Category: Immigration

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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Final Merits Challenges and NOIDs: How Park’s Expert Letters Can Help

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Amy Fredrickson In this challenging immigration climate, firms are increasingly navigating Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) decisions from USCIS in response to extraordinary ability and outstanding researcher visa petitions. Many of these decisions acknowledge satisfaction of the basic evidentiary criteria but challenge cases based on the second phase of the adjudication process: the final merits review. Park’s experts help firms respond to these final merits challenges through various techniques. For instance, we offer in-depth expert letters that contextualize why evidence is of sufficient quality to distinguish a beneficiary from those who may only meet the literal definition of the extraordinary ability criteria. In a recent case, our expert used his background in academia to explain a candidate’s impressive publication record. By ...

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Maximize Approval Chances by Using Work Experience Evaluations for E-3 Visa Petitions

Posted by: Park Evaluations

When preparing E-3 visa petitions, work experience evaluations (WEVs) are great strategic tools in cases where a candidate’s academic credentials do not neatly align with specialty occupation requirements. At Park, we work with expert evaluators to draft WEVs that bridge the gap between formal education and the degree standard. These assessments can support a persuasive argument that candidates meet the qualifications under E-3 criteria. Incorporating WEVs into E-3 petitions can make a meaningful difference in the outcome for candidates. For example, since three-year degrees are so common in Australia, as opposed to four-year degrees in the US, WEVs use work experience to fill in for the missing year, allowing candidates to achieve the requisite Bachelor’s equivalency. Park’s experts recently worked with a candidate ...

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Wage Level Justification Letters in the Weighted Lottery Era

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Nikki Ummel As the weighted lottery reshapes H-1B filing strategy, Park has continued to see an increase in petitions submitted at Level III and Level IV wages. This shift may result in a corresponding uptick in scrutiny from USCIS, particularly in cases where the record does not clearly support the level of independence, complexity, and organizational responsibility associated with higher wage designations. Challenges are more likely to occur if the job description reads as operational or execution-focused, or if the minimum requirements do not clearly reflect advanced responsibility. Adjudicators then may question whether the proffered wage level is appropriate. In these cases, Wage Level Justification Letters have become an increasingly important tool, both as a proactive measure and as part of a ...

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What is a Veteran’s Hold, and Why Does it Exist? 

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Tais Vilela Ribeiro Quinhones  As Park Advertising continuously monitors updates from State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) across the country, we aim to keep our clients informed about policies that may influence recruitment timelines and compliance processes. One practice that often raises questions is the Veteran’s Hold on SWA job postings.   A Veteran’s Hold is a temporary period, typically lasting between 24 and 72 hours, where a newly posted job is visible only to eligible veterans before it becomes available to the public. This early access allows veterans to view and apply for positions before other job seekers. Veteran’s Holds are connected to the concept of “Priority of Service,” meaning that veterans receive access to employment services earlier than others.  Although priority of service for veterans is federally required, veteran job hold policies are determined at the state level, since there is no federal mandate requiring states to place a ...

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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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Beyond Words: What’s in a Name?

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Becca Matson "The wife's name is wrong," the lawyer explained. "Can you change it to just her given name?" Our translator's response was immediate and firm: "No, that's not what the document says." What seemed like an error served as an example of why understanding cultural traditions is just as important as linguistic accuracy in legal translation. Legal documents don't exist in a cultural vacuum. They reflect the traditions, practices, and conventions of their source countries. In many parts of India, it's standard practice for a married woman's name to be recorded in civil documents using her husband's given name and/or surname after marriage. To someone unfamiliar with Indian naming traditions, this may look unusual or incorrect. Park’s professional translators understand these cultural contexts. ...

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Transliteration: Understanding the Rules of Spelling

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By: Becca Matson In immigration documentation, the rules of spelling matter enormously. At Park, our professional translators don't just know multiple languages, they understand additional rules and standards that play important roles when converting languages. While reviewing a translated Russian birth certificate, one client had a very specific request: "Can you update the middle name to 'Valerievich' instead of 'Valeryevich'?” The difference between "Valeryevich" and "Valerievich" might seem trivial and like an oddly specific concern. After all, both spellings refer to the same patronymic name. However, in immigration documentation, these details matter immensely. Park’s translator was able to clearly explain; this wasn't about personal preference; it was about aligning with official Russian government standards that have evolved over time. In immigration cases, matching current ...

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No Degree, No Problem: Qualifying for L-1B Blanket Transfers Without a Bachelor’s 

Posted by: Park Evaluations

By Shela Ward An L-1B blanket petition can be a powerful, streamlined option for global companies seeking to transfer multiple employees with specialized knowledge to the United States, even if candidates do not hold a bachelor’s degree. Many specialized professionals get their start through vocational training or apprenticeships, and it’s common for them to lack a formal bachelor-level education. While this would normally disqualify them from inclusion in an L-1B blanket petition, their extensive expertise and years of training may provide another pathway: an experience-based bachelor’s degree equivalency. Park’s expert network houses university professors from a wide variety of technical disciplines who specialize in assessing how work experience translates to undergraduate education. L-1B blanket candidates with at least twelve years of progressively responsible ...

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Extraordinary Ability in the Arts: How Park Can Help Get Your EB-1A and O-1B Petitions Approved  

Posted by: Park Evaluations | in ,

By Amy Fredrickson O-1B and EB-1A petitions for candidates in the arts often face increased scrutiny due to the subjective nature of assessing what constitutes “extraordinary ability” in this area. Sufficiently demonstrating extraordinary ability in the arts requires nuanced arguments that speak to niche concepts. Proving the artistic merit and cultural relevance of a contribution, as well as the caliber of an award, helps establish a position within the arts as leading or critical.  Park helps deliver these nuanced arguments for O-1B and arts-related EB-1A petitions through specialty expert letters. We provide support on behalf of applicants in fields ranging from film, television, music, culinary arts, dance, and even graphic design.  We recently supported a cinematographer applying for an O-1B visa. Through a detailed letter, our film expert demonstrated the importance of cinematography for a film’s success. They outlined the candidate’s artistic merits and contributions within the larger industry, picking apart the dynamics of visual storytelling that elevated the beneficiary’s work to “extraordinary ability” level. 

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