What is an Academic Evaluation?

By: Hannah Welbourn

Most H-1B nonimmigrant visa petitions require an academic evaluation at some point if the candidate did not attend a U.S. university. Academic Evaluations provide an equivalence for the foreign national’s original foreign credentials. They show that the foreign national represented in the petition has at least the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree, a key point of evidence needed to satisfy the Specialty Occupation standard for awarding an H-1B visa.

As H-1B CAP season revs up in one of the tensest political environments to date, your safe bet this year is to go with Park’s EDGE evaluations, which include reference to the AACRAO EDGE database recommended by USCIS. When you reach out to [email protected] to request an Academic Evaluation, be sure to include these the key pieces of information to best protect your petitions against RFE challenges:

 – Proof of graduation. We require official documentation that confirms the applicant has completed their degree. This includes university diplomas, degree certificates, letters from the office of the registrar, and/or official proof of graduation from the institution.

 – Evidence of program duration and coursework. To evaluate the scope of the applicant’s education, we also need official transcripts listing all courses completed and their grades and diploma supplements (if applicable). These documents help the evaluator understand the structure of the program, including its length and academic rigor.

 – Certified translations (if applicable). If the original academic documents are not in English, we require certified English translations. Unofficial or unsigned translations cannot be used for evaluation purposes. Park is happy to provide certified translation services upon request.

 – Desired equivalency. It is helpful to let us know the specific equivalency you are seeking (for example, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science). We are also able to offer a preliminary review where possible.

In addition, make sure to avoid potential pitfalls to avoid in these documents, including unofficial/unsigned translations or insufficient or incorrect documents (such as documents with expirations dates, nullifying conditions).

Other unacceptable documents include studies that would not qualify as a credential from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning, such as micro credentials like CourseEra certificates, certificates from private skill-training centers and conferences, etc.

Submitting a complete and organized package of these documents will ensure a smooth evaluation process that aligns with USCIS requirements. For more information or to get started, feel free to reach out to our team at [email protected]