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H1B visa

H1B Mystery Solved. The Job with Mismatched Education

Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

simply go to ccifree.com and submit a current, accurate resume and educational documents, and let us know the candidate’s job. We will get back to you within 24 hours with a pre-evaluation and full analysis of your situation and your evaluation options. CIS accepts that three years of progressive work experience in the candidate’s field of employ is the equivalent of one year of college credit towards a US Bachelor’s degree in that major, but only when signed off on by a professor who is authorized to issue college credit for work experience. Throughout this work, the candidate must have taken on progressively more responsibility and specialized skills and expertise on the job, proving that specialized education occurred o the job. This is naturally occurring in virtually any job. If you or your employee or client has years of progressive work experience in the field of Computer Systems Analysis, or whatever job title is offered, a credential evaluation that converts work experience into college credit to combine with the education the candidate already has will fill in the gap between the degree and the job offer. This conversion must be written by a college or university professor with the authority to grant college credit for work experience. At TheDegreePeople.com, we ALWAYS have professors who can do this on hand for these kinds of situation. If you or your employee or client has a degree that does not match the H1B job, simply go to ccifree.com and submit a current, accurate resume and educational documents, and let us know your client’s job. We will get back to you within 24 hours with a pre-evaluation and full analysis of your situation and your evaluation options. About the Author  Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.  ]]>

RFE Solutions: Your RFE Won’t Help You Answer It!

Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

  • The job must be a specialty occupation.
  • The candidate must hold a US bachelor’s degree or its equivalent or higher in the field of this specialty occupation.
  • The candidate and the employer must have an employer-employee relationship.
  • The candidate must be paid prevailing wages and benefits for the job for companies of that size in that geographical location.
    • Which of these four requirements is lacking? For qualifications 3 and 4, you can provide the employee contract that shows the nature of the duties you or your employee or client will be performing and the requirements and codes of conduct of the work place. Provide paystubs and W2 information along with documentation about similar jobs for similar companies in that geographic location to show that you or your employee or client is receiving the prevailing wages and benefits. If the petition is lacking in the first qualification, you need to show that the job requires an advanced degree, and specialized skills and knowledge to perform. To meet this requirement, you can provide the advertisement for the job that includes minimum qualifications for the job. You should also provide ads for similar jobs in the same industry for companies of a similar size and scope. If this particular job has higher requirements than similar jobs because this situation uniquely requires specialized knowledge, include an expert opinion letter clearly explaining why this is the case. Requirement 2 has become trickier every year. In the past, CIS has approved the visas of candidates with degrees in fields related to their specialty occupation. Now, candidates must have a degree that is an exact match for their job. Before you get bogged down in the wording of your RFE, find out what the education situation is and what you can do about it to answer the RFE. Simply go to ccifree.com and submit a current resume and the candidate’s educational documents. Indicate the job and desired degree equivalency and specialization, and we will get back to you within 24 hours with a pre-evaluation and analysis of your options. If the degree is not an exact match for the specialty occupation, a credential evaluation that converts years of work experience in the field into college credit towards a US bachelor’s degree in that major is needed. Candidates with degrees from outside of the US also run into trouble with this requirement, particularly candidates with 3-year bachelor’s degrees from India. If you or your employee or client earned the degree from outside of the US, do not submit it without a credential evaluation. Transcripts must be translated and evaluated. These are two very different, and VERY specialized services that cannot be grouped into a one-stop shop. The value of a degree gets lost in translation, and sometimes there is no direct translation for a degree from abroad. Sometimes, degrees do not have the word “degree” in the title but are the functional equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree. Be sure this is a two-step process that first utilizes the services of a translation agency, and THEN utilizes the services of a credential evaluation agency. Before you get too far into answering the RFE, let us provide a pre-evaluation of the candidate’s education to help overturn an educational RFE. Simply go to ccifree.com and attach the candidate’s educational documents and a current resume, along with the job title and desired degree specialization. We will get back to you within 24 hours with a full analysis and all of your options. About the Author Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    What is a Degree? – Find out Before You File!

