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Benefits for Licensing & Certification Boards

Occupational regulatory boards refer internationally educated candidates to WES for our document authentication and evaluation services. Our processes:

  • Offer rigorous document authentication
  • Mitigate risk for you and your candidates
  • Simplify and streamline screening processes
  • Verify the authenticity of academic credentials
  • Provide U.S. and Canadian equivalencies for all coursework and grades

WES is also committed to supplying licensing boards with the support, training, and resources they need in order to ensure best practices.

WES draws on deep knowledge and experience to support our partners. Our 300+ staff members come from more than 60 countries and speak more than 50 languages. Plus, our extensive evaluation database comprises more than 45,000 academic institutions and 5,600 international grading scales.

Identifying Diploma Mills and Avoiding Fraudulent Documents

Every year, thousands of hardworking professionals relocate to the U.S. or Canada to continue their careers and pursue professional licensure or certification. Unfortunately, some individuals will attempt to obtain licensure or certification by using fraudulent documents or degrees issued by so-called diploma mills.

By instituting and enforcing rigorous documentation policies, licensing and regulatory boards can select qualified candidates, minimize fraud, and protect the integrity of the screening process. Documents should be received directly from verified academic institutions or other recognized organizations and authenticated by authorized officials. All translated documents must be accompanied by sealed copies of official academic records.

 

The WES Credential Evaluation Process

Here is an overview of what you and your candidates can expect when you partner with WES:

  1. Licensing and regulatory bodies refer candidates with international academic credentials to WES to apply for a credential evaluation.
  2. Once WES has received all required documents, an evaluation specialist with region-specific expertise will verify the status of the institution(s) that issued the academic credentials and the authenticity of the credentials.
  3. After the evaluation specialist has verified and accepted the documents as authentic, WES begins the credential evaluation process. WES evaluation reports are typically completed within seven business days after required documents are accepted and the credential evaluation fee has been paid in full.
  4. WES evaluates the candidate’s credentials according to admissions requirements, education levels, institution types, and objectives of academic programs. WES then measures the credentials against U.S. or Canadian standards and converts credit hours and grades on a 4.0 scale.
  5. Once the candidate’s credential evaluation has been completed and approved by our senior evaluation specialists, the candidate’s report will be delivered to the licensing body and the candidate via mail or our secure online delivery system, AccessWES®.