A high school diploma evaluation from a foreign credential evaluation service is required for admission to a college or university in the United States. The following are some of the High School Diplomas and Certificates from foreign countries that can be evaluated as the equivalent of graduation from a high school in the United States. The list is not exhaustive and there could be other qualifications in these countries that are also equivalent to US high school graduation.

Afghanistan: Baccaluria
Albania: Maturity Certificate (Deftese Pjekurie)
Algeria: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement Secondaire
Andorra: Titulo de Bachillerato (Title of Bachelor)
Angola: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Argentina: Bachillerato or Bachillerato Especializado
Armenia: Attestat o srednem obriazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Australia: ’12th Year’ Certificate
Austria: Reifeprüfungs/Matura from Gymnasium or Realgymnasium
Azerbaijan: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Bahamas: Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education/ GCE “O” Levels
Bahrain: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Bangladesh: Higher Secondary School Certificate
Belarus: Svidetel’stvo o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Belgium: Certificat de l’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur plus the Diplôme d’Aptitude d’Accéder à l’Enseignement Supérieur
Benin: Baccalauréat
Bhutan: Indian School Certificate
Bolivia: Bachiller en Humanidades
Botswana: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Secondary School Leaving Diploma (Matura)
Brazil: Certificado de Conclusao de Ensino Medio (Certificado de Conclusao de 2 Grau before 1997)
Brunei: Brunei/Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie (Diploma of Completed Education)
Burkina Faso: Baccalauréat
Burma (Myanmar): Basic Education High School Examination/ Matriculation
Burundi: Diplôme des Humanités Complètes
Cambodia: Certificate of Completion/ Baccalauréat
Cameroon: GCE “O” Levels / Baccalauréat
Cape Verde: Curso Complementar do Ensino Secundario
Carribean Countries: Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate (CxC)/ GCE “O” Levels
Central African Republic: Baccalauréat
Chad: Baccalauréat
Chile: Licencia de Educacion Media (Intermediate Education Certificate)
China, People’s Republic of: Senior Middle School Diploma
Columbia: Bachiller
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Diplome d’Etat d’Etudes Secondaires du Cycle Long
Congo: Baccalauréat
Costa Rica: Diploma de Conclusion de Estudios de Educación Diversificada
Croatia: Svjedocanstvo o Polozenom Zavrsenom Ispitu
Cuba: Bachillerato
Cyprus: Apolytirion of Lykeion / Devlet Lise Diplomasi / Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Czech Republic: Vysvedceni o Maturitni Zkouska (Maturita)
Denmark: Studentereksamen
Djibouti: Baccalauréat
Dominican Republic: Bachillerato en Cincias y Letras
Ecuador: Bachillerato
Egypt: General Secondary School Certificate (Thanaweya A’ama before 1995)
Estonia: Gümnaasiumi Lõputunnistus
Ethiopia: Ethiopian School Leaving Certificate
Fiji: New Zealand School Certificate or Fiji School Leaving Certificate
Finland: Lukion Paastotodistus
France: Baccalauréat de l’Enseignement du Second Degré / Brevet de Technicien
Gabon: Baccalauréat
Gambia: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Ghana: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Guinea: Baccalauréat
Georgia: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Germany: Abitur / Fachhochschulreife/ Allgemeine Hochschulreife
Ghana: Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE); or WASC/GCE-O levels and WAHSC/GCE-A levels
Greece: Apolytirion
Guatemala: Bachillerato
Honduras: Bachillerato
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Certificate of Education / GCE “O” Levels
Hungary: Érettségi/Matura
Iceland: Studentsprof
India: All-Indian Senior School Certificate; Higher Secondary School/Intermediate/Pre-University Certificates awarded upon completion of 12 years of study
Indonesia: Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) Leaving Certificate
Iran: Certificate of Completion of Secondary Education
Iraq: Sixth-Form Baccalauréat
Ireland: Leaving Certificate
Israel: Bagrut/ Mechina
Italy: Diploma di Superamento Dell’Esame di Stato (Diploma di Maturita before 1997)
Ivory Coast: Baccalauréat
Japan: Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Jordan: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Kazakstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kyrgyzstan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Kenya: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
Korea: Academic High School Leaving Certificate
Laos: Baccalauréat
Latvia: Atestats par visparejo videjo izgitibu  (Certificate of General Secondary Education after 12 years of education)
Lebanon: Baccalauréat (2nd Part)
Lesotho: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Liberia: Senior High School Certificate
Libya: General Secondary School Certificate
Liechtenstein: Matura
Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas after completing secondary school
Luxembourg: Diplôme de Fin d’Etudes Secondaires
Macedonia: Svidetelstov za polozen zavrsen (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Madagascar: Baccalauréat
Malaysia: SPM/STPM or COSC/COHSC or UEC
Mali: Baccalauréat
Malawi: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Malta: Matriculation/ Secondary Education Certificate
Marshall Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Mauritania: Baccalauréat
Mauritius: Higher School Certificate
Mexico: Bachillerato en Ciencias/Humanidades
Middle East: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi)
Moldova: Diploma de Absolvire a Invatamintuni Mediu General (Diploma of Completion of General Secondary Education)
Monaco: Baccalauréat
Mongolia: School Leaving Certificate
Montenegro: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Morocco: Baccalauréat
Mozambique: Certificado de Habilitacoes Literarias
Namibia: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Nauru: GCE “O” Levels/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate
Nepal: Proficiency Certificate
Netherlands: HAVO / VWO
New Independent States & The Baltic Republics: Certificate of Upper Secondary Education
New Zealand: Sixth Form Certificate
Nicaragua: Bachillerato
Niger: Baccalauréat
Nigeria: Senior School Certificate / West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Northern Ireland: General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
Norway: Vitnemål Fra den Videregående Skole
Oman : Secondary School Leaving Certificate (Thanawiya amma)
Pakistan : Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary Certificate awarded upon completion of 12 years of primary-secondary study
Panama: Bachillerato
Papua New Guinea: Higher School Certificate
Paraguay:     Bachillerato
Peru: Bachiller
Philippines: Complete 12 years of education or two years of study at a recognized institution of higher learning
Poland: Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci / Matura
Portugal: Certificado de Fin de Estudos Secundarias
Qatar: Certificate of General Secondary Education
Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat
Russian Federation: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Rwanda: Certificat des Humanités
San Marino: Diploma di Maturità
Saudi Arabia: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
Scotland: Scottish Certificate of Education Higher Grade
Senegal: Baccalauréat
Serbia: Svedocanstvo o polozenom zavrsnom (Secondary School Leaving Certificate)
Seychelles: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sierra Leone: West African School Certificate / GCE “O” Levels
Singapore: Singapore-Cambridge GCE “O” Levels
Slovak Republic: Maturitnej Skuske / Maturita
Slovenia: Spri evalo o zaklju nem izpitu (Certificate of Final Examinations)
Solomon Islands: GCE “O” Levels/ Secondary School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Solomon Islands School Certificate
Somalia: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
South Africa: Senior Certificate
South Korea: Senior High School Diploma
Spain: Bachillerato Unificado y Polivalente (BUP)
Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan GCE “O” Levels
Sudan: Sudan Higher Secondary School Certificate
Suriname: HAVO or VWO
Swaziland: Cambridge Overseas School Certificate
Sweden: Avgangsbetyg (Gymnasium)
Switzerland: Maturitatzeugnis/Certificat de Maturite/Baccalaureat/Attestato di Maturita
Syria: Secondary School Leaving Certificate
Taiwan: Graduation Certificate
Tajikistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Tanzania: Certificate of Secondary Education
Thailand: Mathayom Suska
Togo: Baccalauréat
Tonga: Tongan School Certificate/ Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate/ Completion Form Six
Tunisia: Baccalauréat
Turkey: Devlet Lise Diplomasi /Lise Bitirme Diplomasi
Turkmenistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Uganda: Uganda Certificate of Education
Ukraine: Atestat o protnom ovshchem srednem obrazovani (Certificate of Completed Secondary Education)
United Arab Emirates: Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihiyah)
United Kingdom: GCSE plus GCE “A” levels; SCE plus CSYS
Uruguay: Bachillarato Diversificado de Ensenanza Secundaria
Uzbekistan: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Vatican: Diploma de Maturita
Venezuela: Bachillerato
Vietnam: Bang Tot Nghiep Trung Hoc Pho Thong (Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate)
Yemen: General Secondary Education Certificate (Al Thanawiya)
Zimbabwe: ZIMSEC A’ + O’ levels (COSC/COHSC before November 2002)

