A course-by-course, foreign transcript evaluation from a credential evaluation agency is required for college or university admission in the United States for course work completed at an institution in a country other than the United States. Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who provide foreign credential evaluation services.

A  foreign transcript evaluation lists the courses the applicant has taken, the level of education, the number of years completed and the specialization in addition to the grades, the semester credit hours and the GPA equivalence in the United States. Course by course education evaluations are primarily used for continuation of education, including high school admission and college or university admission. An accurate and fair evaluation report can play a vital role in deciding your future.

Typically, a foreign transcript evaluation report states the following:

• Dates of attendance and institution location
• Profile of the institution and programs (entrance criteria, status of the institution in this country, typical and real length of study)
• U.S. equivalent of each level of study and credential earned
• List of courses/ subjects studied, major/ minor or area of concentration
• US semester credit hours for each course studied based on instruction hours (lectures, laboratory, independent supervised course projects)
• U.S. letter grades A, B, C, D, F for each course evaluated
• Overall U.S. Grade Point Average (G.P.A.)

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), certain citizens of Canada and Mexico are eligible to enter the U.S. to work temporarily under non-immigrant TN status.

The following are the requirements to be eligible for the TN Visa:

• The profession must be on the NAFTA list.
• The foreign national must possess the necessary education or training for that profession.
• The proposed position must be classified as a professional position.
• The foreign national must work for a U.S. employer.

Canadian citizens need not file a petition for employment; they must simply obtain TN status at a port of entry. Unlike Canadian citizens, Mexican applicants must apply at the U.S. consulate in their home country.

Degrees, diplomas, or certificates awarded by an educational institution outside the United States, Canada, or Mexico must be accompanied by an evaluation by a credential evaluation service specializing in evaluating foreign documentation. You can order a credential evaluation for the TN Visa at Evaluation World.