Last year, the USCIS warned that it was tightening requirements for approvals for employment and immigration visas. Consequently, 3-Year Degrees are undergoing more intense scrutiny than ever before. Many clients with 3-Year degrees from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have reported RFEs and even denials of their employment visas.

As a result, Career Consulting International has made a conscious effort to specialize in providing detailed foreign credentials evaluations to these clients. It’s not always easy to measure success, because the agency often hears from only those who receive RFEs or denials. On rare occasions, we do hear from clients with denials, and stand by our guarantee to advise them regarding the appeals process.

This week, however, we received another note from a client that his I-140 visa had been approved. He had a Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree from India, and we were able to demonstrate that his foreign degree was the U.S. equivalency of a Master Degree. We’re grateful for his input, because it tells us that our process for these educational evaluations is effective.

Have you had an evaluation report from CCI that resulted in a work or immigration visa being approved? Let us know how we’re doing, so that we can make the process easier and better for our clients. Share your story with our readers today - we won’t use your name unless you tell us it is ok.

Work and immigration visa requirements for the United States can be very complicated, and many people often find themselves being denied simply because they don’t clearly understand the USCIS requirements for these documents. Read this short survey to test your knowledge about American visas and the necessary paperwork for H1-B visas.

First, for those who are unfamiliar with the H1-B classification, it is a work visa designed for short-term employment of people who are being employed in a specialty occupation. This includes persons with advanced degrees or job classifications that are in high demand. Remember, however, that the USCIS requires a foreign academic credentials evaluation to ensure that persons applying for H1-B are eligible based on the U.S. equivalency of their foreign degree or diploma.

What job occupations are considered specialty occupations?  Persons whose foreign credentials demonstrate professional credentials in medicine, science, engineering, architecture, theology, or the arts may qualify for H1-B visas.

How does a person from another country get an H1-B visa?  First, an American employer has to petition the USCIS to permit the employment of a foreign citizen. Then, the employer must show, through a foreign credentials evaluations, that the candidate’s education is the U.S. equivalency of the desired credentials.

What employment rules affect H1-B visa holders?  First, people with these work visas must be continually employed in the capacity for which they were hired. This does not include medical leave or maternity leave. In addition, people with these visas must obtain educational evaluations each time their visa is renewed. Finally, they must follow special procedures in order to change employers.

If you are a person with a foreign degree who wishes to work in the U.S., the first step in the visa application is to obtain an evaluation report for your foreign degree or diploma. You must clearly demonstrate that your credentials are equivalent to a U.S. degree. Therefore, before you discuss employment with a potential employer, get your foreign credentials evaluated.

When the economy is good, employers actively recruit professionals from outside the U.S. to fill job vacancies. But what happens when these same companies begin to cut back or downsize? How are persons holding H1-B visas or TN Visas affected by hiring freezes and layoffs?

First, companies are less likely to actively recruit people with foreign degrees from outside the United States, unless they are lack a supply of qualified professionals to fill these positions. The reason for this isn’t descrimination, but conservation. Why spend money hiring persons with foreign credentials if qualified U.S. citizens are clamoring for the same jobs?

Furthermore, hiring people from abroad to fill job vacancies indicates a lack of interest in the welfare of U.S. citizens and the local economy. If American companies are hiring foreign workers, why would American citizens want to buy the products made by these companies?

Sometimes, the right person for the job may not be an American citizen. Many qualified professionals, such as physicians, scientists, or technology experts have been recruited from other countries to perform jobs critical to the operation of American businesses. Increasing economic problems, however, may mean that the foreign academic credentials of these individuals are more carefully scrutinized.

Recently, Career Consulting International was asked by a Navy service member to assist with an educational evaluation of his foreign education credentials. His goal is to enter the Navy’s medical service.  This is the fourth evaluation report CCI has completed for military personnel in October.

So far this month, we have equaled the number of foreign degree evaluations we completed for armed services members last month - which was our highest total ever. The word is starting to get out, and I am confident that one day soon, the U.S. Armed Forces will be able to meet Ms. Danzig’s challenge. (If you know anyone who can help them meet that challenge, get the word out!)

To remind you once more, most people who have obtained high school or college educations in other countries usually need their foreign diplomas evaluated to show the U.S. equivalency of their education. These evaluations can be used to help people with employment or educational goals, or even to apply for immigration visas to the United States.

In the armed services, college education can assist with a promotion, while a high school diploma is required for entry. Because these military people have chosen, of their own free will, to help by serving our country, we at CCI try to do our part in helping them by offering free document evaluations to help them get the credit they deserve. So keep spreading the word!

Looks like the word is getting out a bit about Ms. Danzig’s challenge concerning foreign academic credentials evaluations for the U.S. Armed Services. Today we received another inquiry from a recruit who needed a U.S. equivalency evaluation for her foreign diploma from high school.