The H1B Visa is one of the most sought after temporary non-immigrant visas as it allows foreign workers in “specialty occupations” to enter the U.S. and work in a variety of fields, including Architecture, Engineering, Modeling, Medicine, and Health. The H1B Visa offers a wide range of employment possibilities and is a first step toward permanent immigration. This visa is issued in three-year increments, for a maximum of six years. You can stay in the U.S. for up to six years, after which you are required to leave the U.S. for at least one year before being eligible again.

Applicants must have the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s Degree in their specialty or a license in fields that require licensing, such as teaching or pharmacy. The visa is not self-petitioned, which means you will need an employer to sponsor you. The greatest advantage of bearing this visa is that while you have it, you can apply and wait for a Green Card for permanent residency.

A 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited or recognized university or college is generally considered as equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree. If you have less than 4 years of university study, you can combine the years of your degree/diploma with the years of study completed on a post-baccalaureate diploma, master’s degree or other studies. You can also combine progressive work experience in the field with university study – or use work experience only. Three years of progressive work experience in the field is equivalent to one year of US university study for H1B purposes.  The H1B visa can be obtained purely on experience alone, that is, with no college degree at all. But, you stand a better chance of approval with a degree or at least some college level study.

A credential evaluation showing an equivalency to a US bachelor’s degree is required for the H1B visa unless your education was completed in the US. Credential evaluation reports required by the USCIS for the H1B visa need to only show the equivalency statement of the diplomas/degrees along with brief information on the institution where the studies were completed. Semester credit hours and grades are not required to be shown in the evaluation.

Foreign education is evaluated by independent private agencies who are providing foreign credential evaluation services. There is no governmental body in the United States that approves agencies that offer this service. If you have a degree or diploma from a foreign country it is necessary to have your educational background formally assessed for employment, further education or immigration purposes. A Foreign Credential Evaluation Service like Evaluation World provides this service.

Most foreign credential evaluation agencies offer different types of evaluations. Most employers only require a document evaluation, which simply states the US equivalent of your credential, unless you need to show that you have course work in a certain field or need a certain minimum GPA, you will need a course-by-course evaluation. If you’re using the evaluation for immigration purposes, the type of evaluation you would need would depend on the type of immigration visa you’re applying for. For example, H1B visas require only a document evaluation in most cases. If the degree program is less than four years in duration, then an education and work experience evaluation would be the right option. For education purposes, a course-by-course evaluation (transcript evaluation) is generally preferred, listing each subject completed, credits, grades and the Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.