Foreign Credential Evaluation

Overview

Credential evaluation compares academic or professional qualifications earned outside the United States with U.S. qualifications. If your documents are in another language, the evaluator may require an English translation to review course titles, grades, degrees, and other information in the original records.

RushTranslate provides certified translations for credential evaluation but does not evaluate credentials. Check your evaluator's document instructions before ordering. Some require notarization or original hard copies with wet-ink signatures, while others accept uploaded translation files. Select the services and delivery format your evaluator actually requires.

What Is Credential Evaluation?

An evaluator reviews an academic degree, transcript, or professional certification to determine its U.S. equivalent. Translation makes the document's contents available in English; evaluation assesses what those qualifications represent. These are separate services, and your evaluator will explain which documents and translations it needs before it can complete the assessment.

Common credential evaluation providers used by our clients include:

• World Education Services (WES)
• Educational Perspectives

This service is especially important for:

• Students applying to U.S. universities with academic records from non-U.S. institutions
• Professionals seeking licensure or employment where foreign credentials must be validated

Evaluators compare grading scales, degrees, and certifications across education systems. For example, a qualification described as a bachelor's degree in one country may have different study requirements from a U.S. bachelor's degree. The evaluator considers those differences when preparing its equivalency report.

What Is a Certified Translation?

A certified translation is a complete, word-for-word translation prepared by a professional translator and delivered as a non-editable PDF on RushTranslate letterhead. It includes:

• An official Certificate of Translation Accuracy signed and stamped by the translator and RushTranslate
• A layout that mirrors the source document for readability
• Secure delivery as a PDF or mailed hard copy (if selected)

The certificate attests that the translator is fluent in the relevant language pair, is unrelated to the document subject, and that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Certified translations are commonly requested for submissions to:

• U.S. Immigration (USCIS)
• Universities and credential evaluation services
• Courts and legal proceedings
• Local, state, and federal government agencies

Requirements for Credential Evaluation

Use your evaluator's instructions to determine the required certification, authentication, and delivery format. The options below address different requirements; you may not need all three:

• Certified translation: A complete, word-for-word translation of the original document, delivered in a non-editable format on RushTranslate letterhead with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy.
• Notarization: If required, a notary verifies the identity of the authorized RushTranslate signer and witnesses the signing of the certificate. This authenticates the signature rather than the translation's content.
• Hard copy with wet ink: If your evaluator requires original paper documents, select shipping to receive physical signatures and stamps from the authorized RushTranslate signer and, when notarization is included, the notary. Other evaluators accept digital PDFs.

Select notarization and hard copy delivery when your evaluator requires them. A requirement to submit original academic records does not necessarily mean the translation must also be an original hard copy; check the instructions for each document separately.

Confirm Requirements with Your Evaluator and Receiver

Confirm the requirements with both the evaluator and the institution that will receive the evaluation report. Their instructions may differ:

• Credential evaluation services: Each provider may have unique submission guidelines (e.g., some may require sealed envelopes, others may need direct mailing from RushTranslate).
• Receiving institutions: Whether it's a university, employer, or licensing board, they may have additional requirements beyond what the evaluation service mandates.

Some institutions require translations to be submitted directly by the translation provider, while others allow the applicant to submit them. Format preferences and additional authentication steps may also vary.

Before ordering, confirm the documents to translate, whether notarization is needed, the accepted file or paper format, and who must submit each item. If you need help choosing RushTranslate services, share those instructions with our support team. We can explain our translation and delivery options; the evaluator or receiving institution makes the final decision about its requirements.