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Credential Evaluation

No Degree? No Problem!

Credential Evaluation, Visa Approvals


The USCIS generally accepts that three years professional, responsible work experience in the field is equivalent to one year’s worth of college education in that field.  If you need to count your work experience towards the degree that qualifies you for your H1B job and visa, you could just hope that the USCIS worker evaluating your degree draws this equivalence on his or her own, but this would be a pretty risky gamble.  The USCIS receives hundreds of thousands of petitions for just 65,000 H1B visa slots.  That means they are looking for an easy way out with each petition.  Don’t give them an easy way out on your petition.  Get your degree evaluated so they can clearly see the value of your skills in terms of US college education.

An authorized credential evaluation agency has the authority to write a detailed evaluation of your skill, converting work experience into college credit hours to bridge any gaps that may be left open in your academic career.  Just because you don’t have a degree doesn’t mean you aren’t the most qualified for your job.  Get your credentials evaluated before you submit your petition, and land your H1B visa in 2016.]]>

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How to Find the Right Credential Evaluator

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals

You can’t get around this RFE by simply not having your credentials evaluated.  If your education was in a different country, you will need an evaluation.  If your degree was in a general field, you may also need an evaluation to take a deeper look into the specific content of your education.  Remember, to qualify for an H1B visa, you must have specialized training that will be applied in your specialized H1B position.  A credential evaluation is a must.  The only way to avoid getting an RFE on your credential evaluator id by finding a reliable agency from the very beginning.

But how do you know if you’ve found a reliable credential evaluation agency?

First and foremost, you should feel comfortable talking with them.  They should be friendly, helpful, and answer all of your questions directly and to your satisfaction.  You should be able to reach them whenever you call, text, or email, and they should have a team of professors and experts in international education on hand at all times to write your evaluation.  They also need to have the authority to convert classroom contact hours and work experience into college credit hours because educational structures and standards vary across the world.  Remember, your evaluation is how you can show the true value of your education.

If you are wondering if you qualify for H1B status, visit us online for a free consultation at http://www.ccifree.com/?CodeBLG/ .]]

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Simple Tips to Streamline Your H1B Petition Process

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals


st is rapidly approaching. It’s officially crunch time. That means you’re finishing up your applications, gathering up the rest of your education and immigration documents, triple-checking your work, and getting your credential evaluations ordered. The USCIS is required to accept H1B petitions for a full business week before closing regardless of how many petitions they receive in that time. Last year it was literally hundreds of thousands for just 65,000 H1B visas. That means you need to have your petition submitted on April 1st and you’ve got to make it easy on the USCIS worker evaluating your petition to approve it.

How can you make this happen? Simple. By making the USCIS worker’s job easier.

Submit all of your documents, applications, and evaluations together, in order, on time, and to the correct address. Go over your forms to make sure all of the information in your H1B packet is accurate and consistent. If you’ve answered questions inconsistently that’s a big red flag and will land you in the rejected pile.

Make sure to always put your signature in blue ink so the USCIS worker evaluating your petition can tell the difference between you and your employer’s signatures and signatures on original documents and copies of original documents. This will streamline the process for the USCIS – who has literally hundreds of thousands of packets to go through – and will make reading your petition a more enjoyable experience. Remember, people will be deciding whether or not you can get your visa. These people want to have a good day. Make theirs a good day by making their job easy and they will approve your visa.

You also want to be sure to submit a credential evaluation along with your transcripts and diplomas if your education is from outside of the United States. You need to clearly show the US equivalent of the value of your education and the only way to do this is with a thorough evaluation from an authorized credential evaluation agency.

At CCI, all of our evaluators are experts in international education with the authority to convert work experience and classroom contact hours into college credit hours to clearly show the value of the academic content of your degree.

We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. We will always answer the phone, text you back, or return your email promptly. We understand the time crunch you face and offer rush services on your credential evaluation order. We will also work off of emailed copies of your academic documents to save you time and hassle.

Remember, no matter how hard you are feeling the crunch, it is essential to always make time to double-check your work, make sure you’re sending the right documents to the right addresses, and to make sure you have everything the USCIS has asked for in the proper order.]]>

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How Do I Transfer My H1B Visa?

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals

One of the greatest advantages of H1B visa status is that you can transfer your visa as many times as you want without being subject to the H1B cap. What does this mean? It means you won’t be stuck in the same job for the duration of your H1B stay. You can get a new job without getting a new visa. You can make this transfer so long as your new job meets H1B standards – meaning it is a specialty occupation requiring a US bachelor’s degree or its equivalent or higher – and your new employer is willing and able to sponsor your visa. Your job can change without your immigration status changing. You don’t have to notify your current employer about your transfer, and once your transfer is approved you can choose to stay with your current employer anyway if you change your mind. Also, there is no limit on the amount of time you can take between job A and job B once your transfer is approved. You can start working right away, or take advantage of the opportunity to take some time off. H1B transfers are NOT subject to the annual H1B cap because you are not actually applying for a new visa. You’re still under the terms of your existing visa, the only difference is you’ve obtained a new job. You will have to petition the USCIS for an H1B transfer, a process that takes 4-8 weeks and possibly more. You will need to submit copies of your immigration paperwork, your last three paystubs, and copies of your educational documents along with various other documents requested. If your degree is from outside of the US, you need to be sure to get your credentials translated into English and evaluated for US equivalence. You don’t want to waste time on your H1B transfer, especially if you’re changing jobs for financial reasons or if there is a problem in your current work situation. At CCI, we offer rush services on our credential evaluations and are ALWAYS available to talk, email, or text with you 24 hours a day.

