It can be extremely frustrating to have spent years earning the right to be considered an esteemed and qualified member of your profession, move to the United States hoping to take advantage of all America has to offer, only to find that no one wants you. Worse yet, no one cares that you are qualified and experienced, and may even look on you with suspicion and condescension.

This is a problem that many new immigrants face upon coming to the United States. How the credentials are earned in other countries are the issue here, for industries in the United States are simply not familiar with them. Especially when it comes to foreign degree academic evaluation, this is so much true.

If your degree is from a school outside of the U.S., the foreign credential evaluation agency will help you prove to employers that you are qualified for a position and show American universities that you have the credentials that you need to advance your career.

The purpose of a foreign credential evaluation agency is to determine what quality of education you have received, and what criteria you have met or exceeded. Agency personnel will work with you to provide information about the institution where your studies were completed, and whether the courses you completed and grades you received meet the relevant U.S. standards.

Anytime one deals with a foreign credential evaluation agency in order to establish one's foreign education equivalency, one must be prepared to present certain documentation. That includes photocopied official records (school transcripts, diplomas, and certifications) as well as translated versions in English where necessary. Since you may be required to show the originals also, you should be certain to bring them with you.

There will be a charge that varies with how complicated the case is and how much documentation you need from the agency. You may be able to ask for rush service but this will be very costly. The average time for the job to be completed ranges from 5 days up to 4 weeks depending on the agency. A rush job will almost certainly reduce this to time frame to 12 hours up to 5 days.

Once you pay the fee, the agency will first confirm that they have all required information, and will contact you by mail or phone if they need any additional documents or data. You should never try to use altered or forged documents. It is very easy for a foreign credential evaluation agency to spot fakes. Not only will you lose the money you paid in fees, the agency may contact U.S. authorities.