EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation: 9 Key Things to Know

12/29/2023

If you’re applying for EB2 NIW green card at the moment, you may have obtained an advanced degree (MS or PhD) from your home country.

That said, you’ll be most likely told by your immigration lawyer that you may need a credential evaluation report to showcase the US equivalence of your foreign degree.

This article aims to break everything down for you if you have any questions about the EB2 NIW Credential Evaluation.

Founded by an immigrant just like you, AET knows your struggles. So read on the 5 key factors for EB2 NIW Credential Evaluation.

Table of Contents:

What is EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation?
Why do you need EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation?
What type of evaluation is needed for EB2 NIW?
How to get Education Evaluation for EB-2 NIW?
Documents for EB-2 NIW Education Credential Evaluation
What does an EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation include?
How much does an EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation cost?
EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation Process Time
EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation Sample

1. What is EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation?

Credential Evaluation, aka Foreign Credential Evaluation, is a service provided by professional evaluation agencies to evaluate educational backgrounds, test scores, professional experiences, etc. obtained outside the United States.

It mainly includes 2 types of evaluations:

Foreign Degree Evaluation (Diploma Evaluation/Document by Document Evaluation)
Transcript Evaluation (Course by Course Evaluation)

with the purpose of making your foreign degree equivalent to a US degree or educational equivalency evaluation for EB-2 NIW.

For more information, click “What is Foreign Credential Evaluation?”

2. Why do you need EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation?

According to USCIS, you are required to have at least an advanced degree or its equivalent for an EB-2 NIW visa.

Therefore, you may need a USCIS approved education evaluation is needed for the evidence that you either have a U.S advanced degree or that your foreign degree is equivalent to a particular U.S degree.

Note:
Advanced degrees are university degrees that're higher than a bachelor's degree, meaning a master's degree or PhD.

3. What type of evaluation is needed for EB2 NIW?

Having been in the business for 15 years, AET notices that most of our customers only need a general evaluation (document by document) that establishes what a US degree is comparable to their foreign degree.

However, you should always conculst your immigration lawyer first to avoid any potential risks from USCIS.

4. How to get Education Evaluation for EB-2 NIW?

Typically, a trusted credential evaluation agency will evaluate your EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation. This organization specializes in understanding educational systems from around the world and can accurately translate degrees into their U.S. equivalents, or other country-specific equivalents.

You can request an EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation from one of the following credential evaluation agencies or anyone that fits your needs better:

If you live in Florida, California or Texas, we also listed the following educational evaluators for you:

(Testimonials of AET)

5. Documents for EB-2 NIW Education Credential Evaluation

Before you start the process of evaluating your degree, you may need the following documents for the EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation:

Degree Certificate
Translated degree certificate by a certified translator
Transcripts
Translated transcripts by a certified translator (required if doing Transcript Evaluation)

6. What does an EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation include?

An Education Evaluation for EB-2 NIW usually includes:

An equivalent for each degree, diploma or transcript submitted for evaluation
Dates of attendance and location of the institution
Profile of the institution and programs (entrance criteria, status of the institution, typical and length of study)
Recommends the U.S. equivalent of each level of study and credential earned

Cited from Evaluation World and VisaPro

7. How much does an EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation cost?

Anywhere between $100 and $130.

In general, you only need a foreign degree evaluation (document-by-document evaluation) to meet USCIS'requirments for your EB-2 NIW visa.

The pricing on EB-2 NIW education evaluation could be anywhere between $100 and $130.

Here is a list of 10 Best Education Credential Evaluation Agencies for your reference.

8. EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation Process Time

Between 7 and 21 business days.

Depending on which credential evaluation service you go with, processing time for EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation is from 7 to 21 business days.

9. EB-2 NIW Credential Evaluation Sample

In general, an EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation includes the following:

An equivalent for each degree, diploma or transcript submitted for evaluation
Dates of attendance and location of the institution
Profile of the institution and programs (entrance criteria, status of the institution, typical and length of study)
Recommends the U.S. equivalent of each level of study and credential earned
Evaluators’ resume and references used for the evaluation

Learn more about a Sample of EB-2 NIW Education Evaluation.

Conclusion

While applying for EB-2 NIW, a lot of you might be confused by USCIS's notice that you need an education evaluation for EB-2 NIW because you have never heard of it before.

We wanted to let you know that you are not alone since the founder of our company went through the same as you and that is why he started the education evaluation business to help you succeed in the US.

In conclusion, this article has reviewed 6 major questions in H1B education evaluation to help you understand the definition of it, why you may need it, how much it can cost, and your other concerns.

Contact us today for a FREE estimate if you are in need! Good luck with your application!