​​​​​​​​For those of you who do not know the Higher Education Commission grants a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to foreign national students for educational purposes in order to complete the formal requirements of admission and visa processing under the intimation to the Ministry of Interior. And now there has been a few updates on this. On Tuesday, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) released a notification urging students to verify the university’s possession of a valid no-objection certificate (NOC) for specific programs prior to enrolling.

The Notification 

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has recently published a notification regarding the no-objection certificates (NOCs) required for various programs. These programs include MPhil, MS, equivalent degrees, and Ph.D. The HEC has also issued a list of universities that have been granted NOCs.


Since November 7, 2013, it has been made mandatory for all universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) to obtain a NOC from the HEC before launching MS/MPhil or equivalent programs as well as Ph.D. programs. The HEC emphasizes that affiliated colleges or institutions are prohibited from offering the aforementioned programs.

The statement advises parents and prospective students against enrolling in Ph.D. and MPhil/MS programs offered by universities/degree awarding institutions or sub-campuses that do not possess a prior no-objection certificate (NOC) from the HEC. It also warns against enrolling in programs taught at any affiliated institution/college without the necessary NOC. Furthermore, the higher education authority has issued a warning stating that degrees obtained in violation of its guidelines will not be recognized or attested to.

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