Sheila Danzig

Starting January 17, 2025, fundamental shifts in H-1B processing requirements will create unprecedented challenges for employers and foreign professionals seeking specialty occupation positions in the United States. These regulatory updates represent USCIS efforts to strengthen program oversight while establishing more stringent evaluation criteria for H-1B petitions. The changes will substantially increase Request for Evidence (RFE) volumes, requiring applicants to demonstrate enhanced preparation and strategic response capabilities.

The H-1B program serves skilled international workers pursuing specialty occupations that demand bachelor’s degrees or higher education in specific fields. However, recent regulatory modifications introduce heightened examination of position qualifications and beneficiary educational alignment with job requirements. These developments create additional obstacles for individuals and employers working through the immigration system, making expert guidance more essential than ever.

Understanding the Regulatory Changes

The updated requirements encompass several critical areas that will directly impact application success rates:

Revised Specialty Occupation Standards: New criteria establish stricter requirements for employers to prove that bachelor’s degrees represent essential rather than merely preferred qualifications for specific job roles. This change moves beyond traditional preferences to mandate clear demonstration of degree necessity for position performance.​

Enhanced Degree-Job Relationship Scrutiny: USCIS will conduct more rigorous evaluations of educational background connections to intended employment positions. This heightened analysis examines whether applicant degrees directly correlate with job responsibilities and requirements.

Expanded Employer Documentation Requirements: Companies must now provide comprehensive evidence including detailed project descriptions and client contract documentation to justify H-1B worker hiring decisions. These expanded requirements demand substantial preparation and thorough documentation processes.

RFE Preparation Strategies

These regulatory modifications significantly increase the probability that well-prepared H-1B applications will still encounter RFE challenges. Employers and beneficiaries must develop robust documentation strategies that address specialty occupation qualifications and demonstrate clear educational alignment with proposed positions. Proactive preparation becomes essential for preventing application delays and potential denials.

TheDegreePeople.com Professional Support

Sheila Danzig, who established TheDegreePeople.com, brings specialized expertise to H-1B applicants facing RFE challenges, particularly those involving specialty occupation determinations. Her extensive experience in academic evaluations and petition support has enabled numerous clients to successfully address complex immigration challenges. Through years of dedicated service, Sheila has developed comprehensive understanding of USCIS expectations and effective response strategies.

“Our goal is to make sure every client has the strongest case possible,” Sheila explains. “With these new regulations, it’s more important than ever to proactively address specialty occupation concerns and degree-job alignment before submitting the petition”. This proactive approach distinguishes TheDegreePeople.com from reactive service providers who wait for problems to develop.

Comprehensive Service Offerings

TheDegreePeople.com provides essential services that address the most common H-1B challenges:

Specialized Academic Evaluations: These assessments ensure foreign degrees meet U.S. equivalency standards while demonstrating clear alignment with specific job role requirements. The evaluation process examines educational content, institutional quality, and professional relevance.

Expert Opinion Letters: Industry professionals provide detailed analysis and substantiation for specialty occupation claims through authoritative documentation. These letters carry significant weight with USCIS because they demonstrate professional validation of position requirements.

Customized RFE Responses: TheDegreePeople.com develops personalized responses that address specific RFE concerns while focusing on specialty occupation and degree-related issues. Each response receives individual attention to maximize approval probability.

Strategic Approach to Regulatory Compliance

USCIS regulatory tightening requires applicants and employers to adopt proactive strategies for avoiding RFEs and ensuring successful petition outcomes. Developing comprehensive initial petitions and maintaining prepared responses for potential RFE situations becomes critical for success. TheDegreePeople.com offers invaluable support through specialized expertise in academic evaluations and specialty occupation RFE resolution.

Don’t allow new USCIS changes to undermine your H-1B petition success. TheDegreePeople.com provides the expert guidance and comprehensive support necessary to strengthen your case and overcome regulatory challenges. For additional information about how TheDegreePeople.com can assist with your H-1B petition requirements, visit TheDegreePeople.com.

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About Sheila Danzig

Sheila Danzig is the executive director of TheDegreePeople.com and a leading expert in foreign degree evaluations. She is widely recognized for her innovative approach to difficult cases, helping thousands of clients successfully obtain visa approvals even when facing RFEs or denials. Her expertise in USCIS requirements and commitment to providing personalized, effective solutions make her a trusted resource for professionals navigating the immigration process.

