For employment, immigration and education in the United States of America you would need the services of a foreign credential evaluation agency which would provide you with an evaluation report that states the US equivalence of your foreign education.

International students seeking admission to colleges or universities in the US are advised to get their transcripts evaluated. A course-by-course evaluation, in addition to the US equivalence of your education, lists the subjects completed in terms of US credit hours and grades with the Grade Point Average (GPA). This enables the college or university to understand what you have studied and determine your eligibility for admission to their degree programs. It also helps them in granting transfer credits for courses already completed so that the student does not have to repeat a course unnecessarily.

To settle down in the United States you would require a visa issued by the by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Most visa applicants need a formal credential evaluation stating the US equivalence of your diploma or degree, information of the degree granting institution including its accreditation status and the duration of studies. For employment and immigration a document evaluation should suffice as credit hours and grades are not required generally. You could also opt for an education and work experience evaluation to add up to a bachelor’s degree if you have an incomplete degree or add to a bachelor’s degree to result in a master’s degree equivalence as per USCIS norms.

The easiest way to look for an agency is to search the internet. A search for a term like “foreign credential evaluation” on Google would throw up a list of agencies providing this service. One of the most important things to look for while choosing a credential evaluation agency is the turnaround time. A slight delay could cost you a semester or your job. Comparing the evaluation fees charged by different companies would show you for instance that while some companies charge you regular fees for a 72-hour service, others may provide you the same turnaround time by charging an astronomical fee for a rush job. You would also be well advised to ask them how long they keep your records to facilitate copies that may be required in future. Several agencies have made the evaluation process very simple by allowing you to order online by submitting an online application and transmitting your documents via file uploads, e-mail or fax. A few of them email or fax the electronic copy of the credential evaluation report for review prior to shipping the hard copy.

Credential evaluation agencies are independent private entities. There is no governmental body that grants approval to agencies that offer credential evaluation services. The agency or their evaluators are generally members of one or more of professional associations like NAFSA (NAFSA: Association of International Educators), AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), EAIE (European Association of International Education), AEA (American Evaluation Association), AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.) and AICE (Association of International Credential Evaluators) to name a few.

National accreditation focuses on for-profit, career-oriented schools that may offer technical or career programs.

Feel free to contact Evaluation World, a foreign credential evaluation service, for assistance.

To be accredited, a school/college must meet the standards of its accrediting agency. Join a program only if your school is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting organizations co-ordinated by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) :

New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
NEASC serves some 1,899 public and independent schools, colleges and universities in the six states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont and 138 American/International schools around the globe.

North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA)
A non-governmental, voluntary organization that accredits more than 9,000 public and private schools in 19 states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Navajo Nation, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming) and the Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools worldwide.

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
An organization that accredits schools in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the recognized regional accrediting body in the eleven U.S. Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia)

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Accredits institutions in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Pacific Basin, and East Asia, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Accredits institutions in the seven-state Northwest region of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington

Earning a degree from a school accredited by one of these organizations will ensure wide acceptance of your credentials by employers. Attending and graduating from an accredited institution can make the difference between getting hired or not.

Feel free to contact Evaluation World, a foreign credential evaluation agency, for assistance.

A credential evaluation of your foreign bachelor’s degree from a foreign credential evaluation service like Evaluation World LLC is required for admission to a master’s degree program in a college or university, immigration or employment in the United States. The following are some of the Diplomas and Certificates from foreign countries that can be evaluated as the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in the United States. The list is not exhaustive and there could be other qualifications in these countries that are also equivalent to the US bachelor’s degree.