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

    ccifree.com, let us know the visa and job, and attach the candidate’s educational documents and resume. Within 24 hours, we will send you a pre-evaluation and full analysis of all of your options. You will know what you’re working with, and be able to move forward accordingly. It’s not uncommon for candidates to insist that their high school diploma is a college degree, or for a translated document to report a false academic equivalency. This happens for two main reasons. First, many degrees don’t actually have the word “degree” in the title. When this is translated, it is unclear whether or not the candidate actually has earned the postsecondary education necessary to meet the academic qualifications for their visa. On the same note, some credentials that do have the word degree in the title are not the academic equivalent of US postsecondary education, and some credentials don’t have the word “degree” in the title and are not degrees, period. Some countries have the same titles for different education. For example, the Indian Chartered Accountancy certification is the equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree in accounting while the Canadian Chartered Accountancy certification is not. The second reason this happens is because when documents are translated from their original language into English, some degree titles don’t actually have a direct linguistic translation into English. Others do, but the academic value is different. It’s easy for translators to accidentally insert misinformed judgment into the academic value of a degree through translation. It is always best for translators to simply perform a direct translation and then have the documents passed onto a credential evaluator for the next step. Understanding the value of a foreign degree requires a complex, specialized understanding of international education. Understanding the structures of education and the educational steps required to earn each credential, as well as international trade agreements, graduate program admissions trends, CIS trends and precedents, and federal case law is required to write an accurate evaluation that CIS will understand and accept. Before you file, make sure you, or your employee or client has the right education for the visa. If you’ve already received an RFE, it’s not too late! Simply go to ccifree.com and submit the educational documents and a current resume, and indicate the visa and job. We will get back to you within 24 hours with a pre-evaluation of your case and all of your options for evaluation. About the Author Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    Preempt an RFE: Beware of False Translations

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

    kandidat naouk is generally evaluated to be the equivalent of a US doctorate, but it cannot be TRANSLATED into this equivalency. Don’t get too far on your petition, or your employee or client’s petition before without an accurate account of their education. Simply go to ccifree.com and attach the academic documents and a current resume, and indicate the visa, and job or desired equivalency. Within 24 hours, we will get back to your with a pre-evaluation and full analysis of your options. Translation and evaluation are very different, highly specialized services. A good evaluator can spot and correct when academic value gets lost in translation. Foreign credential evaluators typically have significant experience with international credentials from working in university admissions or similar work environments, or have earned graduate level degrees in international education. Because of the complex nature of international education, evaluators must have a firm grasp of education structures across the world, as well as USCIS statutes and precedent decisions, international trade agreements, and more. Evaluations must be performed on a case-by-case basis because every candidate’s path through learning – both in institutions and on-the-job – is unique. Therefore, evaluators must have the experience and insight to pass judgment with integrity. Do not file an H1B or EB2 petition with falsely translated educational documents. Both of these visas rely heavily on academic eligibility and filing with the wrong education will result in an RFE at best, and a lot of extra work. Before you get too far on the petition, let us provide a pre-evaluation with all of your options to help prevent or overturn an educational RFE. Simply go to ccifree.com and attach all educational documents and a current, accurate resume, and indicate the visa, and job or desired academic equivalency. We will get back to you within 24 hours with a full analysis and all of your options. About the Author Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    Do’s and Don’ts for H1B Filing

