What is a Work Experience “Combo” Expert Opinion?

By: Hannah Welbourn

Last time, we covered necessary information for ensuring a strong petition support by one of Park’s Academic EDGE-enhanced evaluations. But what about cases where the beneficiary’s underlying academic credentials don’t make the Specialty Occupation cut?

For cases where academic credentials alone don’t meet the necessary standards for immigration purposes, reach out to [email protected] for a Work Experience or “Combo” Expert Opinion Letter. These letters apply USCIS’ 3:1 rule, which allows three years of progressive, relevant work experience to be evaluated as equivalent to one year of college-level experience, up to four years. Our team of experts, who are college professors in a wide range of fields, are authorized to grant college-level experience through their university’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs (or their equivalent). Park has independently verified these programs at each of our participating expert’s institutions of higher learning.

To prepare a combined academic + work experience evaluation, we require the following documents:

• Academic Documents. These are the same materials needed for a standard academic evaluation.
• Work Experience Documents. To properly assess professional experience, we need detailed and verifiable documentation, including:
  • Employment Verification Letters (preferred): These should be on a company letterhead and signed by a supervisor, including start/end dates, job title, and most important, a comprehensive list of job duties. EVLs are the most authoritative form of work experience documents for USCIS. Note that job offer letters are not usable as proof of employment.
  • Resume/CV: A current resume that outlines the applicant’s career history, roles, and skills with clear start and end dates and detailed job duties. USCIS may scrutinize a resume alone, so it is best to pair these documents with EVLs or employee affidavits.
  • Notarized Affidavits: If EVLs are not available, coworker or supervisor affidavits are also acceptable. These must be notarized and signed, ideally by someone with direct knowledge of the applicant’s work. They must include dates of employment and detailed list of duties.

Each work document must include detailed descriptions of the job responsibilities/duties performed. These duties must show that the applicant’s experience was progressively responsible in nature and relevant to the desired field of equivalency. This is critical for our experts to determine whether the experience is equivalent to knowledge gained in college-level coursework.

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]