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Good for You, Your Family, and Your Boss: H1B Status

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals


Under H1B visa status, you can bring your family with you to stay for the duration of your visa status. This is often up to six years because the 3-year H1B visa is often extended. You can bring your spouse and your children up to the age of 21 with you under H4 visa status. Currently, H4 spouses cannot work in the United States, but statutes surrounding this are changing. Your children will be able to attend school in the US during your H1B stay as well.

Having an H1B job is a great way to get your foot in the door for a green card. Your employer can sponsor your green card petition and you will have developed a history of responsible US residency during your H1B stay. Of course, the H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa so naturalization is just an option. An H1B job is a great way to test out the US for you and your family before making a plunge into pursuit of citizenship.

Once you have H1B status, you are no longer subject to the annual cap. That means if you want to extend your visa beyond the first three years, you can do so without going through the lottery. You can also change jobs – as long as your new job is also an H1B position – and transfer your visa without being subject to the cap as well.

Getting this visa is the first step to retaining the benefits of having it. If you are petitioning for H1B visa status, you need to make sure you have ALL of the necessary documents ready to submit on April first. That means having your foreign degree evaluated for US equivalency. You need to order a credential evaluation from an agency authorized to convert classroom hours and work experience into college credit hours because educational structures and standards vary from country to country. A detailed evaluation that makes these conversions can clearly show the academic content of your degree.

For a free consultation on your credential evaluation, call or text us anytime at 1.800.771.4723 or visit us online at cciFree.com.]]>

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3 Details to Remember When Filing Your H1B Petition

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals

Three things to remember when filing your H1B petition that will make a huge difference:

  • Keep a Blue Pen Nearby. You need to sign everything in blue ink so the USCIS work evaluating your petition knows which signatures are originals and which signatures are yours from the time you filled out your petition. They’re going to request a host of original documents. Make it easy on overworked eyes to tell which signatures are originals and which ones are yours.
  • Double-Check for Inconsistencies before Filing. This cannot be stressed enough. USCIS workers cannot assume what you meant if some of your answers contradict each other or don’t match up with the resumes, transcripts, and other documentation accompanying your application. Don’t mail in a petition without meticulously going over your answers.
  • Include a Credential Evaluation. If your degree is from somewhere besides the United States and you submit your petition without having your degree evaluated by an authorized credential evaluation agency, the USCIS has no way of knowing the value or your education. Since you need a bachelor’s degree or higher for an H1B visa, it is essential for you to be able to clearly show what your degree means in terms of US academic standards.

USCIS workers cannot make assumptions about anything on your petition. Competition is too fierce to skimp on important details. Never be too hurried to double check your work, include all necessary documentation, and take that extra step to make your petition clear to the reader.

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How to Circumvent the H1B Petition Lottery

Credential Evaluation, Immigration, Visa Approvals


st of every year the USCIS begins accepting H1B visa petitions. Although they must stay open and continue accepting H1B petitions for at least five days, after the cap of 65,000 visas is exceeded the rest of the petitions are selected by lottery. That means if you don’t get your petition in as soon as you possibly can, the chance that your petition will even see the desk of a USCIS agent dwindles.

How can you avoid the lottery?

One way to circumvent the H1B lottery is to obtain an H1B job that is not subject to the annual cap. Government and non-profit research centers, non-profit sector occupations, and jobs working for colleges, universities, and other institutes of higher education are not subject to the cap.

Another way is to get your visa in as soon as the USCIS begins accepting petitions on February 1st. Every year more and more petitions are being filed due to the exploding information technology industry. Make sure you are ready to file on February 1st with all of the proper documents in their proper order.

One of these documents is an evaluation of your foreign education. If you got your degree outside of the United States it is your responsibility to clearly show what its academic value means in terms of US educational standards. The only way to do this is to get your degree evaluated by a credential evaluation agency with the authority to convert classroom contact hours into US college credit hours. This will bridge any gaps between the academic content of US degree programs and corresponding programs from other countries.

Have everything ready to submit on time to avoid the H1B lottery and boost your chances of having your petition approved. Once you have your H1B visa, renewals, extensions, and transfers are exempt from the cap. You will also have your labor rights protected and your family will be able to join you for your stay in the United States.]]>

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