Foreign Degree Credential Evaluation: Documents, Costs, and Validity

A foreign degree credential evaluation is a written assessment that compares the education you completed outside the United States to a U.S. equivalent, so that employers, universities, licensing boards, and immigration officers can read your qualifications on familiar terms. General-purpose reports usually cost between $110 and $250, and standard processing runs one to four weeks after the evaluator has all your documents in hand. The single most important step happens before you spend anything: ask the institution or agency that will receive the report which evaluator they accept and which report format they require. Paying for the wrong one means paying twice.

Which Report Format You Need

Evaluators generally offer two formats, and the receiving organization decides which one applies.

A document-by-document report (sometimes called a general or basic report) confirms the level of education you completed and whether the issuing institution is recognized. It states, for example, that your credential is comparable to a U.S. bachelor’s or master’s degree, without listing individual courses.¹ It is the cheaper option and is often enough for general employment and many immigration filings.

A course-by-course report goes further. It lists every course you took, converts grades to U.S. letter grades, calculates a cumulative GPA, and translates instruction hours into U.S. semester credits.² Graduate school admissions offices almost always want this format, because they need to see prerequisites and potential transfer credit. State licensing boards for regulated professions frequently require it too, since they need to verify specific subject-area coursework.

Choosing an Evaluation Service the Recipient Accepts

Not every agency is accepted by every institution. The two main professional associations are the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Both set methodological and ethical standards for their members, including procedures for detecting fraudulent credentials. NACES currently has 18 member organizations, including well-known agencies such as World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), and SpanTran.³ AICE is smaller and has its own member roster. Many universities and employers accept evaluations only from NACES or AICE members, so confirm the recipient’s list before you start.

USCIS does not formally require your evaluator to belong to either association. Officers weigh each credential assessment on its merits, looking for a “credible, logical, and well-documented” equivalency determination.⁴ Even so, using a recognized member agency makes it far less likely an officer will question the report.

Some professions bypass the general evaluators entirely. Engineering, accounting, and nursing candidates usually need to go through specialized bodies (covered later on this page). If you are pursuing licensure, always ask the state board what it accepts before you order anything.

Documents You Will Need

Every evaluation starts with the same core set of records, and gathering them is usually the slowest part of the process.

Official transcripts listing all courses, grades, and credit or instruction hours for each term. Many agencies require transcripts to arrive in a sealed envelope directly from your institution rather than delivered by you; some now accept electronic transcripts sent from the university straight to the evaluator.⁵
Degree certificates or diplomas. A clear photocopy of both sides is typically required so evaluators can check watermarks and seals.
Government-issued identification, usually a passport or national ID, so the agency can tie the records to you.
Certified English translations for any document not originally in English.

Specialized boards add to this list. NASBA, for CPA candidates, requires documentation for every year of post-secondary education and will not accept a higher degree as proof of earlier study.⁶ NCEES requires official course descriptions for every university attended.⁷ Read your evaluator’s checklist carefully before submitting.

Translation Requirements

If any of your academic records are in a language other than English, you need certified translations before an evaluator will review them. For USCIS filings, federal regulations require a full English translation with a signed statement from the translator certifying that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages.⁸

Certified and notarized translations are not the same thing, and confusing them is a common mistake. A certified translation carries a signed accuracy statement from the translator or translation company. A notarized translation adds a notary public verifying the translator’s identity and signature, but the notary does not check the translation itself. Most evaluators and USCIS want certification; notarization is a separate step some institutions request on top of it.

Some professional boards impose stricter rules on who may translate. NASBA, for example, requires translators to be members of the American Translators Association, affiliated with the university, or from the education ministry of the issuing country, and it will not accept translations from private providers outside the United States.⁶ Check for these restrictions before hiring anyone.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Fees vary by agency and report type. WES charges approximately $122 for a document-by-document report and around $246 for a course-by-course report with its ICAP document storage service, following a 3% price increase that took effect January 1, 2026.⁹ ECE charges $110 for a basic general report and between $199 and $244 for a course-by-course report, depending on whether you add the institutional insignia option.¹⁰ Specialized professional evaluations cost more; NCEES charges $400 for an engineering credentials evaluation, with a $50 administrative fee deducted from any refund.⁷ Fees are generally non-refundable, so confirm the right provider before you pay.