Get a Free Review of Your Case

If you’ve received an RFE, don’t wait. Sheila Danzig and TheDegreePeople.com offer a free review of your case to determine the best course of action. Our expertise has helped thousands of professionals, including H-1B applicants, secure approvals even in challenging cases.

To get your free case review, visit www.ccifree.com today. Don’t let an RFE stand in your way—get the expert help you need to strengthen your petition and move forward with confidence.

Demonstrating educational equivalency through professional experience represents a crucial element for individuals pursuing U.S. work visas. TheDegreePeople.com specializes in converting years of specialized work into recognized academic credentials, ensuring applicants meet strict USCIS requirements while effectively showcasing their qualifications.​

TheDegreePeople.com’s Work Experience Evaluation Process

The team conducts thorough reviews of professional backgrounds to translate work experience into academic credit equivalencies. Following USCIS guidelines, they apply the principle that three years of progressive, specialized work equals one year of U.S. college-level education. This process encompasses detailed analysis of employment records, including job descriptions, project portfolios, and employer verification. Additionally, they cross-reference industry standards to ensure roles align with U.S. occupational codes and educational benchmarks.​

TheDegreePeople.com collaborates with U.S.-based professionals to validate specialized skills and knowledge essential for the petitioned role. This approach ensures that evaluations meet the highest standards for accuracy and USCIS compliance.​

Addressing Educational Challenges Through Professional Experience

Work experience conversions serve as common methods to overcome educational hurdles because USCIS accepts that three years of progressive work experience in the field of the H-1B job equals one year of college credit in that major. Progressive work experience means education occurred on the job as evidenced by promotions or the work becoming demonstrably more difficult with greater responsibility over the course of employment.​

A professor with the authority to convert work experience into college credit can perform this conversion, which explains why TheDegreePeople.com works with such professors when writing H-1B credential evaluations. This methodology proves particularly valuable for applicants with foreign degrees or incomplete educational backgrounds.​

Case Study: Bridging Education Gaps with Professional Expertise

A prime example demonstrates TheDegreePeople.com’s effectiveness in this area. A software engineer from India with over a decade of experience but no formal degree sought an H-1B visa. TheDegreePeople.com’s evaluation demonstrated how his advanced work in cloud architecture and certifications in AWS equated to a U.S. bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. This assessment proved crucial in securing approval, enabling him to contribute to a leading U.S. tech firm.​

Comprehensive Service Portfolio

TheDegreePeople.com provides comprehensive services ranging from document-by-document summaries to course-by-course analyses, addressing needs for immigration, licensure, and academic admissions. With four decades of expertise since 1985, their evaluations have supported over 12,000 visa petitions, achieving a 98% success rate in resolving RFEs.​

Their USCIS-compliant reports adhere to AAO precedents and federal guidelines, making them accepted by immigration authorities nationwide. This track record demonstrates their commitment to excellence and understanding of immigration requirements.​

Strategic Approach to Complex Cases

TheDegreePeople.com recognizes that USCIS raises significant concerns when they encounter certain educational situations, including foreign degrees, three-year bachelor’s degrees, degrees in majors different from the H-1B job, generalized degrees, incomplete college, no college, and credentials from unaccredited institutions.​

To address these situations, applicants must demonstrate that the beneficiary has met H-1B educational requirements with a credential evaluation that shows their education, non-collegiate training, and work experience comprises the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or higher in the field of the job. This requires a detailed evaluation written specifically to address the situation, including detailed evaluation of courses taken, evaluation of academic value of any professional or other non-collegiate training, and work experience conversion.​

Final Thoughts

Converting professional experience into academic credentials requires expertise in both immigration law and educational standards. TheDegreePeople.com’s specialized approach ensures that years of professional growth and specialized knowledge receive proper recognition under U.S. immigration standards. Their methodology provides a pathway for qualified professionals to demonstrate their qualifications even when traditional educational credentials may not directly align with USCIS requirements.

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About Sheila Danzig

Sheila Danzig is the executive director of TheDegreePeople.com and a leading expert in foreign degree evaluations. She is widely recognized for her innovative approach to difficult cases, helping thousands of clients successfully obtain visa approvals even when facing RFEs or denials. Her expertise in USCIS requirements and commitment to providing personalized, effective solutions make her a trusted resource for professionals navigating the immigration process.

