A high school diploma is required for admission into a US University or College. But that diploma need not be from the US.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 06, 2009 ) Fort Lauderdale/Miami If you were educated outside the US but want to attend college or university in the US your previous education maybe sufficient to gain admission. You would need your high school diploma evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation agency. This evaluation from a foreign credential evaluation service is required for admission to almost every college or university in the United States. A small number of the admissions departments do their own evaluations.

According to Sheila Danzig, executive director of Career Consulting International, www.thedegreepeople.com here is a partial list of the Diplomas and Certificates from outside the US that can be evaluatedas equivalent to a US high school diploma. The list is not complete so for additional information feel free to call CCI at 1.800.771.4723

Afghanistan: Baccaluria
Albania: Maturity Certificate (Deftese Pjekurie)
Algeria: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement Secondaire
Andorra: Titulo de Bachillerato (Title of Bachelor)
Angola: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Argentina: Bachillerato or Bachillerato Especializado
Armenia: Attestat o srednem obriazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Australia: ‘12th Year’ Certificate
Austria: Reifeprüfungs/Matura from Gymnasium or Realgymnasium
Azerbaijan: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Bahamas: Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education/ GCE “O” Levels
Bahrain: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Bangladesh: Higher Secondary School Certificate
Belarus: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Belgium: Certificat de l’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur plus the Diplôme d’Aptitude d’Accéder à l’Enseignement Supérieur
Benin: Baccalauréat
Bhutan: Indian School Certificate
Bolivia: Bachiller en Humanidades
Botswana: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Secondary School Leaving Diploma (Matura)
Brazil: Certificado de Conclusao de Ensino Medio (Certificado de Conclusao de 2 Grau before 1997)
Brunei: Brunei/Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie (Diploma of Completed Education)
Burkina Faso: Baccalauréat
Burma (Myanmar): Basic Education High School Examination/ Matriculation
Burundi: Diplôme des Humanités Complètes
Cambodia: Certificate of Completion/ Baccalauréat
Cameroon: GCE “O” Levels / Baccalauréat
Cape Verde: Curso Complementar do Ensino Secundario
Carribean Countries: Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate (CxC)/ GCE “O” Levels
Central African Republic: Baccalauréat
Chad: Baccalauréat
Chile: Licencia de Educacion Media (Intermediate Education Certificate)
China, People’s Republic of: Senior Middle School Diploma
Columbia: Bachiller
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Diplome d’Etat d’Etudes Secondaires du Cycle Long
Congo: Baccalauréat
Costa Rica: Diploma de Conclusion de Estudios de Educación Diversificada
Croatia: Svjedocanstvo o Polozenom Zavrsenom Ispitu
Cuba: Bachillerato
Cyprus: Apolytirion of Lykeion / Devlet Lise Diplomasi / Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Czech Republic: Vysvedceni o Maturitni Zkouska (Maturita)
Denmark: Studentereksamen
Djibouti: Baccalauréat
Dominican Republic: Bachillerato en Cincias y Letras
Ecuador: Bachillerato
Egypt: General Secondary School Certificate (Thanaweya A’ama before 1995)
Estonia: Gümnaasiumi Lõputunnistus
Ethiopia: Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate
Fiji: New Zealand School Certificate or Fiji School Leaving Certificate
Finland: Lukion Paastotodistus
France: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement du Second Degré / Brevet de Technicien
Gabon: Baccalauréat
Gambia: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Ghana: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Guinea: Baccalauréat
Georgia: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Germany: Abitur / Reifezeugnis / Fachhochschulreife/ Realschulabschluss
Ghana: Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE); or WASC/GCE-O levels and WAHSC/GCE-A levels
Greece: Apolytirion
Guatemala: Bachillerato
Honduras: Bachillerato
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Certificate of Education / GCE “O” Levels
Hungary: Érettségi/Matura
Iceland: Studentsprof
India: All-Indian Senior School Certificate; Higher Secondary School/Intermediate/Pre-University Certificates awarded upon completion of 12 years of study
Indonesia: Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) Leaving Certificate
Iran: Certificate of Completion of Secondary Education
Iraq: Sixth-Form Baccalauréat
Ireland: Leaving Certificate
Israel: Bagrut/ Mechina
Italy: Diploma di Superamento Dell’Esame di Stato (Diploma di Maturita before 1997)
Ivory Coast: Baccalauréat
Japan: Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Jordan: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Kazakstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kyrgyzstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kenya: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
Korea: Academic High School Leaving Certificate
Laos: Baccalauréat
Latvia: Atestats par visparejo videjo izgitibu (Certificate of General Secondary Education after 12 years of education)
Lebanon: Baccalauréat (2nd Part)
Lesotho: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Liberia: Senior High School Certificate
Libya: General Secondary School Certificate
Liechtenstein: Matura
Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas after completing secondary school
Luxembourg: Diplôme de Fin d’Etudes Secondaires
Macedonia: Svidetelstov za polozen zavrsen (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Madagascar: Baccalauréat
Malaysia: SPM/STPM or COSC/COHSC or UEC
Mali: Baccalauréat
Malawi: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Malta: Matriculation/ Secondary Education Certificate
Marshall Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Mauritania: Baccalauréat
Mauritius: Higher School Certificate
Mexico: Bachillerato en Ciencias/Humanidades
Middle East: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Moldova: Diploma de Absolvire a Invatamintuni Mediu General (Diploma of Completion of General Secondary Education)
Monaco: Baccalauréat
Mongolia: School Leaving Certificate
Montenegro: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Morocco: Baccalauréat
Mozambique: Certificado de Habilitacoes Literarias
Namibia: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Nauru: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Nepal: Proficiency Certificate
Netherlands: HAVO / VWO
New Independent States & The Baltic Republics: Certificate of Upper Secondary Education
New Zealand: Sixth Form Certificate
Nicaragua: Bachillerato
Niger: Baccalauréat
Nigeria: Senior School Certificate / West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Northern Ireland: General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Norway: Vitnemål Fra den Videregående Skole
Oman : Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Thanawiya amma)
Pakistan : Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary Certificate awarded upon completion of 12 years of primary-secondary study
Panama: Bachillerato
Papua New Guinea: Higher School Certificate
Paraguay: Bachillerato
Peru: Bachiller
Philippines: Complete 12 years of education or two years of study at a recognized institution of higher learning
Poland: Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci / Matura
Portugal: Certificado de Fin de Estudos Secundarias
Qatar: Certificate of General Secondary Education
Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat
Russian Federation: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Rwanda: Certificat des Humanités
San Marino: Diploma di Maturità
Saudi Arabia: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
Scotland: Scottish Certificate of Education Higher Grade
Senegal: Baccalauréat
Serbia: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Seychelles: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sierra Leone: West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Singapore: Singapore-Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Slovak Republic: Maturitnej Skuske / Maturita
Slovenia: Spri evalo o zaklju nem izpitu (Certificate of Final Examinations)
Solomon Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Secondary School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Solomon Islands School Certificate
Somalia: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
South Africa: Senior Certificate
South Korea: Senior High School Diploma
Spain: Bachillerato Unificado y Polivalente (BUP)
Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan GCE “O” Levels
Sudan: Sudan Higher Secondary School Certificate
Suriname: HAVO or VWO
Swaziland: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sweden: Avgangsbetyg (Gymnasium)
Switzerland: Maturitatzeugnis/Certificat de Maturite/Baccalaureat/Attestato di Maturita
Syria: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Taiwan: Graduation Certificate
Tajikistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Tanzania: Certificate of Secondary Education
Thailand: Mathayom Suska
Togo: Baccalauréat
Tonga: Tongan School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Completion Form Six
Tunisia: Baccalauréat
Turkey: Devlet Lise Diplomasi /Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Turkmenistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Uganda: Uganda Certificate of Education
Ukraine: Atestat o protnom ovshchem srednem obrazovani (Certificate of Completed Secondary Education)
United Arab Emirates: Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
United Kingdom: GCSE plus GCE “A” levels; SCE plus CSYS
Uruguay: Bachillarato Diversificado de Ensenanza Secundaria
Uzbekistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Vatican: Diploma de Maturita
Venezuela: Bachillerato
Vietnam: Bang Tot Nghiep Trung Hoc Pho Thong (Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate)
Yemen: General Secondary Education Certificate (Al Thanawiya)
Zimbabwe: ZIMSEC A’ + O’ levels (COSC/COHSC before November 2002)

