Category: Evaluations

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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The NIW Flight Path for the Aviation Industry

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward  The aviation industry is facing a growing demand for skilled pilots, safety experts, and maintenance managers. The National Interest Waiver (NIW) has increasingly become an appealing immigration pathway for professionals in this field.   Unlike many of the employment-based options for a green card, the NIW lets individuals self-petition without an employer sponsor or labor certification, offering a powerful route to residency. This is a strong option for aviation professionals, as it offers flexibility and independence in an industry where job opportunities can shift quickly due to fluctuating hiring cycles, mergers, or operational changes. By demonstrating that their skills and contributions benefit the country, aviation professionals can position themselves as valuable assets to the country’s national interest.  At ...

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How an Expert Opinion Letter can help avoid an RFE on Extraordinary Ability cases

Posted by: Park Evaluations

Even the most impressive, highly qualified applicants can receive RFEs on their Extraordinary Ability visa cases. This doesn’t mean they lack achievement, but the evidence package may not explain or verify candidates' accomplishments in ways immigration officers expect. The good news? Many RFEs stem from predictable issues that a well-crafted expert opinion letter can address. Some of these common RFE triggers include: Achievements that don’t appear extraordinary Applicants list impressive accomplishments, but without proper context, USCIS may view evidence as commonplace for someone in their field. Adjudicators need to see how the work stands out and why it’s rare, influential, or groundbreaking. Indication of international acclaim and reputation, as a result of the candidate’s accomplishments in their field, aids in reaching a successful determination ...

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A Closer Look at 3-Year Degrees: Not All Created Equal

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Hannah Welbourn and Mai Bui While navigating employment-based petitions, especially the H-1B, the duration of a program can be a frequent point of confusion. One question we often see: How could a three-year degree be equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s? It’s important to consider not only the number of years of study but also the structure, educational conventions, and historical contexts of the academic system behind the credential. In the United States, a Bachelor’s degree typically involved four years of post-secondary education. However, in many countries, especially those following British or Commonwealth systems, Bachelor’s degrees are often completed in three years. Whether these degrees are considered equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s degree depends largely on two factors: what is required to ...

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What is a Work Experience “Combo” Expert Opinion?

Posted by: Park Evaluations

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 ...

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