligibility assessment at our Annanagar office.
Talk to the founder directly
30 minutes with Sandeep Kumar, CICC + MARA licensed
Skip the salesperson. Book a free 30-minute video or in-person consultation with Sandeep, founder of A-WAY and a CICC + MARA licensed consultant himself. Walk into our Annanagar office, or book a video call.
Serving students across Tamil Nadu
We serve students from across Tamil Nadu who visit our Annanagar office or book a video consultation. Coimbatore is 1-hour drive; Madurai, Trichy, and Salem are all 4-6 hours by road. We also serve the rest of India — see all Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and 5 other cities.