This Privacy Policy explains how Elite Council (the "App", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our mobile application and related services. Elite Council is a study-abroad and immigration counselling platform that connects students with counsellors and supports the overseas-education and visa-application journey. The App is operated by and associated with the SAS Migration Group.
- Service provider / data controller: SAS Migration Group
- Owner: Anand Chaudhary
- Contact email: contact@sasmigration.com
- Contact phone: +61 435 956 531
- App platforms: iOS, Android
1. Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to everyone who uses Elite Council, including:
- Students seeking overseas-education and visa guidance.
- Counsellors and sub-counsellors who offer guidance, host sessions, and publish content.
- Visitors who browse public counsellor profiles or content.
By creating an account or using the App, you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.
2. Information we collect
We collect the information below to operate the App. Some of it is sensitive personal data (for example passport details, financial information, and visa history); we collect it only to provide the counselling and application-support services you ask for, and only with your consent.
2.1 Account and identity data
- Name (first name, last name, display name)
- Email address
- Phone number
- Password (stored only as a secure hash by our authentication provider — we never see your plain-text password)
- Profile photo / avatar
- Role (student, counsellor, sub-counsellor, admin)
- City, state, and country
- Account status, verification status, and last login time
2.2 Sign-in information
- When you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive basic profile information (name, email, and a unique identifier) from those providers as permitted by your choices on their consent screens.
2.3 Student profile and application data
Provided by you (and, for some fields, by your counsellor) to support admissions and visa applications:
- Date of birth, gender, nationality
- Passport number
- Academic history: highest qualification, university, major, graduation year, GPA, backlogs, gap years
- English-proficiency and standardised test data: IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo, GRE, GMAT, SAT scores and test dates
- Preferred study countries, intake, and budget range
- Marital status, work experience
- Immigration / visa history (countries, visa types, approvals, refusals, travel history)
- Notes for your counsellor, onboarding answers, and draft data
2.4 Financial information
- Financial details used for visa applications, including parent/guardian employment details, sponsor information, and income summaries, plus any related documents you upload.
2.5 Documents you upload
- Files you submit (for example passports, transcripts, test reports, financial and sponsorship documents, and other application paperwork), along with file name, type, size, verification status, and any reviewer notes. Documents are stored in secured cloud storage.
2.6 Communications and community content
- One-to-one chat messages and attachments exchanged with counsellors/sub-counsellors
- Community posts, comments, replies, likes/dislikes, and read/delivery receipts
- Counsellor media you post or interact with (videos, images, links, comments, likes, saves)
- Ratings and reviews you submit
2.7 Bookings, payments, and billing
- Session bookings, scheduling, rescheduling, and status
- Event ticket purchases and coupon usage
- Payment records and transaction status
- Payment-card and billing details are collected and processed directly by our payment processors (Stripe and Cashfree). We do not store full card numbers on our own servers; we retain limited references (such as a payment/customer identifier and transaction metadata) needed to manage your payments, receipts, and refunds.
2.8 Video counselling sessions
- We provide live video/audio sessions through third-party meeting providers.
- Where session recording and transcripts are available, they are created only with the applicable consent captured in-app; we store recording-consent records and meeting transcripts associated with the session.
2.9 Voice-assistant input
- If you use the in-app voice assistant, your spoken input is converted to text (speech recognition) and processed by a third-party AI service to generate a response. Voice input is used to fulfil your request and is not used to build an advertising profile of you.
2.10 Device, technical, and usage data
- Device and app information (device model, operating system, app version)
- Push notification token (to deliver notifications you have enabled)
- Network status, diagnostic and error logs, and basic in-app activity used to operate, secure, and improve the App
- Authentication tokens stored securely on your device
2.11 Location (optional)
- With your permission, approximate or precise location may be used to add a place to your community posts. You can decline or revoke this permission at any time in your device settings; the feature simply won't add location.
2.12 Device permissions we may request
| Permission | Why we use it |
|---|---|
| Camera | Video counselling sessions; capturing photos/documents |
| Microphone | Audio in video sessions; voice assistant |
| Photos / Media library | Selecting and saving images/videos you choose to share |
| Files / Documents | Uploading application documents |
| Location | Optionally tagging a place on a community post |
| Notifications | Delivering booking, chat, and application updates |
| Screen recording / capture | Recording counselling sessions (only with your consent) |
Permissions are requested only when needed, and you can manage them in your device settings.
