How We Build Your Report

1Our Data Sources

We cross-reference data from official government immigration portals, OECD migration statistics, UN Population Division, World Bank development indicators, and Henley Passport Index. Every programme in our database links to a verifiable official source.

• Official government immigration portals — e.g., IRCC (Canada), UK Home Office, BAMF (Germany), DHA (Australia)
• OECD International Migration Database — data.oecd.org/migration — migration flows, integration indicators, labour market outcomes
• UN Population Division — International Migrant Stock — migrant stock by origin and destination
• World Bank Open Data — data.worldbank.org — GDP per capita, cost of living indices, healthcare expenditure, Doing Business indicators
• Henley Passport Index — henleyglobal.com/passport-index — visa-free access data for 199 passports
• Numbeo — numbeo.com/cost-of-living — city-level cost of living, rent, and purchasing power data
• National statistics offices — e.g., ONS (UK), ABS (Australia), Statistics Canada — labour market data, salary benchmarks

Data downloads: We publish 169 country-level datasets as free, downloadable CSVs. See our Open Data page for the full catalogue.

21,500+ Programmes, Manually Verified

Each visa programme is reviewed against its official government page. We verify:

• Eligibility criteria — age limits, nationality restrictions, education requirements
• Processing times — based on official published timelines
• Fees — application fees, biometrics, legal costs, and any investment thresholds
• Required documents — what you need before you apply
• Quotas and caps — annual limits that affect your chances
• Recent policy changes — anything announced in the current cycle

Programmes that are suspended or closed are flagged in our database, not removed. This means your report will tell you if a programme you were considering is currently unavailable, rather than silently omitting it.

3How Matching Works

Your profile (nationality, age, education, profession, savings, income, languages, priorities) is scored against each programme's actual requirements. We use a weighted scoring model — not AI-generated guesses — that accounts for hard eligibility and soft preferences.

• Hard eligibility — requirements you must meet. If your nationality is excluded, your age is outside the range, or your savings fall below the threshold, the programme is marked as ineligible. No exceptions.
• Soft preferences — factors that matter to you. Cost of living, climate, language, safety, healthcare quality, and lifestyle priorities are weighted according to what you tell us is important.
• Composite score — each matching country receives a score that combines eligibility strength with preference alignment. Countries are ranked by this composite score, so your top match is always the best overall fit.

4Update Cycle

All data is reviewed on a quarterly cycle. Critical changes (programme suspensions, fee changes, new pathways) are updated within 72 hours of official announcement.

• Quarterly full review — every programme's eligibility criteria, fees, processing times, and documents are re-verified against official sources four times per year
• Critical updates within 72 hours — when a government announces a programme suspension, fee increase, new pathway, or quota change, we update our database within 72 hours
• Continuous monitoring — we track official government gazette publications, immigration news feeds, and policy announcements from the top 30 destination countries

5What We Don't Do

We are not immigration lawyers. We don't provide legal advice, file applications, or guarantee visa approval. Our reports give you verified, structured information so you can make informed decisions and know exactly which programmes to pursue.

• We do not file visa applications on your behalf
• We do not provide legal opinions on individual cases
• We do not guarantee that you will be approved for any programme
• We do not accept commissions or referral fees from immigration agents or lawyers
• We do not sell your personal data to third parties

Think of us as the research step. We give you the information you need so that when you do speak to a lawyer or consultant, you already know which programmes are realistic for your profile — and which ones are not worth your time or money.

6Accuracy Guarantee

If you find a factual error in your report — an incorrect fee, a wrong eligibility criterion, an outdated requirement — email us and we will correct it and send you an updated report promptly.

To report an error or request a correction: hello@wheretoemigrate.io