April is a busy month for credential evaluation services such as CCI because of the April 1st H1B visa application deadline. This year, it’s been a little busier even than usual because the H1B visa cap did not fill. This is a reflection of the economic times. As companies are struggling to survive, and laying off more and more people, it’s hard to justify hiring foreign workers except in circumstance where their expertise is vitally needed.

Because CCI specializes in unusual and difficult cases, we see some very interesting and complicated cases, as well as the more straightforward high school diploma, college diploma, and foreign degree. Because this month has been a busy one, there hasn’t been as much time to update our readers as we’d like. So we wanted to take a moment at the end of this month and update you regarding the free offer we make to the U.S. military.

Each month, we offer free document evaluations to 50 U.S. Military personnel. We’ve consistently challenged service persons to keep up with this number, but they haven’t caught up yet. In fact, in April, only 5 military persons requested the free foreign credential evaluations.

Often, we receive the requests from army, navy, or air force recruiters who are waiting to enlist a future soldier, but sometimes the military people see our information online and contact us themselves. Either way, we are happy to help. You’ve spent your time serving, or are about to serve, our country – now let us offer this free service to you – don’t hesitate to benefit from it! Call the toll-free number and our customer service representatives will help you. No gimmicks, no strings, just our way of thanking the U.S. armed forces for all they do!

Each year, the USCIS receives tens of thousands of applications for temporary and permanent visas. Sometimes, qualified workers are turned away or questioned because they don’t have academic credentials evaluations that show their foreign degrees to be the educational equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.

When this happens, the professional must find a foreign credential evaluation that specializes in difficult or challenging cases. Once a person has received an RFE or denial, though, the application process is often an uphill battle.

CCI recently received a foreign credentials evaluation request from a client who had received a Bachelor of Laws degree from a foreign university, and then obtained a Master of Laws degree at an accredited U.S. university. USCIS issued an RFE, indicating a concern that the law degree was not the U.S. equivalency of a Juris Doctor, which is the degree required to practice law in the United States.

Using an expert opinion and a course by course evaluation, CCI was able to offer enough evidence that the degrees were indeed the U.S. equivalent of a Juris Doctor. The client’s application for an I-140 visa was subsequently approved bu the USCIS.

The professionals at CCI enjoy hearing their client’s success stories. Has your foreign credential evaluation helped you earn a job or receive visa approval? Contact us today and share your story. We’ll keep your name and personal details confidential. Let other people benefit from your successes today!

If you earned academic credentials in another country, you will probably have to have your degree evaluated before getting an education or finding a job in the United States. Several reputable credentials evaluation services, including Career Consulting International, are available. The prices, as well as the service times, of these agencies vary, so check with them before ordering.

Even before you have your evaluation in hand, you can start looking for a job or considering attending a university, if you have some idea of what your degree is equivalent to. Not all Bachelor Degrees are equal to U.S. Degrees. For example, a Bachelor Degree from Pakistan is almost always equal to a U.S. Associate Degree.

Some countries don’t use the word “Bachelor” to describe an undergraduate degree. A common example is the “Licence” used by many Latin-American countries. Although the degree is designated a “Licence” by the univesrity, it is the degree equivalency of a Bachelor Degree in the United States.

Many European countries complete the Bachelor Degree in three years, because students attend elementary and secondary school for a total of 13 years. These Bachelor Degrees are almost always considered equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor Degree for education and employment purposes. Occasionally, the USCIS requires additional documentation that these European degrees are equal, so persons wanting to immigrate and find jobs based on these degrees may need an expert opinion letter to support their academic evaluations.

If one system of education existed throughout the world, foreign credential evaluations wouldn’t be necessary. Europe has worked to accomplish just this with the Bologna Accord, but only about 15 countries participate in this degree-granting system. Until all educational systems adopt a single degree-granting system, students and employees will need education evaluations to have their foreign education properly evaluated.

Every month, Career Consulting International offers free foreign credential evaluations to the first 50 members of the US Armed Forces who apply. So far this year, though, the US military has yet to meet this monthly challenge.

Many people seek careers in the military, hoping for opportunities to advance their careers and earn a good living. Many of these people are immigrants, or the sons and daughters of immigrants. They have earned foreign degrees or high school diplomas in the countries of their birth, before emigrating to the U.S.

Most of the time, employers or educators want to confirm that these academic credentials are the U.S. equivalent of the degree or diploma these individuals earned in their previous country. To determine this, foreign credential evaluation agencies such as Career Consulting International complete educational evaluations to establish equivalency.

Sometimes these foreign education evaluations can be very expensive. The cost ranges from $70 to over $1,000. Most of the time, however, employment education evaluations can be completed with a simple document evaluation.

CCI’s Executive Director, Sheila Danzig, and her staff, have great respect for those who choose to serve their country by enlisting or applying to join the U.S. Military. To help make this possible, Ms. Danzig offers free foreign credential evaluations to the first 50 military persons who apply each month.

These evaluations are accepted by all major branches of the U.S. Military, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Each month, we receive a variety of requests from recruiters and soldiers across the country enlisting our assistance, and we are proud to be able to help.

So far this month, we have had requests from three military servicepersons for educational evaluations. We have room for 47 more, so call today to find out how to reserve your slot and get your free foreign credential evaluation!