To use a foreign degree in the U.S., for a job, graduate school, a professional license or an immigration petition, you usually need a credential evaluation. That means a certified translation of your diploma and transcript, which an evaluation agency compares to U.S. education. Mikhail Bogomolny translates Russian, Ukrainian and Hebrew educational documents for that purpose and helps with submitting them. Drawing on years of experience, he will help you choose the right agency, and if an agency has special requirements, he adapts the translation format to that agency.
Translations accepted without question
As a California certified court interpreter, Mikhail produces translations that every U.S. credential evaluation agency accepts, without exception. It is a higher-level credential than ATA certification, so acceptance is 100% guaranteed. He has translated hundreds of diplomas that went on to be evaluated successfully.
Depending on your profession and the license you are seeking, Mikhail can also recommend qualified credential evaluators.
How credential evaluation works
Evaluation agencies, most of them members of NACES or AICE (for example WES or ECE), review your documents and issue a report stating the U.S. equivalent of your degree. Many accept certified translations; some require documents sent directly by your university. Always check the agency's current instructions, and the requirements of whoever asked for the evaluation.
Documents translated
- Diplomas and diploma supplements, with every course, hour count and grade
- Academic transcripts and certificates of study
- Course descriptions and syllabi, when an agency or board asks for them
- Professional licenses and qualification certificates
Why course titles matter
An evaluator can only assess what the translation shows. Course names, credit hours and grading scales need to be translated consistently and in terms U.S. evaluators recognize. That's especially true for five-year post-Soviet "specialist" degrees, whose U.S. equivalent depends on the program and the agency's assessment.
Who needs it
- Applicants for professional licenses: medical, nursing, engineering, accounting, law and others. Boards often name the agency they accept.
- Graduate school applicants
- Employment-based immigration and visa petitions (H-1B, O-1, EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) where the degree equivalency matters
The agency decides the equivalency, and Mikhail makes sure the translation shows everything you studied, completely, accurately and in the format the agency expects.
Frequently asked questions
Which evaluation agency should I use?
The one your employer, university or licensing board accepts; many specify a NACES or AICE member. Drawing on years of experience, Mikhail can help you find the right agency for your profession and license, and if an agency has special requirements, he adapts the translation format to that agency. Very few translators offer that.
Can the translation be sent directly to the agency?
You get a signed PDF and paper originals if needed. Some agencies want documents mailed directly from the translator or the university; their rules are followed.