May 24
A common question is, “Do I need an education evaluation to qualify for an H-1B visa?”
H-1B visa occupations are professional-level jobs that require a U.S. bachelor’s degree, the equivalent or higher. Applicants with a foreign degree must prove it is equivalent to a specific U.S. degree by completing a Foreign Credential Evaluation, commonly called an H-1B education evaluation.
The Foreign Credential Evaluation contains the education credentials, field(s) of study, and the higher education institution description. The report includes the evaluator’s opinion on whether the foreign degree is the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
If the H1B visa applicant does not have a degree, they may utilize the 3-for-1 rule, which counts every three years of work experience as one year of academic study in a related field.
8 C.F.R. §214.2 (h)(4)(iii)(D)(5), the 3-for-1 rule, states: “For purposes of determining equivalency to a baccalaureate degree in the specialty, three years of specialized training and/or work experience must be demonstrated for each year of college-level training the alien lacks.”
To prove work experience equivalency, the H-1B applicant must complete a Foreign Credential Evaluation from a specially qualified evaluator (typically a person associated with a college or university.) The evaluation will include the H-1B applicant’s job titles, industry, and duties of previous employment. Any higher education coursework that the applicant enrolled in is also part of the evaluation, including the school’s name and location, the classes, and the study duration.
The Credential Evaluation report must also include a degree equivalency statement consisting of the evaluator’s name, title and organization, the name of the evaluation agency and the applicant’s equivalent degree.
For example:
Dr. Albert Einstein of Princeton University, on behalf of Relativity Evaluation Services, found Mr. Smith’s BS Degree in Horticulture from Oxford University in England to be equivalent to a four-year degree in Horticulture at an institution of Higher Education in the United States.
Recent Immigration Articles
Check out these articles below
The H1B visa program is a critical pathway for foreign professionals seeking to work in the United States. It’s a topic of interest not only for potential applicants but also for employers, immigration attorneys, and HR professionals. The H1B lottery system, in particular, garners significant attention each year. It’s a process that determines who
Read MoreEB-1 (Employment-Based First Preference) Recent USCIS data reveals a substantial increase in employment-based first-preference (EB-1) petitions during Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. USCIS received 36,978 EB-1 petitions in FY2023, significantly up from 25,892 petitions in FY2022. Of these, 24,253 were approved, and 2,623 denied, leaving the rest pending or classified under other statuses. The approval rate
Read MoreDV-2026 Diversity Visa Lottery Results The FY2026 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery results, announced on May 3, 2025, continue long-term patterns in which Africa and Europe account for the bulk of selectees. While official aggregate breakdowns for DV-2026 are still forthcoming, historical data provides clear guidance. In FY2025 (DV-2025), the State Department registered approximately 131,060 selectees
Read More– Additional Case Profiles In early 2025, the U.S. government launched an unprecedented immigration crackdown targeting foreign students and recent graduates involved in pro-Palestinian activism. President Donald Trump vowed to “find and deport” international students who joined campus protests criticizing Israel’s war in Gaza, and by late March the State Department had revoked the visas
Read More