Foreign Credential Evaluation Services - what are they?

Even if you are highly educated and have degrees from your country, they are not recognized in the US and hence you cannot take full benefit of them if you wish to come to the US and study or work here. As the level and system of education is different in various countries, it is necessary to have your educational background formally assessed for employment, continuing education and immigration purposes. A Foreign Credential Evaluation Service is the agency that provides this service.

People from all over the world are keen to come and live in the USA - whether to carry out further education or seek employment. However, to enter the USA or to continue to stay there, they need visas which have to be issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Most work related visas require foreign education to be evaluated in terms of education at accredited colleges or universities in the United States of America by an agency providing foreign credential evaluation service.

Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who are providing foreign credential evaluation services. There is no governmental body in the United States that approves agencies that offer this service. To find an agency visit - A Guide to Selecting a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Service - NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Credential evaluation reports are of the following types:

A Document Evaluation Report states the US equivalence of the credential evaluated. The evaluation determines the level of education, the number of years completed and the specialization. It does not list the courses taken, the grades received or the US grade point average (GPA). Document evaluations are used for education, when transferred credits and courses taken are not relevant, employment and immigration.

A Course by Course Evaluation Report lists the courses the applicant has taken, the grades received and the credit equivalence earned in the United States, in addition to the information provided by a document evaluation report. Course by course evaluations are used for continuation of education, including high school admission, college/university admission, employment and immigration.

An Education and Work Experience Evaluation Report provides a document report for the years of education and verified work experience. Education and work experience or work only evaluations follow the immigration rules to use work experience to add to incomplete university work, or replace university work, or add to a bachelors degree to result in a higher degree. These reports are generally used for employment and immigration purposes.

There currently is no single, comprehensive source of all foreign credential evaluation service providers and your best option would be to search for one on the World Wide Web. Choosing a foreign educational credential evaluation service is similar to choosing other professional service providers. You can follow the general guidelines listed below that tell you what to look for in an agency offering foreign credential evaluation services.

- What kind of evaluations do they offer?
- What are their fees?
- How are the evaluation reports provided to the client? Written report, electronic copy or other format.
- What is the turnaround time for these? what about during rush periods and emergency requirements?
- Are they or their evaluators members of any association? Membership may include but not be limited to any of the following: AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators), AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.), ATA (American Translation Association), EAIE (European Association ofInternational Education), NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services), NAFSA (NAFSA: Association of International Educators), and AEA (American Evaluation Association).
- Do they have client relationship executives who are well-trained and can answer all customer querries on the phone?
- How flexible and easy are they to deal with?
- What policy do they have to handle disputes ?
- How long have they been in this business?
- What resources are available to them?
- What client references they can offer?
- How long do they keep records?

Although very few people are aware of Foreign Credential Evaluation services, it is soon becoming a very important service, as more and more people are wanting to come and settle down in the United States of America. An evaluation report can play a vital role in deciding their future.