Get a Free Review of Your Case

If you’ve received an RFE, don’t wait. Sheila Danzig and TheDegreePeople.com offer a free review of your case to determine the best course of action. Our expertise has helped thousands of professionals, including H-1B applicants, secure approvals even in challenging cases.

To get your free case review, visit www.ccifree.com today. Don’t let an RFE stand in your way—get the expert help you need to strengthen your petition and move forward with confidence.

Credential evaluations serve as fundamental components in visa application processes, especially for H1B, EB2, EB3, E3, and TN visa categories. These assessments prove instrumental in preventing education-related Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and reversing denials that could otherwise derail your immigration journey. However, their success depends entirely on selecting the appropriate credential evaluation agency that understands your specific visa requirements and circumstances.

Essential Criteria for Selecting Your Evaluation Partner

Visa-Specific Specialization Requirements
Your chosen agency must possess deep specialization in evaluations that correspond precisely with your target visa category’s unique demands. This expertise includes comprehensive understanding of each visa type’s distinct characteristics and the particular educational qualifications they require for approval. Generic evaluation services cannot provide the focused expertise necessary for complex immigration cases.

Individualized Assessment Approach
Every immigration case presents unique circumstances requiring custom-tailored evaluations that address your specific educational background, professional experience, and H-1B position requirements. Standard template evaluations that ignore these individual factors often fail to meet USCIS expectations and may result in application complications. Your evaluation must reflect your personal academic and professional journey accurately.

Current USCIS Knowledge Base
The evaluation agency should maintain comprehensive awareness of current USCIS trends, approval patterns, and evolving standards. This knowledge proves essential for developing evaluations that satisfy strict USCIS expectations and align with recent policy changes. Without this current understanding, evaluations may fail to address contemporary immigration requirements.

International Education System Expertise
Your agency needs extensive expertise across diverse international education systems to accurately assess and establish equivalency between foreign degrees and U.S. educational standards. This specialized knowledge ensures proper recognition of your academic achievements within the American educational framework. Limited understanding of global education systems can result in undervalued or misrepresented credentials.

Professional Experience Integration Capabilities
When degree-job mismatches occur or incomplete college education creates gaps, your agency should demonstrate proven ability to convert relevant work experience into equivalent college credits. This complex process requires evaluating whether your professional responsibilities progressively increased in sophistication and specialization, mirroring formal educational advancement. Not all agencies possess this specialized conversion expertise.

Comprehensive Research and Analysis Standards
Thorough analysis and extensive research into your educational background and work experience form the foundation of effective evaluations. This includes investigating institutional accreditation status, coursework relevance to your intended position, and professional responsibility progression throughout your career. Surface-level evaluations cannot provide the depth required for successful visa applications.

Personalized Client Service Commitment
Your evaluation agency should provide individualized service that includes detailed questioning about your job requirements, educational background, and professional experience. This personalized approach ensures your evaluation addresses your specific circumstances and visa category requirements precisely. Automated or standardized service models cannot deliver this level of customization.

Critical RFE Scenarios Addressed Through Expert Evaluations

Credential evaluations prove particularly valuable when addressing RFEs concerning foreign degree equivalency disputes, education-occupation alignment challenges, and work experience equivalency determinations. These professional assessments clarify foreign educational credential equivalency to U.S. standards, demonstrate alignment between your education and job requirements, and establish how your work experience compensates for any educational gaps.

When pursuing credential evaluations for visa applications, selecting an agency like TheDegreePeople.com becomes essential for obtaining specialized, comprehensive, and customized assessments. Your chosen agency must demonstrate extensive knowledge of USCIS trends, international education systems, and work experience equivalency processes, all specifically tailored to your unique educational and professional background.

Career Consulting International stands ready to review any case, including existing RFEs and denials, to reverse those decisions or provide preventive analysis before filing to avoid RFE complications entirely.

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About Sheila Danzig

Sheila Danzig is the executive director of TheDegreePeople.com and a leading expert in foreign degree evaluations. She is widely recognized for her innovative approach to difficult cases, helping thousands of clients successfully obtain visa approvals even when facing RFEs or denials. Her expertise in USCIS requirements and commitment to providing personalized, effective solutions make her a trusted resource for professionals navigating the immigration process.

Get a Free Review of Your Case

If you’ve received an RFE, don’t wait. Sheila Danzig and TheDegreePeople.com offer a free review of your case to determine the best course of action. Our expertise has helped thousands of professionals, including H-1B applicants, secure approvals even in challenging cases.