Afghanistan: Bachelor, Leicanc (Bachelor, Licence)
Albania: Diplômë / Bakelorë (Diploma, Bachelor)
Algeria: Licence, Diplôme d’Etudes Superieures/DES (Higher Studies Diploma), Diplôme d’ingéniorat / d’ingénieur d’état / de l’Institut (Dipl.Ing.) (Diploma of Engineer, State / Institute Diploma of Engineer)
Angola: Licenciado (Lic.) (Licentiate)
Argentina: Bachiller / Bachillerato universitario (Bachelor), Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate)
Armenia: Bakalavri Kochum, Specialist Diploma
Australia: Bachelor degree (4 year or Honours), Master’s Qualifying Year (MQY) following a 3 year Bachelor’s degree
Austria: Bakkalaureus (Bachelor)
Azerbaijan: Bakalavr
Bahamas: Bachelor degree awarded by the University of the West Indies
Bahrain: Bachelor degree
Bangladesh: Bachelor degree (4 year program or more), Master of Arts/Science/Commerce
Belarus: Baklavar, Specialist Diploma, Diplom o Vyshem Obrazovanii
Belgium: Candidature, Baccalaureate, Licence, Diplôme d’ Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées
Benin: Diplôme universitaire d’études littéraires/scientifiques, Diplôme d’études supérieures (DES) (Diploma of Advanced Studies)
Bhutan: Post Graduate Diploma
Bolivia: Licenciatura/Licenciado (Lic.) (Licence), Titulo profesional (Professional Title)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Diploma Visokog Obrazovanja
Botswana: Bachelor degree
Brazil: Bacharel / Bacharelado, Licenciado / Licenciatura (Bach., Lic.)(Bachelor’s / Licenciate)
Brunei: Bachelor degree
Bulgaria: Bakalavr
Burkina Faso: Diplôme d’études universitaires générales (DEUG) (Diploma of GeneralUniversity Studies), Licence (Lic.) (Licence)
Burma (Myanmar): Bachelor degree (4 year or Honours)
Burundi: Diplôme (Dipl.) (Diploma), Licence (Lic.) (Licence)
Cambodia: Bachelor degree, Licence
Cameroon: Licence, Bachelor degree following GCE Advanced Levels
Carribean Countries: Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate (CxC)/ GCE “O” Levels
Central African Republic: Diplôme supérieur de gestion (DSG) (Higher Diploma of Management), Licence (Lic) (Licence), Diplôme d’ingénieur (DiplIng) (Diploma of Engineer)
Chad: Licence (Lic) (Licence)
Chile: Licenciado/Licenciatura (Lic.) (Licence), Titulo profesional (Professional Title)
China, People’s Republic of: Bachelor degree, (Dip) (Diploma of Graduation)
Colombia: Licenciado / Licenciatura (Lic) (Licenciate)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Licence (Lic) (Licence), Diplôme d’études supérieures (DES) (Diploma of Higher Studies)
Costa Rica: Bachiller / Bachillerato universitario (BachU) (UniversityBachelor / Baccalaureate), Licenciado / Licenciatura (Lic) (Licenciate), Titulo de (Title of)
Croatia: Diploma diplomaskog studija
Cuba: Licenciado / Doctorado (Lic/Doc) (Licenciate), Diplomado / Titulo profesional (Dip, Tit) (Diplomate/Professional Title)
Cyprus: Bachelor’s Degree
Czech Republic: Bakalar (Bachelor), Inženýr (Engineer)
Denmark: Candidatus Degree
Dominican Republic: Licenciado / Licenciatura (Lic) (Licentiate), Ingeniero (Ing) (Engineer)
Ecuador: Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate), Titulo profesional (Professional Title), Ingeniero (Ing) (Engineer)
Egypt: Bakalourious (Bachelor)
Estonia: Bakalaureusekraad, Bachelor Degree
Ethiopia: Bachelor Degree
Fiji: Bachelor Degree
Finland: Kandidaatti/Kandidat
France: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate), Certificat / Diplôme de fin d’études (Cert, Dip) (Certificate / Diploma of Competed Studies)
Gabon: Licence ès lettres (LL) (Licentiate in Letters), Diplôme d’ingénieur (DI, DiplIng) (Diploma of Engineer)
Ghana: West African School Certificate/ GCE “O” Levels
Guinea: Baccalauréat
Georgia: Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education)
Germany: Bakkalaureus (Bachelor)
Ghana: Bachelor Degree
Greece: Bachelor Degree, Ptychion (4 year program)
Guatemala: Baccalaureus (Baccalaureate), Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate)
Honduras: Bachiller universitario (University Bachelor), Licenciatura (Lic) (Licentiate), Titulo de (Title of)
Hong Kong: Bachelor Degree
Hungary: Egyetemi Oklevél (Ok) (University Diploma),
Iceland: Kandidatsprof/Candidatus, Bachelor degree
India: Bachelor Degree (4 year program) or 3 year Bachelor Degree plus 1 year Post Graduate Diploma (PGDIP)
Indonesia: Sarjana
Iran: Karshenasi / Lesans (Licentiate), Bachelor Degree
Iraq: Bachelor Degree
Ireland: Bachelor Degree
Israel: Boger ravuach universita (Bachelor Degree)
Italy: Laurea
Ivory Coast: Licence / Licence es lettres (Lic / LL) (Licentiate / Licentiate in Letters)
