LLinCT

Hi,

Has anyone ever had an equivalency report done which certifies that their British qualifications are valid in the USA? Where can you do this (i have found only 1 site online that takes at least 20days and 100dollars).

I have an appointment for visa stamp next week in Ottawa and they state that you must bring the report as evidence of your qualifications if your degrees are not American or Canadian. It sounds insane to me! I have a Phd and Doctor is in my passport, but I've heard of other Docs (though not british) who have been refused the stamp for having non-US/canadian certificates.

any experience?

steppke

Try www.wes.org under additional services, they do a rush service, I think they did mine in 3 days but be prepared to pay an additional fee. I had no trouble at all using their evaluation at the consulate in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez so I can't imagine Canada would be difficult.

Ingo Pakleppa - See Web Site For Email

I'm a bit confused. Why does Ottawa ask for this credential evaluation?
Normally, it is USCIS who would require it before you can even get your
petition approved.

And why are you applying in Ottawa? Are you a landed immigrant in Canada?
If not, Canadian citizens usually don't need (and usually can't get) a
visa to enter the USA; just the approved petition should be enough.

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 14:35:54 +0000, LLinCT wrote:


    > Hi,
    >
    > Has anyone ever had an equivalency report done which certifies that
    > their British qualifications are valid in the USA? Where can you do this
    > (i have found only 1 site online that takes at least 20days and
    > 100dollars).
    >
    > I have an appointment for visa stamp next week in Ottawa and they state
    > that you must bring the report as evidence of your qualifications if
    > your degrees are not American or Canadian. It sounds insane to me! I
    > have a Phd and Doctor is in my passport, but I've heard of other Docs
    > (though not british) who have been refused the stamp for having non-
    > US/canadian certificates.
    >
    > any experience?

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LLinCT

Firstly, thanks for the lead Steppke! I'll submit an application this week.

Ingo, i am a Brit living in the US, going to Canada simply to get an H1B stamp renewed in my passport. By now my qualifications have been well established for H1B approval notice. I think it is simply an extra security check since Sept 11th: when you book an appointment in Canada, they advise you to get the equivalency report done because they want evidence of your qualifications. I have heard of an Indian national who was refused a visa because they could not check his foreign qualifications. Better to be safe than sorry!

J. J. Farrell

"LLinCT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > By now my qualifications have been well
    > established for H1B approval notice. I think it is simply an extra
    > security check since Sept 11th: when you book an appointment in Canada,
    > they advise you to get the equivalency report done because they want
    > evidence of your qualifications.

I'm puzzled. Surely you've already got an
equivalency report if you've already got
an H-1B approved? Whatever was enough to
prove your qualifications for the H-1B
petition should be enough for the visa.

Ingo Pakleppa - See Web Site For Email

On Wed, 10 Sep 2003 19:21:34 +0000, LLinCT wrote:


    > Firstly, thanks for the lead Steppke! I'll submit an application this
    > week.
    >
    > Ingo, i am a Brit living in the US, going to Canada simply to get an H1B
    > stamp renewed in my passport. By now my qualifications have been well
    > established for H1B approval notice. I think it is simply an extra
    > security check since Sept 11th: when you book an appointment in Canada,
    > they advise you to get the equivalency report done because they want
    > evidence of your qualifications. I have heard of an Indian national who
    > was refused a visa because they could not check his foreign
    > qualifications. Better to be safe than sorry!

I second J.J.'s question - such an evaluation should already have been
included with the first application to USCIS.

In addition, they are far stricter in this respect with Indian citizens
than with UK citizens because apparently the fraud rate in India is quite
high.

--
Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any legal training. I encourage
everybody to seek competent legal counsel rather than relying on usenet
newsgroups.

Please support H.R. 539, H.R. 832 and S. 1510. More information at
http://www.kkeane.com/lobbyspousal-faq.shtml

Please visit my new FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com (always under construction)

My email address in usenet posts is now invalid for spam protection. See
my Web site for information on how to contact me.

Now with new photos! Please feel free to enjoy some of my photographs at my
new Web site http://www.ingopakleppa.com ! Comments are welcome.

LLinCT

Yes, that's what I assumed since my university checked my British certificates and accepted them when submitting my H1B petition. But the embassys are applying more security checks since Sept 11th. My Ottawa appointment letter expressly states "H1-B visa applicants who earned their academic degrees outside the US or Canada are (underlined) STRONGLY URGED to apply in their home countries as Ottawa officers are generally unable to evaluate foreign academic credentials." On the phone, the appointment guys told me to get an equivalency report. I didn't have to do this 3 years ago when i went to vancouver- it is a new policy.