Career Consulting International will be happy to give you a free consultation regarding your degree at www.thedegreepeople.com or by phone at 1.800.771.4723

As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a special visa qualification was offered to citizens of Canada and Mexico who qualify for temporary employment positions that can be categorized into certain professional classifications as defined by the NAFTA agreement. This immigrant visa is known as the TN visa, and includes a wide variety of positions in diverse fields such as social work, accounting, science, mathematics, and nursing. These visas are issued for one-year durations, but can be extended indefinitely.

In order to qualify for a TN visa, a candidate must have at least the U.S. equivalency of a Bachelor Degree in the professional area for which he or she applies. To prove that the foreign degree is equivalent, a foreign education credentials evaluation must be done by a qualified agency, such as Career Consulting International. These educational evaluations are then submitted, along with other documentation, to USCIS officials to determine whether the visa application will be approved or denied.

Professionals who apply for TN Visas may apply for TD visas to allow spouses or dependents to accompany them and reside with them during their stay in the United States. People who hold TN visas, however, may not seek employment within the United States. Canadian citizens are referred to as TN-1 Visa applicants, while citizens of Mexico are designated as TN-2 applicants. The most recent change in policy directly affects TN-2 visa applicants. The application process differs between Canadian and Mexican citizens, however. TN-1 Visa applicants may apply for this immigrant visa either at a US-Canada border crossing, or at most Canadian international airports. In this case, the TN visa may be granted on the day upon which the candidate submits the visa application, a foreign education credentials evaluation report, and accompanying documentation.

Recently, the procedure has changed for citizens of Mexico applying for TN-2 Visas through the Matamoras, Mexico Consulate. Although this change has not yet been reflected on the consulate’s website, these new changes became effective on September 10, 2008. Visa applicants must now call for an appointment or schedule one online at the consulate website, located at http://matamoros.usconsulate.gov/matamoros/nafta_visas_tn.html.

Previously, applicants were able to submit their foreign education credentials and evaluation reports prior to the interview. This is no longer true. Now, applicants are required to submit their foreign credential evaluations and other documents at the time of the interview appointment with the consulate.

The employer is still required to submit the employee’s work credentials to the USCIS to demonstrate that the employee is qualified for the TN-2 Visa. Only after approval may the employee schedule an appointment to have his or her visa stamped at the consulate. The employee’s start date will only be determined after these steps have been completed.