Budget for translation on top of the evaluation itself. Certified academic translations typically run $25 to $100 per page, depending on the language.

Processing times depend on how quickly the agency receives and verifies your documents. The clock starts when everything is in hand, not when you submit the application. ECE reports are typically completed in 5 to 10 business days after documents arrive.¹¹ ACEI’s standard service runs 5 to 7 business days.¹² NCEES engineering evaluations take about 15 business days.⁷ WES tends to run longer overall because its document verification step alone takes two to four weeks before the evaluation itself begins.¹³

If you are on a deadline, most agencies offer expedited processing for an extra fee: roughly $50 for three-day service, up to $200 or more for same-day completion. Same-day service usually requires all documents to be on file by a morning cutoff, and even rush processing cannot skip document verification. Start gathering materials early.

Evaluations for Immigration Filings

Credential evaluations do specific work in several immigration categories, and the report’s quality matters more here than almost anywhere else. For H-1B specialty occupation visas, the regulations allow degree equivalency to be shown through an evaluation from “a reliable credentials evaluation service which specializes in evaluating foreign educational credentials.”¹⁴

For employment-based immigrant petitions such as EB-2 and EB-3, USCIS officers treat credential evaluations as advisory opinions rather than binding conclusions. The officer decides whether your foreign degree is equivalent to a U.S. degree, and officers are instructed to discount evaluations that are “merely conclusory” and lack an analytical basis.⁴ A detailed report that walks through the foreign education system, the institution’s accreditation, and the specific curriculum is much harder to dismiss than a one-line conclusion. For immigration cases, pick a well-established evaluator, ideally a NACES or AICE member, and request the most detailed report format available.

Evaluations for Professional Licensing

Some professions require specialized evaluations that general agencies like WES or ECE cannot provide. Using the wrong service almost guarantees rejection.

Engineering

NCEES compares foreign engineering degrees against U.S. engineering education standards. Your transcript must show at least 32 semester credit hours in higher mathematics and sciences (including calculus) and 48 semester credit hours in engineering courses; engineering technology courses do not count.⁷ If your program was accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET at the time you graduated, an NCEES evaluation is not needed at all. Confirm with your state licensing board before starting.

Accounting (CPA)

NASBA runs its own International Evaluation Services for CPA candidates. Official documents must arrive by mail in a sealed, university-stamped envelope or be sent electronically from the institution directly to NASBA. All application materials must reach NASBA within 90 days of your application date; miss that window and the application is denied and the fee forfeited.⁶ NASBA may also request official syllabi for accounting and business courses.

Nursing and Healthcare

Foreign-educated nurses and other healthcare professionals typically go through TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International). Its VisaScreen program is required for healthcare workers seeking employment-based visas to enter the United States. TruMerit offers several tracks depending on whether the assessment is for a visa, state licensure, or academic admission, and specific requirements vary by state. Contact your state board of nursing early.

How Long a Report Stays Valid

General-purpose evaluation reports usually do not carry a formal expiration date. Once issued, the report reflects the education you had completed at that point.

Immigration filings are the main exception. USCIS does not publish a blanket expiration rule, but officers can question older reports, particularly if evaluation methodology or the evaluator’s credentials have changed. Some immigration attorneys recommend a fresh evaluation once the existing one is more than five years old. Professional licensing boards may have their own recency rules; NASBA’s 90-day document window is one example.⁶ If you are filing something important with an older evaluation, ask the recipient whether it still counts before you rely on it.

1
Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute. What Is a Basic Report (Document-by-Document)?
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Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute. What Is a Comprehensive Report (Course-by-Course with Grades)?
3
National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. NACES Current Members 2025
4
USCIS. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 6 Part E Chapter 9 – Evaluation of Education Credentials
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National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Essential Documents Required for International Credential Evaluation
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National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. NASBA International Evaluation Services Requirements
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National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Credentials Evaluations
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eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests
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World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees
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Educational Credential Evaluators. Evaluation Services and Fees for U.S. Institutions
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Educational Credential Evaluators. Credential Evaluation Frequently Asked Questions
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Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute. How Long Does a Credential Evaluation Take for International Applications
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World Education Services. Current Processing Times for WES Credential Evaluations
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eCFR. 8 CFR 214.2 – Special Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status