To get your free case review, visit www.ccifree.com today. Don’t let an RFE stand in your way—get the expert help you need to strengthen your petition and move forward with confidence.

Wage Level Issue RFEs and Denials frequently occur for H-1B positions classified at Level 1 Wages. This challenge emerges through a two-step process: H-1B visas are designated for foreign nationals in specialty occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher as the minimum qualification to perform the job. Simultaneously, H-1B employers must pay H-1B employees the prevailing wage for their position. When positions are classified at Level 1 Wages, USCIS often assumes the role is entry-level, which may not consistently require a bachelor’s degree minimum, or suspects the employer is underpaying the H-1B employee.

Computer Programmers Face Heightened Scrutiny

Computer programmers experience the most significant impact from this issue, frequently receiving double RFEs that require addressing both specialty occupation and wage level concerns simultaneously. This trend began when USCIS stopped automatically approving H-1B visas for positions that normally but not always required a bachelor’s degree as the minimum educational requirement. The change affected programmers particularly hard because these professionals historically experienced no difficulty with visa approvals.

Understanding the Wage Level Challenge

The fundamental shift occurred when USCIS began interpreting H-1B specialty occupation requirements more strictly. While the law states that positions must normally require at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent, USCIS started adjudicating this as “always,” making exceptions the new standard for approval. This interpretation created significant obstacles for computer programmers and similar positions, especially those classified at wage level one.

Prevention and Response Strategies

To prevent or respond to wage level issue RFEs, TheDegreePeople.com recommends providing a detailed breakdown of factors that determined the wage level classification. This documentation should include wage levels for identical positions within the industry and geographical location. A crucial factor in justifying lower starting wage levels involves recognizing that the H-1B visa program was designed to attract foreign students to U.S. schools by offering opportunities to remain in the United States after graduation for specialty occupation work under dual-intent visa status.

Many H-1B employees possess the required degree for their position but lack sufficient work experience to perform duties without extensive training and supervision. This reality directly influences wage level one determinations and must be clearly documented.

Expert Opinion Letter Requirements

All supporting evidence must be accompanied by an expert opinion letter written by a professional with extensive field experience in the H-1B job area. The expert’s background should include hiring employees for the position in question and similar roles, adding analysis and credibility to justify the wage level determination. USCIS will not accept expert opinion letters from professionals who are solely instructors or educators in the field. The expert must demonstrate substantial field experience for USCIS to accept their opinion and approve the visa.

Proactive Documentation Approach

For positions classified at level one wages, TheDegreePeople.com advises including comprehensive documentation with the initial petition to prevent RFEs or denials. This proactive approach should include evidence demonstrating that the particular position is uniquely specialized and requires a bachelor’s degree minimum to perform the duties and responsibilities. Additional documentation should feature job advertisements showing bachelor’s degree requirements and advertisements for similar positions at comparable companies. Proof of past employer hiring practices further strengthens the case.

Strategic Case Preparation

TheDegreePeople.com emphasizes the importance of working with experts who have at least ten years of experience in the H-1B job field. Ideally, these experts have held positions of authority involving hiring decisions for the position in question and supporting roles that required employees to possess specific skills and knowledge for operational success. This comprehensive approach helps establish the specialized nature of the position and justifies the wage level determination.

Final Thoughts

Successfully addressing wage level issue RFEs requires strategic documentation and expert analysis that clearly establishes the specialized nature of the position while justifying the wage level classification. TheDegreePeople.com’s experience in handling these challenging cases provides applicants with the expertise needed to overcome USCIS scrutiny and achieve successful outcomes.

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About Sheila Danzig

Sheila Danzig is the executive director of TheDegreePeople.com and a leading expert in foreign degree evaluations. She is widely recognized for her innovative approach to difficult cases, helping thousands of clients successfully obtain visa approvals even when facing RFEs or denials. Her expertise in USCIS requirements and commitment to providing personalized, effective solutions make her a trusted resource for professionals navigating the immigration process.

Get a Free Review of Your Case

If you’ve received an RFE, don’t wait. Sheila Danzig and TheDegreePeople.com offer a free review of your case to determine the best course of action. Our expertise has helped thousands of professionals, including H-1B applicants, secure approvals even in challenging cases.

To get your free case review, visit www.ccifree.com today. Don’t let an RFE stand in your way—get the expert help you need to strengthen your petition and move forward with confidence.