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

    Don’t file without double-checking every document included for consistency. Inconsistent spelling of institutions, workplaces, and even names can hurt the credibility of the petition. Make sure location, education, and employment dates match on all documents. Don’t assume CIS knows the academic value of a foreign degree. Don’t assume CIS will see that the candidate’s education and work experience indicate the degree of skill and specialization needed for the candidate to excel at his or her H1B job simply because the employer did. Don’t file with pages out of order. Making your petition, or your employee or client’s petition readable and easy to digest is key to a favorable outcome. Do check in with a credential evaluator with experience working with H1B cases and their RFEs before you file to make sure the education is in order. Do include a foreign credential evaluation in the petition if the degree is from outside of the United States. Do include a foreign credential evaluation in the petition if you or your employee or client has a degree in a field other than their job, a generalized degree, or no college degree. Unless the degree is a four year US bachelor’s degree or higher in the exact field of the H1B job, never assume CIS understands the value of the education. CIS approval trends change, and the person adjudicating the petition is most likely NOT an international education expert. You will need to use the petition to hold CIS’ hand and guide them through the story of why you, or your employee or client is H1B qualified. About the Author  Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    3 Simples Rules to See if Your H1B Candidate Qualifies

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

  • The job requires an advanced, specialized degree.
    • Simply referencing the ad or job description for the H1B job is not enough. Even if the candidate’s job requires a US bachelor’s degree or higher to perform, you need to clearly show that similar jobs in the same industry ALSO require this level of specialized expertise. You need to show that this is an industry standard. Sometimes, the job will require a unique level of skill and expertise that is not an industry standard. In these cases, you will need an expert opinion letter and evidence about this particular job and company to justify why this job is specialized while similar jobs in the industry with the same title are not.
    1. The candidate has a US bachelor’s degree or higher or its foreign equivalent.
    If you, or your employee or client has a degree of this nature from a US institution, and it’s in the correct field, you’re good to go. However, if the candidate has an advanced degree from a country other than the United States, you need to take a closer look to make sure that the candidate is actually H1B qualified. Take the candidate’s transcripts and work experience to a credential evaluator who works regularly with H1B cases and their RFEs. When it comes to degrees like the Indian three-year Bachelor’s degree, the candidate will need at least three years of progressive work experience in their field of employ to account for the missing fourth year of college necessary for the US four-year bachelor’s degree equivalency. Not all work experience will meet the requirements for this conversion. You, or your employee or client may have what is needed to make the conversion, but will still need the right credential evaluation for it to work. If the credential evaluator does not ask about the visa or job, look elsewhere. The evaluator must understand the particular H1B visa requirements as well as CIS approval trends to make an accurate assessment of your, or your employee or client’s educational qualifications, and write the evaluation needed to get the H1B visa approved.
    1. The candidate’s degree is in the field of their H1B job.
    Do you, or does your employee or client hold an advanced degree with a major in their exact field of employ? If the answer is yes, then you’re most likely good to go. If the answer is no – even if the degree is from a US institution – the next step is to find out if your client has the course content and work experience needed to write the equivalency to a degree in the right field. Take the candidate’s transcripts and work experience to a credential evaluator who works regularly with H1B cases and their RFEs to determine if there are enough years of progressive work experience in the field to fill in the gaps between their degree specialization and their field. In the past, candidates with degrees in fields related to their job have had their visas approved, but in the past six or seven years this has not been the case. The degree must be an exact match to prove the candidate has the specialized skills and expertise needed for their H1B job or CIS will not approve the visa. About the Author  Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    Your H1B Solutions for the Generalized Degree

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

  • Specialized Job
  • Specialized Education
    • Successful candidates meet both of these requirements by having a job that requires an advanced degree – a US bachelor’s degree or higher or its foreign equivalent – to perform, and the accompanying education required to perform it. CIS requires this education to be specialized precisely to the field. That’s where candidates run into trouble come filing season. Do you, or does your employee or client have a generalized degree or a degree specialization is a field other than the job? Then you need a credential evaluation. Even if the degree is from a US institution, CIS requires a degree equivalency in the exact specialization of the candidate’s job. For example, a business degree will not cut it for a job in finance. A sociology degree will not cut it for a job in psychology. A job in biology requires a bachelor’s degree or higher in biology – not chemistry, geology, or physics. If you or your employee or client has a generalized degree or a degree mismatched to their job, take the transcripts and work experience to a credential evaluator who works regularly with H1B visas and their RFEs. Evaluators who work regularly with RFEs understand what triggers them and how to prevent them. CIS approval trends regarding education have changed in the past six or seven years, and one of those changes is that the degree specialization must be an EXACT match for the job offer. The evaluator can take a close look at the course content of the candidate’s education, and combine that with progressive work experience in the field to write the evaluation you need to prove educational specialization. Be sure that the evaluation agency you work with has professors on hand who are authorized to issue college credit for work experience. This way, the candidate’s years of work experience in the field can be converted into college credit counting towards their specialized major equivalency. CIS accepts a three years of progressive work experience to one year of college credit in the field equivalency for the H1B visa. Consult with your evaluator to make sure you or your employee or client has the right kind of work experience – and enough of it – before you order your evaluation. About the Author  Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    H1B Case Study: Approved with NO College Credit!

