What Are Document Services for International Credentials and Translations?

Updated

Document services, in the context of international credentials, are professional services that convert your foreign academic and professional records into formats U.S. institutions can understand and accept. They typically include three distinct offerings: credential evaluations, translations, and expert opinion letters. You need them when a U.S. university, employer, licensing board, or immigration authority asks you to document what a foreign degree, diploma, or transcript actually represents. Foundation for International Services (FIS), a charter member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) operating since 1978, describes its work as serving international professionals, students, companies, and institutions for immigration, employment, university admission, and licensing or certification requirements.

The three services that make up document services

These are related but not interchangeable. Knowing which one you need prevents paying for the wrong thing.

Service What it produces Typical use
Credential evaluation A written report documenting your educational level and expertise in U.S. terms University admission, employment, immigration, licensing
Translation A rendering of your documents into another language with meaning and context preserved Any foreign-language document an institution must read
Expert opinion A letter, such as a university professor's recommendation, that strengthens a credential evaluation Cases needing additional professional support

FIS presents these as its core professional services, with evaluations positioned as the primary offering and translations and expert opinions as supporting services.

Which documents usually need evaluation or translation

The documents in question are the ones that prove your academic and professional history. In practice these are:

  • Degrees and diplomas — the certificate showing what you were awarded
  • Transcripts — the record of courses and grades behind the degree
  • Professional or licensing documents — where a certification or license is part of your case

FIS's own guidance on Chinese credentials frames the question as "what documents does Foundation for International Services need to evaluate your degree," which reflects the general pattern: the evaluation is built from your degree and the transcript that supports it, not from the degree alone.

How the process generally works

The steps are consistent across providers, though details vary:

  1. Choose a provider. Check whether the institution requesting your evaluation specifies a particular service or type of membership. NACES membership is a common benchmark — FIS notes it is a charter member of NACES and emphasizes compliance within industry standards.
  2. Submit your documents. FIS advertises a "quick and easy upload" and a "get started" entry point for beginning a request. You provide the degree, transcript, and any supporting records.
  3. The provider evaluates or translates. For an evaluation, your foreign credentials are documented in U.S. equivalence terms. For a translation, the document is rendered into the target language.
  4. Receive the completed evaluation or translation and submit it to the university, employer, licensing body, or immigration authority that asked for it.

FIS describes the outcome as giving clients "a competitive edge to employment, universities, and certifications," and its published testimonials repeatedly mention smooth evaluation requests and helpful staff — useful signals about the customer experience, though not a substitute for confirming your specific requirements with the receiving institution.

What document services are not

This is where confusion is common. Document services for credentials are not:

  • Notarization — a notary confirms identity and signature, not what your degree is worth
  • Courier or shipping services — these move documents, they don't interpret them
  • A guarantee of admission, employment, or visa approval — an evaluation documents your credentials; the receiving institution makes the decision

If someone offers to "certify" your foreign degree without producing an evaluation report or translation, that is a different category of service.

Choosing a provider: what to check

  • Membership and standards. NACES membership is a recognized marker; FIS cites its charter membership and adherence to industry standards.
  • Track record. FIS has operated since 1978 and describes itself as an industry leader — longevity matters when your documents are hard to replace.
  • Fit for your purpose. Confirm the provider handles the specific use case (immigration, employment, admission, licensing) before you pay.
  • Pricing transparency. FIS publishes a pricing page, so you can review its structure before committing. Check current pricing directly, since it is not reproduced here.
  • Reviews. FIS collects client testimonials and invites reviews; reading them gives a sense of typical experiences, though individual cases vary.

For a fuller comparison of how to select among evaluation services, see the related question on choosing an international credential evaluation service.