That brings the total of evaluation reports to three so far this month, and, since we are only 1 day past the middle of the month, I am projecting that the number of foreign degree evaluations will be up from last month (4). If you know of anyone in the U.S. military who needs an educational evaluation, remember that Career Consulting International is offering free document evaluations to anyone who is an active member or who needs a foreign credentials evaluation to qualify for enlistment.

Although most people only require document evaluations, a few people do require more extensive evaluations, such as course by course evaluations. It’s important to check with your recruiting or commanding officer to be certain exactly what type of evaluation you need before ordering, so that we can best help you.

Once again, our hats off to those of you who serve. For those who have come to CCI for help with foreign degree evaluations, our thanks for letting us show our appreciation for your hard work and dedication!

So far, it looks like October is going to be another quiet month for foreign academic credentials evalations for October. As promised, I am updating you on The Degree People’s latest attempt to thank U.S. Military personnel for their service.

As of early last week, we had received no requests from Armed Forces members for educational evaluations. We have had the pleasure of being able to respond twice this week. Our evaluation reports have helped service members receive promotions and even enlist as a result of CCI’s commitment to help these people with free evaluations to determine U.S. equivalencies of their foreign degrees.

Remember, Ms. Danzig has offered to help 50 persons from the armed services each month receive free document evaluations. So far, only two people have stepped forward to respond to October’s offer. If you know anyone who might be able to benefit from this offer, please tell them so that we can help them get a degree evaluation.

If you or someone you know is an active member of the U.S. military, and completed your high school or college education in another country, a foreign credentials evaluation could be of tremendous help. Career advancement and promotional opportunities may be available - don’t hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity today!

Recently, we had the pleasure of receiving information from a client that his foreign academic credentials evaluation had been accepted by his employer. He proudly informed us that he was wearing his new title.

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to attend school for four or six years and be successful in one’s home country, only to immigrate to another country and lose that immediate acceptance of one’s foreign degree. Yet, that is exactly what happens for many people who arrive here as a result of immigration visas. They cannot get a job using their skills and knowledge until after their foreign credentials have been evaluated.

Career Consulting International is very glad to be able to help hardworking, educated people who have foreign degrees obtain an accurate evaluation report of the U.S. equivalency of their degrees. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity for success in their careers!

In these hard economic times, a raise or a promotion never hurts. We were glad to know that we had been able to help this person prove that he did have the equivalent of a Master Degree, so that he was able to have the academic and job recognition he deserved.

If you are considering having foreign education credentials evaluated for U.S. equivalency, you may wonder how many credits you are likely to get for each subject. Is there any consistent way to determine this? Do evaluation agencies simply assign a random number of credits to a course?

Although the process may at first seem impossible to figure out or understand, Career Consulting International uses a strictly defined formula to determine how many credits each class is worth. If the number of semester credit hours received by the foreign degree student is listed on the transcript, this number is often used. Many universities in other countries, however, require students to have fewer or greater numbers of contact hours to gain a semester hour of credit, so this must also be factored in.

Some countries, such as those that were once part of the former Soviet Union, require an extremely high number of hours for their courses. Some classes require more than 300 contact hours! In this case, the international equivalency is determined by converting these contact hours to credit hours.

The process of foreign academic credentials evaluations isn’t arbitary, but it can be time-consuming and complicated. Evaluation agencies such as Career Consulting International, however, are committed to offering their applicants the best service possible, and are usually willing to explain how the degree equivalency was reached. If you have questions about your evaluation report, discuss them with the person who completed the evaluation; it is their goal and service to help you.

Sometimes, the process of applying for I-140s or other immigration visas can be frustrating for attorneys, clients, and foreign education credential evaluation agencies. This is particularly true with 3-Year Degrees, which are not always accepted by the USCIS as the U.S. equivalency of a Bachelor Degree. Despite everyone’s best efforts, people with foreign degrees are often denied these visas, because immigration officials argue that these degrees just aren’t equivalent.

This occurs more frequently with 3-Year Degrees from India or Bangladesh than from European countries. This occurs despite evaluators’ bests efforts to show the extensive numbers of contact hours and course work which the client has completed. In these situations, is it ever worth the client’s time and money to appeal a denial?

The answer may surprise you. In fact, denials are sometimes overturned on appeals. This may be because of additional evidence presented, or because the appeals arbitrators have a different perspective on the results of the educational evaluation. In many cases, however, the appeals process does have a positive outcome.

The downside of appealing denials for immigration visas is that it can be expensive. Many clients have spent considerable money on foreign academic credentials evaluations, as well as attorney fees. It may or may not be worthwhile to appeal a denial. Only the client - and his or her attorney - can really decide this. Hopefully, their decision is also based on advise from a professional consulting firm who is experienced in appealing visa denials based on these evaluations.