Category: Evaluations

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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The False Master’s Degree: Four Foreign Educational Credentials that are Master’s in Name Only

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Mai Bui  Have you ever encountered a translated foreign degree that says “Master” or “MBA” right front and center, but then turned out to be unusable for filing? The cross-border assessment of higher education requires more than a simple linguistic translation of degree titles. We often encounter “Master” titles that imply a level of postgraduate research that is actually misleading. Here are four common “false Master’s” and their actual equivalencies. The Brazilian Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu In Brazil, graduate education bifurcates into stricto sensu (traditional Master’s and Doctorate degrees), designed for deepening research, and lato sensu programs, which are specialized, professionalizing courses leading to postgraduate certificates, rather than full academic degrees. The False Impression: Because the certificate bears the nomenclature “Master” or “MBA” on the certificates, it is often presumed to be a comprehensive graduate degree with U.S. Master’s equivalency. The Reality: These are primarily continuing education courses designed for professional ...

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Navigating Curricular and Optional Practical Training Challenges

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Madeline Carlson When it comes to Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorizations, rejections scrutinizing the alignment between a candidate’s academic coursework and their responsibilities held in a CPT/OPT role can create quite an arduous response process. Whether this challenge arises while the candidate is completing their degree or after they’ve finished it, Park’s experts are eager to assist with the evaluation of this common CPT/OPT challenge. With a diverse catalogue of specialties, Park’s team of expert evaluators are equipped to evaluate candidate academic credentials and their alignment with held CPT/OPT positions. Through this service, our experts provide a close evaluation of a candidate’s academic coursework, providing detailed analysis that connects the skills and concepts taught in those courses directly to the knowledge areas required to perform the duties of their CPT/OPT roles. Our letters can cover one or multiple CPT and OPT positions held, ensuring that a candidate’s work and skillset are properly recognized and defended. For example, one of our computer science experts ...

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The TN Visa: Requirements and Challenges

Posted by: Park Evaluations

The TN nonimmigrant classification allows qualified Canadian citizens to seek temporary entry into the US to engage in professional-level business activities. Most TN categories require a bachelor's degree, professional degree, or professional license. For TN purposes, a "postsecondary certificate or diploma" must equate to at least two years of undergraduate coursework, meaning a one-year Ontario college certificate or a two-year CEGEP DEC alone would not meet the threshold. USCIS scrutiny of TN petitions typically falls into two categories: whether the right TN classification has been chosen (the duties of the position must align with the USMCA professional category claimed) or whether the candidate is qualified for that category (based on their academic credentials and relevant work experience). How Park Can Help  Park offers 3 distinct types of expert letters in support of TN petitions, each tailored to the specific challenge at hand: ...

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Evaluation Spotlight: Understanding the Canadian Education System

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Mai Bui With no centralized or “federal” ministry of education, Canada technically has systems of education: 10 provinces and 3 territories autonomously govern their own education with separate jurisdictional authority. The Council of Ministers of Education is an intragovernmental body that only serves to facilitate coordination of policies among provinces. Canada’s conventional universities are similar to the US. Generally, students from all provinces (except Quebec) enroll in university following secondary school. However, in Quebec, college-bound students must complete 2-year CEGEP to enter universities. The Quebec Exception  Canada’s education landscape is defined by its provincial diversity, split between Anglophone and Francophone systems. Anglophone Canada—like Ontario—mirrors the U.S. model, requiring 12 years of secondary education before university. Conversely, Quebec’s Francophone system follows an "11+2" structure: ...

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Evaluation Spotlight: Accounting Qualifications in India and their US Equivalencies

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Mai Bui Park regularly helps attorneys and their clients navigate tricky evaluation cases. Below, we are spotlighting how our top evaluators navigate accounting qualifications in India to determine their potential equivalency to a US bachelor’s degree. Established by Indian Parliament, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a professional body that regulates the accounting profession. It sets standards for education, examination, and professional practice. To practice as an accountant, you must be a Chartered Accountant by earning membership with ICAI. Membership requires completing a series of regulated examinations and a period of workplace training. From a credential-evaluation perspective, the most significant milestone is the completion of the Final Examination. In the US, for evaluation practices that follow AACRAO principles, ICAI ...

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Park: The Perfect Partner for Business Consulting NIWs  

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward  The National Interest Waiver (NIW) can serve as a powerful tool for professionals looking to secure residency via their own consulting business. For these cases, the candidate’s specialized expertise is delivered directly through their business to solve meaningful problems in the US. When paired with a well-structured business plan and an expert letter, an NIW can translate a simple vision into credibility.  Park can help develop strategies for NIWs around a foreign national’s existing business plan. Our expert opinion letters can cultivate a full story that shows how these professionals generate ongoing and far-reaching benefits in the US through their very own consulting business.   In a recent case, Park received a candidate’s business plan to establish a ...

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Translating Hijri and Non-Gregorian Dates at Park

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Becca Matson  Date accuracy matters in immigration filings. Birth certificates, educational diplomas, and employment records all form the foundation of a petition. When dates on these documents are altered or reformatted during translation, risks emerge. USCIS regulations require that translations be "accurate and complete." Therefore, translations must reflect what is written in the original document, including how dates are formatted and presented.  When translating documents from countries that use the Islamic Hijri calendar, including Saudi Arabia, much of the Gulf region, and various Muslim-majority nations, translation vendors face a critical challenge: how to handle dates that don't conform to the Gregorian calendar system used as the US standard.  While some translation services may take shortcuts (i.e. converting Hijri dates to approximate Gregorian equivalents or reformatting dates to match U.S. conventions), the Park team takes a more detailed approach to accurately reflect source ...

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Park’s Four Essential Steps for Handling Imperfect Immigration Documents

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Becca Matson  Identify issues early  Immigration filings frequently include documents that are partially illegible, handwritten, stamped, or damaged. Birth certificates may be decades old and faded. Other documents might bear handwritten annotations. How a translation vendor handles these imperfections can have a significant impact on the record’s integrity and the case’s success.  Park’s process begins with identifying every portion of text that is faint, blurred, obscured, or otherwise questionable. Instead of pushing forward with assumptions, we surface these issues upfront, so attorneys can see exactly where the document may pose challenges.  Translate without guessing Park never reconstructs, interprets, or “fills in” unclear content. If a portion of the source document is illegible or unreadable, we note it in the translation. ...

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