    Case Studies, Credential Evaluation, Visa Approvals

    can an H1B candidate be approved without any college credit, but rather how much progressive work experience is needed. As an equivalency, CIS accepts three years of progressive work experience as the equivalent of one year of college credit. This equivalency must be written by a professor with the authority to grant college credit for work experience. Progressive work experience means the candidate took on more responsibility and complexity with time, indicating that the nature of the work experience was educational and increasingly specialized. This work experience must be in the candidate’s EXACT field of employ to meet CIS specialization requirements for H1B visa approval. If you or your employee or client has no college credit or no degree from a government accredited institution, twelve years of progressive work experience in the field is needed to make this equivalency work. Sometimes, candidates say that their high school diploma is a college degree. Other times, candidates hold credentials from programs that are not government accredited. If this is the case, you need to know about it before you file the H1B petition. Take your transcripts, or your employee or client’s transcripts to a credential evaluator who can identify what kind of educational background you or your employee or client has, and whether or not the institutions are accredited. Evaluators with experience working with H1B cases can also identify whether or not work experience is “progressive” and will count towards a college credit equivalency. About the Author Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

    How Can You Avoid that H1B RFE?

    Credential Evaluation, immigration, Visa Approvals

    st is right around the corner and you want to make sure you have the time you need to file a petition that’s going to be approved. In the haste of preparation, it’s important to keep in mind that the rate of RFEs is high and climbing, and submitting a petition that doesn’t meet H1B requirements is a costly waste of time. Meeting H1B educational requirements clearly and initially is the key to visa approval. Successful H1B candidates must hold a US bachelor’s degree or higher or its foreign equivalent in their field of employ. This sounds simple enough, but matters get tricky when a candidate holds a degree or vocational certificate from outside of the United States. Many candidates are misinformed about their US educational equivalent. This leads to submitting petitions that are doomed to failure. For example, some candidates have earned diplomas and certificates that are not the equivalent of degrees in the United States. Sometimes, the value of the degree gets lost in translation into English. Some vocational certifications from other countries ARE the equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree even though the US vocational certification is not. Foreign credential evaluation is a highly nuanced process that encompasses international education, college and graduate program admissions policies, international trade and commerce agreements, federal case law, and CIS precedent decisions. All of these factors come into play when discerning whether or not you education, or your employee or client’s education meets H1B requirements, and does so with respect to CIS approval trends. Before you get too far on the H1B petition, take the candidate’s education and work experience to a credential evaluation agency. The right agency for you works regularly with H1B cases and their RFEs. When you call or email, they will respond promptly and ask about your or your employee or client’s job and visa. If the agency does not ask about the job and visa, look elsewhere. Don’t file an H1B petition with the wrong education. If a candidate does not meet CIS educational requirements with their foreign degree, they may be able to meet equivalency requirements by including a work experience conversion with a detailed credential evaluation. About the Author Sheila Danzig Sheila Danzig is the Executive Director at TheDegreePeople.com, a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Agency. For a free analysis of any difficult case, RFE, Denial, or NOID, please go to http://ccifree.com/ or call 800.771.4723.]]>

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