If you are seeking new opportunities in the U.S. or Canada, there are many reasons to get your international credentials evaluated. An equivalency report will showcase your past achievements to immigration regulators, admissions officers, and potential employers. 

With World Education Services (WES), you are choosing a highly credible credential evaluation provider. WES has been providing evaluations for nearly five decades; therefore, it is one of the most widely recognized and highly trusted in the world.

Although everyone has their own reasons for pursuing a credential evaluation, we have summarized some of the most popular reasons below. They can help you decide if it is the right choice for you. 

What Is a Credential Evaluation?

A credential evaluation verifies academic documents from international institutions and provides an official equivalency for the country where the report will be used. This makes it easy for employers, government entities, licensing bodies, and higher education institutions to interpret and consider everyone’s past achievements.

Here are our Top 5 reasons to get a credential evaluation for the U.S. or Canada:

1-Gain Recognition for Your Accomplishments

Getting a credential evaluation helps you gain recognition for your prior academic achievements. It shows admissions staff and potential employers that you have the proper knowledge and skills to study at a certain level or perform a specific job.

Additionally, it lets you know what opportunities you are eligible to pursue. For example, you might find out that you need to go back to school for some additional coursework in order to continue your career in a new country. You might need to attain a license that was not required in your previous country of residence. You might also want to consider alternative career pathways where you can apply your skills and education in a new field.

2-Many Institutions Require Them

Even if you weren’t thinking about getting a credential evaluation as part of your migration planning, you might get part-way through your journey and realize that it’s a requirement. It’s best to learn as soon as possible if this is going to be necessary at some point; and if so, we recommend getting started as soon as possible so that you don’t encounter any delays in your pursuit of your academic, migration, or career goals.

If you hope to further your education in the U.S. or Canada, getting your credentials evaluated might be a mandatory part of the application process. Many institutions, specifically universities and colleges, require international students to have their former credentials evaluated before they apply to any graduate-level programs. 

Additionally, employers often ask internationally educated candidates to validate their international degree or demonstrate its equivalence in the U.S. or Canada. This might be part of a standard background check or part of the job application process. Having this report available to you, or having a digital badge on your LinkedIn profile, can make your job search easier, whether it’s part of your pre-arrival planning or something you’re looking to do once you arrive in North America.

3-Save Time and Money 

You worked hard to achieve your credentials and degrees. The last thing you want is to have to redo your education in a new country. That could be incredibly costly and time-consuming. And most likely, it’s not necessary. For example, you shouldn’t need to earn a bachelor’s degree in Canada if you already earned a bachelor’s degree in India—simply because your undergraduate program lasted three years and they are traditionally four-year programs in North America. 

But if your employer doesn’t understand that your degree is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Canada, it can lead to complications. Thanks to credential evaluations, an official report can showcase your hard work in terms that your employer recognizes. In some cases, this might mean that you do need to complete an extra course or two, but it is still a lot less time and money than retaking an entire degree program.

Getting a credential evaluation helps ensure that you have a solid base from which to further your education and career, and you only need to complete the process once for lifelong benefits. 

4-Authentication of Your Education

A credential evaluation not only compares your degree from one country to those available in the country you are moving to, but it also verifies the authenticity of your documents. This means you can apply to jobs and schools in the U.S. or Canada with the added certainty that your credentials will always be recognized. If you are applying for a visa at any point in your journey, or entering an immigration stream, this will be an important step in the process.

5-Peace of Mind

Having your credentials evaluated by a trusted agency will eliminate any uncertainty around what your degree means in another country. You will also have the confidence to apply for opportunities that best fit your academic and professional training; therefore, you won’t waste time applying for opportunities that aren’t exactly the best fit for you. With a credential evaluation, you will be granted peace of mind. 

Conclusion

When relocating to the U.S. or Canada, you will want your international education and training to be fully recognized so that you are free to pursue every available opportunity. An equivalency report helps reduce the barriers to achieving your goals. 

Get Started

Apply for Your Credential Evaluation Today!