Specialty Expert Letters for Hospitality Industry Professionals

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Nikki Ummel The hospitality industry encompasses far more than hotels and restaurants. Professionals in the field may specialize in resort operations, tourism development, food and beverage management, guest experience, real estate development, sustainability, marketing, workforce management, or even the design and construction of hospitality properties. For immigration attorneys, this breadth can make it difficult to present a candidate’s expertise within a clearly defined specialty. This is where the right expert can help. An expert opinion letter can provide USCIS with the industry-specific context necessary to understand both the specialized nature of a hospitality professional’s work and the significance of their accomplishments. At Park, we work with experts whose academic and professional backgrounds allow them to evaluate hospitality careers within the context of a candidate's particular expertise. Recently, one ...

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Why do Credential Evaluators Need the Original Documents, even if you have Translations?

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Howard Borenstein Our credential evaluators at Park often ask applicants to provide documents in the original language, even if they have already provided certified translations. This naturally raises the question: Why are translations alone insufficient? Why do we need the originals as well? There are several reasons. First, translations can contain errors. This does not necessarily mean that the translator did a poor job. Translation is difficult, and even a careful human translation can contain mistakes, since words and phrases do not always have exact equivalents in other languages. Context, culture, and the way a particular language is used all matter. If a translator uses AI / machine learning as part of their translation process, this can sometimes compound the problem. Due to this, we cannot simply assume that a translation is a ...

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Understanding Mexico’s Academic Terms and Why Calendars Matter

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Mai Bui At Park Evaluations, the Licenciatura and Ingeniería are among the most frequent undergraduate credentials we evaluate for Mexico. Although both represent university-level study, determining their U.S. equivalency requires a closer look at the program itself, particularly its length and how the academic year is structured. Understanding the Academic Calendar Mexican transcripts and study plans (plan de estudios) frequently describe programs in terms of academic periods, rather than simply stating the number of years required for completion. Semestre: An academic year divided into two principal instructional periods. A program consisting of eight semesters, for example, normally represents four academic years. Cuatrimestre: A four-month academic period. Institutions operating continuously on a cuatrimestre calendar typically accommodate three academic terms per year without summer or winter breaks. Tetramestre: May ...

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Defending Master’s Degree Requirements for H-1B Positions

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward For many H-1B petitions, establishing that a position qualifies as a specialty occupation begins with showing that the role normally requires at least a bachelor’s degree in a directly related field. However, not every position is best supported by a bachelor’s-level requirement. Some roles, like those involving advanced technical expertise or specialized knowledge, might reasonably require a master’s degree or higher. This can also be the case for roles involving greater responsibility or work that builds on the foundational training of an undergraduate degree. When the nature and complexity of a position support a higher educational threshold, clearly documenting why master’s-level training is necessary can help present a stronger, more accurate picture of the position and its requirements to USCIS. ...

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Business Administration Degrees and H-1B Specialty Occupations

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward Business administration is one of the most versatile degrees in the professional world, but that versatility can create challenges when it comes to H-1B petitions. When a position requires a degree in business administration, USCIS may question whether the educational requirement is sufficiently specialized to qualify the role as a specialty occupation. Since business administration programs can encompass finance, accounting, management, analytics, and more, simply identifying “business administration” as an acceptable field of study may not adequately demonstrate the specialized knowledge required for the position. The key becomes providing context that USCIS may otherwise overlook. Namely, how does a business administration education provide the specific academic preparation necessary to perform the offered role? And how does the relevant coursework directly relate to ...

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Reposting Michigan and Montana SWA Job Orders to Meet the Thirty-Day PERM Requirement

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Tais Vilela Ribeiro Quinhones State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) play an important role in employment-based immigration recruitment, particularly within the PERM Labor Certification process. Under the U.S. Department of Labor recruitment guidelines and 20 CFR § 656.17, the SWA job order must be placed for at least thirty consecutive days, and the specific start and end dates entered on the application serve as documentation of this step. At Park Advertising, we keep clients ahead of the state-by-state rules that affect SWA recruitment. In both Michigan and Montana, this comes down to timing and duration. In Michigan, the SWA is Pure Michigan Talent Connect. According to the state's Employer User Guide, postings on the platform can run for a minimum of two days and a maximum of thirty ...

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Why Transcripts Matter in Academic Evaluations

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Howard Borenstein As a credential evaluator, I occasionally receive this very reasonable question from our clients: If a diploma clearly states someone earned a degree, and that degree is widely recognized as equivalent to a U.S. credential, why is it necessary for Park to also review the individual’s transcripts?   In my experience, there are two primary reasons. The first reason is based on my nearly twenty-five years of experience as a Senior Credential Evaluator. During this time, I’ve reviewed thousands of RFEs and have been called upon to defend my equivalency determinations to USCIS on numerous occasions. One trend has become clear: USCIS has increasingly emphasized the importance of reviewing and providing complete academic documentation, including transcripts, as part of the immigration process. Sometimes, the request is simply for completeness, requiring applicants to submit their entire academic record, ...

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Overcoming USCIS Scrutiny of Engineering Degrees in H-1B Petitions

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward A common issue we see in H-1B RFEs arises in specialty occupation cases in which the candidate’s qualifying degree is described simply as “engineering.” USCIS frequently views a broad engineering degree requirement as evidence that the position does not require a sufficiently specialized body of knowledge. If a role can be filled by graduates from numerous engineering disciplines, USCIS may conclude that the position lacks the degree specificity required for H-1B classification. Therefore, the burden of establishing how any engineering degree provides highly specialized knowledge directly related to the job duties falls squarely on the petitioner. At Park, our experts have developed several strategies for overcoming this regulatory hurdle by carefully defining the relationship between the position offered and ...

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