Read the Frequently Asked Questions

Foreign credential evaluations play a crucial role in ensuring that educational and professional qualifications from other countries are fairly and accurately assessed within the U.S. Evaluations provide clarity for the individual being evaluated and the school, employer, or agency reviewing the evaluation.

At Arizona International Credential Evaluators, we leverage our evaluators' world-class expertise to provide professional, timely, and affordable credential evaluations.

Arizona International Credential Evaluators helps foreign-educated individuals navigate the complex process of articulating the value of their international educational achievements in US terms to aid them in their pursuit of academic and career opportunities in the United States.

A foreign credential evaluation is a service that evaluates academic, vocational, and professional credentials from another country to determine the equivalent level of education or training in the United States. This evaluation is often required when individuals with international educational backgrounds seek admission to U.S. educational institutions, seek employment in the United States, or apply for professional licenses or certifications.

Foreign credential evaluations play a crucial role in ensuring that educational and professional qualifications from other countries are fairly and accurately assessed within the U.S. This helps individuals navigate the complex process of gaining recognition for their international educational achievements and facilitates their pursuit of academic and career opportunities in the United States.

Individuals who have completed academic, vocational, or professional credentials outside the United States may need a foreign credential evaluation to apply for U.S. immigration, college, or employment opportunities.

Only the entity to whom you will give the evaluation can affirm that they will accept the evaluation. Individuals are advised to check with the university, college, agency, or individual to whom the evaluation will be provided to confirm the agency will accept an evaluation from Arizona International Credential Evaluators. While Arizona International Credential Evaluators is accepted by many agencies, we will not guarantee that an agency will accept the evaluation.

We offer academic, vocational, and professional foreign credential evaluations. The type of evaluation needed will vary depending on the purpose of obtaining the evaluation. Please visit LINK for more information. 

A Document by Document evaluation will include: 

  1. Credential Verification: This involves confirming the authenticity of the educational documents provided, such as diplomas, transcripts, certificates, and other relevant records.
  2. Educational Level: The evaluation will specify the level of education completed, whether it's equivalent to a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or a doctoral degree.
  3. Accreditation Assessment: The evaluation may include information about the accreditation status of the foreign institution attended, which is essential for recognition in the U.S.

A Course-by-course Evaluation will include the items included in a document evaluation and:

  1. Course Equivalency: It identifies the U.S. equivalency of courses completed in the foreign education system. For example, it will indicate if a particular course is equivalent to a specific subject or credit hours in the U.S.
  2. Grade Conversion: If applicable, it may convert the foreign grading system to the U.S. grading scale, which typically involves translating letter grades or percentage scores to the U.S. GPA scale.
  3. Interpretation of Documents: It provides an interpretation of the educational documents and their significance in the context of the U.S. education system.
  4. Recommendations: Some evaluation reports may include suggestions for how the evaluated credentials can be used for specific purposes, such as admission to U.S. universities, employment, or professional licensing.

Evaluations are completed within 3 weeks or less. Applicants may request “rush” applications which can be completed in a shorter timeframe. However, the timeframe to complete an evaluation may be delayed if: 

1) the application contains incomplete or conflicting information, or 

2) official documents are not provided in a timely manner.

You can get started by submitting one of the application forms provided here.

For a Document evaluation, the evaluation will require receipt of official or certified copies of the certificate(s) or diploma(s) you want evaluated. For a Course-by-Course evaluation you will be required to provide original or certified copies of diplomas, transcripts and, certificates, verifications of professional credentials, and other related documents.

Documents must be provided directly from the university or via a trusted document service organization. Applicants should contact the colleges, universities, or schools they attended to request that the institution email the evaluations to [email protected] or send the documents electronically via one of the services below. Official diplomas and transcripts may be mailed directly from the applicant only when the document is in envelope that has been sealed by the institution and unopened by the applicant. Generally, it is quicker to ask the institution to email or electronically provide official copies of the diplomas, certificates, and transcripts. 

A5. The cost of a foreign credential evaluation is based on the type of evaluation, timing, and delivery requested. See more information on our Services and Pricing page.

Yes, if the official or original documentation is not in English, then a translation of the documentation will be required. Depending on the language, we can provide the translation for you for an additional fee. Alternatively, you may obtain a translation from another reputable translator or translation company. Please note: we will not accept a translation you have provided yourself.

Yes, if the official or original documentation is not in English, then a translation of the documentation will be required. Depending on the language, we can provide the translation for you for an additional fee. Alternatively, you may obtain a translation from another reputable translator or translation company. Please note: we will not accept a translation you have provided yourself.

You can find a certified translator through an online directory or by contacting your local consulate or embassy.

Yes, a foreign credential evaluation can be used to demonstrate the equivalency of your foreign credentials for U.S. immigration purposes. However, you will need to confirm that the agency will accept an evaluation from Arizona International Credential Evaluators.

Yes, you can request a copy of your foreign credential evaluation upon completion.

Arizona International Credential Evaluators will retain an evaluation for five years from the date it was issued. However, receiving entities have the authority to determine the timeframe in which they will consider an evaluation valid.

Yes, we evaluate credentials from all countries.

Yes, a foreign credential evaluation can be used to demonstrate the equivalency of your foreign credentials for college applications. However, you are advised to check with your US college or university to ensure that our evaluation meet their requirements.

Rush services may be available. However, the rush timeframe does not include weekends or scheduled holidays. Additionally, the rush timeframe does not start until all required documents are received.

In the event that you cannot provide official or original documents, for an additional fee we may provide a provisional evaluation while awaiting the official documents. However, a provisional evaluation will clearly state that we are awaiting verified documents. The provisional evaluation may not be accepted by the agency requiring the evaluation. For example. The Arizona Department of Education does not accept provisional evaluations.

In the event that the name on the official documents are not the same as the applicant’s name, we may require additional verification of the name change (ex. marriage license) to ensure the documents received are the applicant’s.

We accept payment by XXX.

All evaluations are advisory. Our evaluators have extensive expertise and adhere to industry standards. So, we assure you our evaluations reflect the currently accepted practices in the industry. However, we do not guarantee that our evaluations will be accepted by any particular company or agency.

Yes, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about your foreign credential evaluation. Please contact us at [email protected].