Foreign Credential Evaluation

A foreign credential evaluation is a professional assessment of academic documents issued outside the United States, showing how they compare to U.S. educational standards. Translations Certified offers foreign credential evaluation services to support your immigration, employment, licensure, or university admission goals – combined with certified translation of every source document you submit. 

Quick Navigation

• What Is a Foreign Credential Evaluation?
• Which Evaluation Type Do I Need?
• What Documents Do I Need?
• What Will I Receive?
• How Long Does It Take?
• Good to Know Before You Order
• How Translations Certified Assists With Credential Evaluations

What Is a Foreign Credential Evaluation?

A foreign credential evaluation determines the U.S. educational equivalency of a degree, diploma, transcript, or completed coursework earned outside the United States. These evaluations help employers, universities, licensing boards, immigration authorities, and other institutions understand how your foreign education compares to U.S. academic standards.

Which Evaluation Type Do I Need?

We offer three types of evaluation services. In general, a General Evaluation is recommended for immigration or employment purposes, while an Academic or Course-by-Course Evaluation is recommended for college admission, professional licensure, or transfer credits.

General Evaluation (from $145)

Includes accreditation verification and degree equivalence. Recommended for employment or immigration purposes.

Academic Evaluation (from $200)

Includes accreditation verification, degree equivalence, and cumulative GPA. May be accepted by certain universities for admission purposes.

Course-by-Course Evaluation (from $280)

Includes accreditation verification, degree equivalence, cumulative GPA, course grades, and credit-hour equivalencies. Recommended for university admission, professional licensure, and transfer credits.

Not sure which one applies to your situation? Contact our team and we’ll help you confirm it before you order.

What Documents Do I Need?

All evaluation types require:

• Applicant’s full name
• Purpose of the evaluation (employment, licensure, immigration, university admission, transfer credits, etc.)
• Proof of identity, such as a passport, driver’s license, or national ID card
• Any name-change documents, if applicable (these will also be translated if not already in English)

Additionally, for a General Evaluation:

• A properly scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate (photos are not accepted)
• Source documents requiring translation into English, such as transcripts, diploma, or both, as applicable

Additionally, for an Academic or Course-by-Course Evaluation:

• Official transcripts
• A properly scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate, if the degree has been completed (photos are not accepted)
• Source documents requiring translation into English, such as transcripts, diploma, or both, as applicable

Translation of all required source documents is provided by Trusted Translations as part of your order.

What Will I Receive?

• Your certified translations, including both the original-language (source) and English (target) files
• A completed foreign credential evaluation report issued by an AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators) member organization

Physical copies of translated documents or evaluation reports are billed separately, the same as our standard certified translation service.

How Long Does It Take?

• General Evaluation: up to 10 business days
• Academic or Course-by-Course Evaluation: up to 15 business days

Timelines begin once we’ve received your payment and all required documentation has been submitted and reviewed.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Confirm with the receiving institution, employer, licensing board, or agency exactly what the evaluation is for, and whether they accept evaluations issued by an AICE member organization.
• If you have ever used a different name, let us know — we’ll need your name-change documentation, translated into English if it isn’t already.
• As with certified translations, acceptance of any credential evaluation is ultimately at the discretion of the receiving institution or agency.

How Translations Certified Assists With Credential Evaluations

Navigating a foreign credential evaluation means managing two related services: translating your source documents and getting them evaluated for U.S. equivalency. Translations Certified, together with Trusted Translations and its affiliated companies, handles both under one order, so you don’t have to coordinate separate vendors or worry about your translated documents and your evaluation report being inconsistent with each other.

Our services include:

• Certified translation of diplomas, transcripts, and name-change documents
• Evaluation reports issued by an AICE member organization
• Guidance choosing the right evaluation type for your purpose
• One coordinated timeline for both your translation and your evaluation

Need Help With a Foreign Credential Evaluation?

Let our team guide you through choosing the right evaluation type and get a free quote for your translation and evaluation package.

Get a Free Quote

References

Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) – aice-eval.org