Logically, they should accept a British certificate. I am just covering my back as I am hearing of so many scientists (often but not always, non-westerners) from my university who are running into trouble when getting a visa, even though their paperwork is in perfect order. There people aren't terrorists or illegal immigrants- they are medics and scientists, helping Americans fight their own diseases! A russian friend of a friend has been stuck there for 6 weeks because, like me, she has a Microbiology degree. They demanded a security check. Why risk it- i will fork out 100bucks for these reports because it is a lot cheaper than a 2month unplanned stay in canada or a last minute flight to UK! blimey, am i ranting on???

Ingo Pakleppa - See Web Site For Email

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 14:04:37 +0000, LLinCT wrote:

    > Yes, that's what I assumed since my university checked my British
    > certificates and accepted them when submitting my H1B petition. But the
    > embassys are applying more security checks since Sept 11th. My Ottawa
    > appointment letter expressly states "H1-B visa applicants who earned
    > their academic degrees outside the US or Canada are (underlined)
    > STRONGLY URGED to apply in their home countries as Ottawa officers are
    > generally unable to evaluate foreign academic credentials." On the
    > phone, the appointment guys told me to get an equivalency report. I
    > didn't have to do this 3 years ago when i went to vancouver- it is a new
    > policy.

What the consulate doesn't say because they really can't publically admit
it is that this policy primarily applies to Indians (and has applied to
them for a very long time) because it seems that there is a very high rate
of fraud there.

It has nothing to do with the security checks.

If you got your visa successfully in Vancouver before, chances are you
will get it again in Ottawa with the exact same documentation - or, if you
don't, it is for some other reason.

    > Logically, they should accept a British certificate. I am just covering
    > my back as I am hearing of so many scientists (often but not always,
    > non- westerners) from my university who are running into trouble when
    > getting a visa, even though their paperwork is in perfect order. There
    > people aren't terrorists or illegal immigrants- they are medics and
    > scientists, helping Americans fight their own diseases! A russian friend
    > of a friend has been stuck there for 6 weeks because, like me, she has a
    > Microbiology degree. They demanded a security check. Why risk it- i
    > will fork out 100bucks for these reports because it is a lot cheaper
    > than a 2month unplanned stay in canada or a last minute flight to UK!
    > blimey, am i ranting on???

I think this calls for a bit of clarification. The issue of the credential
evaluation and the security check are quite unrelated. Your Russian friend
would probably have been subject to the security check even with the
credential evaluation.

You were just mentioning one critical fact (and I should have asked you
about that in the first place), namely that your degree is in
Microbiology. Certain fields are considered very sensitive for their
weapons potential, and pretty much everybody will have to undergo the
security check. I'm sure that nuclear physics are one example, and
microbiology is another (because of the fear of biological weapons).
Aeronautics is yet another (probably because of 9/11, I can't see quite
such a rational reason for that restriction).

So, unfortunately, I would be concerned that you would be stuck there with
or without the credential evaluation.

And I'm surprised that it took only six weeks. When was that - last year?
The times for these security checks have kept climbing dramatically, and
now have reached more than six months; I have even heard reports of some
cases taking well over a year.

--
Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any legal training. I encourage
everybody to seek competent legal counsel rather than relying on usenet
newsgroups.

Please support H.R. 539, H.R. 832 and S. 1510. More information at
http://www.kkeane.com/lobbyspousal-faq.shtml

Please visit my new FAQ at http://www.kkeane.com (always under construction)

My email address in usenet posts is now invalid for spam protection. See
my Web site for information on how to contact me.

Now with new photos! Please feel free to enjoy some of my photographs at my
new Web site http://www.ingopakleppa.com ! Comments are welcome.

LLinCT

Thanks Ingo,

i hear so many different versions from people. I am going to HAVE to go to Canada because my boss will not let me take 3weeks out of my research (unless BCIS force me). I was working for the US Department of Defense for 4 years WITH my Microbiology degree and have been through a lot of security checks already, so hopefully they won't see it necessary to do it again. Keeping my fingers crossed (but taking a tent with me in case- who can afford 2 months in a hotel on a postdoc wage!)....