3. How we use your information
- Create and manage your account and authenticate you
- Provide counselling features: matching with counsellors, chat, bookings, and video sessions
- Build and complete your student profile and support your admissions and visa applications
- Securely store and let you and your assigned counsellor review your documents
- Process payments, tickets, receipts, and refunds
- Send notifications and service communications you have enabled
- Operate community and content features
- Power the voice assistant when you use it
- Maintain security, prevent fraud and abuse, and enforce our terms
- Diagnose problems, and analyse and improve the App
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
4. Legal bases for processing (where GDPR / similar laws apply)
- Consent — for sensitive data (passport, financial, visa history), location, voice processing, session recording, and notifications.
- Performance of a contract — to provide the services you sign up for.
- Legitimate interests — to secure the App, prevent abuse, and improve our services.
- Legal obligation — to meet accounting, tax, and other legal requirements.
You may withdraw consent at any time (see Your rights). Withdrawing consent may limit features that depend on that data.
5. How and with whom we share information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described here.
5.1 With counsellors and admins
- Your assigned counsellor (and their authorised sub-counsellors) can access the profile, application data, documents, and messages you share with them to provide guidance.
- Our administrators may access data to provide support, ensure safety, moderate content, and operate the platform.
5.2 With service providers (data processors)
We use trusted third parties to run the App. They process data on our behalf under their own terms and privacy policies:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Supabase | Authentication, database, and document/file storage (core backend) |
| Stripe | Payment processing and saved-card management |
| Cashfree | Payment processing (gateway) |
| Google (Sign-In, Google Pay, Firebase Cloud Messaging) | Social sign-in, payments, and push-notification delivery |
| Apple (Sign in with Apple) | Social sign-in |
| ZEGOCLOUD and Jitsi | Live video/audio counselling sessions |
| Groq | AI processing for the voice assistant |
| Expo / EAS | App delivery, over-the-air updates, and push notifications |
| Our hosted backend | A secure server we operate to process payments and gateway requests |
5.3 Embedded third-party content
- Counsellors may post links/embeds from YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. When such content loads, those platforms may receive technical data (such as your IP address) under their own privacy policies.
5.4 Legal and safety disclosures
We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users, the public, or Elite Council / SAS Migration Group.
5.5 Business transfers
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.
6. International data transfers
Our service providers may process and store data on servers located outside your country of residence. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) for international transfers. By using the App, you understand that your information may be transferred internationally to deliver the service.
7. Data retention
- We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the services.
- Application documents and records are retained while they are relevant to your admissions/visa journey or as required for legal, accounting, or dispute purposes.
- When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data (for example, your contact details are removed/obscured), except where we must retain certain records to meet legal obligations or resolve disputes. Some information may persist in encrypted backups for a limited period before being overwritten.
8. Your rights and choices
Depending on your location (for example under India's DPDP Act, the EU/UK GDPR, Australian Privacy Principles, and similar laws), you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data (much of it is editable in-app)
- Delete your account and associated personal data
- Export / port a copy of your data
- Withdraw consent for processing that relies on consent
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority
To exercise these rights, use the in-app controls (Settings → account management) or contact us at contact@sasmigration.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
9. Account deletion
You can request deletion of your account from within the App (Settings). On deletion, we remove or anonymise your personal information as described in Data retention above. Content shared in communities or with counsellors may be disassociated from your identity rather than fully removed where deletion would affect other users' records.
10. Security
We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
- Row-Level Security so users can access only data they are permitted to see
- Secure, token-based authentication and on-device secure storage of tokens
- Access controls limiting staff and counsellor access to what is necessary
No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password and keep your device secure.
11. Children's privacy
Elite Council is intended for users who can lawfully consent to these terms. Because students applying abroad may be minors, where a user is below the age of consent in their jurisdiction, a parent or legal guardian must provide consent and supervise use of the App. We do not knowingly collect data from children without appropriate consent. If you believe a child has provided personal data without proper consent, contact us and we will take appropriate action.
12. Sensitive personal data — your consent
By providing sensitive information (such as passport details, financial and sponsorship information, and immigration/visa history) and uploading related documents, you explicitly consent to our processing of that information for the purposes of admissions and visa-application support as described in this policy. You may withdraw this consent, understanding that doing so may prevent us from providing certain services.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you in-app or by email. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact us
If you have questions, requests, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us:
- Entity: SAS Migration Group
- Owner: Anand Chaudhary
- Email: contact@sasmigration.com
- Phone: +61 435 956 531
We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.