Japan: Gakushi Shogo (Bachelor’s Degree)
Jordan: Bachelor Degree
Kazakstan: Bakalavr (Bachelor), Diplom Specialista (Specialist Diploma)
Kenya: Bachelor Degree
Korea: Haksa (Bachelor)
Kyrgyzstan: Bakalavr (Bachelor), Diplom Specialista (Specialist Diploma)
Laos: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate)
Latvia: Bakalaurs (Bachelor)
Lebanon: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate), Bachelor Degree
Lesotho: Bachelor Degree
Liberia: Bachelor Degree
Libya: Bachelor Degree
Lithuania: Bakalaurs (Bachelor)
Macedonia: Bachelor/Diplomiran
Madagascar: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate), Diplôme d’ingénieur
Malawi: Bachelor Degree
Malaysia: Bacelor / Sarjana Muda (Bachelor)
Mali: Diplôme de l’école normale supérieure (DENS) (Diploma of the HigherNormal School) , Diplôme d’ingénieur des sciences appliquées (DISA/DI) (Diploma ofEngineer of Applied Sciences)
Malta: Bachelor Degree
Mauritius: Bachelor Degree
Mexico: Licenciado (4 year), Titulo (4 year)
Moldova: Diplom inzhiner (DI) (Engineer’s Diploma)
Mongolia: Diploma of Specialist, Bachelor Degree
Morocco: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate)
Mozambique: Licenciatura (Lic) (Licentiate)
Namibia: Bachelor Degree
Nepal: Bachelor Degree (4 year program), Master Degree following a 2 or 3 year bachelor Degree
Netherlands: Baccalaureus (Baccalaureate), Ingenieur (Ing), Getuigschrift Hoger Beroepsonderwijs (HBO – 4 year program)
New Zealand: Bachelor Degree
Nicaragua: Licencia / Licenciado / Licenciatura ( (Licentiate), Arquitecto (Architect), Ingeniero (Ing) (Engineer)
Niger: Licence ès … (Lic) (Licentiate in …)
Nigeria: Bachelor Degree
Norway: Adjunkt (Accountant), Arkitekt (Architect), Candidatus magisterii (Cand.mag.) (Candidate Master), Sykepleierske (Nurse)
Oman : Bachelor Degree
Pakistan : Bachelor degree (4 years or 3 years + 1 year of Honours), Bachelor of Engineering, Master’s degree (2 years following a 2 or 3 year bachelor degree).
Panama: Licenciado (Lic) (Licenciate), Titulo profesional (Professional Title), Tecnologia (Technologist)
Papua New Guinea: Bachelor Degree
Paraguay: Licenciado (Lic) (Licenciate), Ingeniero (Ing)
Peru: Bachiller académico, Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate), Titulo profesional (Professional Title)
Philippines: Bachelor Degree
Poland: Magister (Mag) (Master)
Portugal: Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate)
Qatar: Bachelor Degree
Romania: Diploma de Licenta/Diploma de Inginer (minimum of 4 years)
Russian Federation: Bakalavr, Specialist Diploma
Rwanda: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate), Diplôme d’ingénieur / Ingéniorat (DipIng, Ing) (Engineer)
Saudi Arabia: Bachelor Degree
Senegal: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate), Diplôme d’ingénieur (DipIng) (Diploma of Engineer)
Sierra Leone: Bachelor Degree
Singapore: Bachelor Degree
Slovak Republic:Bakalar, Magister (Mag) (Master)
Slovenia: Diplomirani (Qualification/Graduate)
Solomon Islands: Bachelor Degree
Somalia: Bachelor Degree, Laurea
South Africa: Baccalaureus (Baccalaureate) (Bachelor), Higher Diploma, National Higher Diploma
South Korea: Senior High School Diploma
Spain: Licenciado (L, Lic) (Licentiate), Arquitecto (Arq) (Architect), Ingeniero (Ing) (Engineer)
Sri Lanka: Bachelor Degree, Higher National Diploma (HND)
Sudan: Bachelor Degree, Advanced Diploma (AdvDip)
Swaziland: Bachelor Degree
Sweden: Magisterexamen, Yrkesexamen (professional exam) awarded after a minimum of 160 credit points (4 years)
Switzerland: Lizentiat, Licence, Bachelor Degree (4 year program)
Syria: Bachelor Degree
Taiwan: Bachelor Degree
Tajikistan: Bakalavr, Diploma of Specialist
Tanzania: Bachelor Degree
Thailand: Bachelor Degree
Togo: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate)
Tunisia: Licence (Lic) (Licentiate)
Turkey: Lisans Diplomasi / Bachelor (Licentiate Diploma / Bachelor’s Degree)
Turkmenistan: Bakalavr (Bachelor)
Uganda: Bachelor Degree
Ukraine: Dyplom Bakalavra, Dyplom Spetsialista
United Arab Emirates: Bachelor degree, Licentiate
United Kingdom: Bachelor Degree
United Kingdom: Bachelor Degree
US Virgin Islands: Bachillarato Diversificado de Ensenanza Secundaria
Uzbekistan: Bakalavr, Specialist Diploma
Venezuela: Licenciado (Lic) (Licentiate), Ingeniero (Ing) (Engineer)
Vietnam: Cu Nhan / Bang Tôt Nghiêp Dai Hoc Licence (Lic) Bachelor (BA, BS) (Bachelor’s Degree / Licentiate / Diploma of Higher Education Graduate)
Yemen: Bachelor Degree
Zambia: Bachelor Degree
Zimbabwe: Bachelor Degree