What Are Evaluation Services and When Do You Need a Credential Evaluation?

Evaluation services convert your foreign education and professional credentials into a form that U.S. institutions can read and trust. A credential evaluation is the core product: a written report that documents your educational level and expertise so it can be used for immigration, employment, university admission, or licensing and certification. You need one when an organization asks you to prove what a degree, diploma, or transcript from outside the U.S. actually means in U.S. terms. Translation and expert opinion letters are separate services that often support the same goal.

What evaluation services actually produce

Evaluation services are document services built around three distinct outputs. They are related, but they are not interchangeable.

The credential evaluation is the report that carries the equivalency finding. Translation makes your original documents readable to the reviewer. An expert opinion letter adds a professional assessment on top of the evaluation when your case needs more support.

When you need a credential evaluation

FIS states its evaluations are used for immigration, employment, admission into U.S. universities, and meeting licensing or certification requirements. In practice, that covers four common triggers:

• Immigration — a case where your foreign degree or training must be documented in U.S. terms.
• Employment — an employer or recruiter needs to verify your educational level before hiring or promoting.
• University admission — an admissions office needs to place your prior study in its own system.
• Licensing or certification — a board or certifying body requires proof that your credentials meet its standard.

If none of these apply and no institution has asked for an equivalency, you likely do not need an evaluation yet. The request almost always comes from the receiving organization, not from you alone.

What the evaluation report documents

A credential evaluation report accurately documents your expertise and educational level. That is the function the receiving institution relies on: it turns a foreign transcript into a statement about what you have completed and what it is equivalent to. Because the report is used for high-stakes decisions, the provider's standing matters as much as the document itself.

How to choose a provider

Two signals are worth checking before you submit anything.

1. Industry membership. FIS is a charter member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Membership in a recognized association gives the receiving institution a basis for accepting the report.
2. Track record. FIS has been in business since 1978 and describes itself as an industry leader providing international document services for over 40 years. Longevity is not proof of quality on its own, but it means the provider has handled many institution relationships.

FIS also publishes a pricing page, so you can review its competitive pricing structure before committing. Check current pricing directly, since it is not reproduced here.

What you need to start

The starting point is a request, not a finished file. FIS describes the process as a quick and easy upload with reliable delivery, and its evaluation requests are described by customers as smooth and professional. To begin, expect to:

1. Identify which service you need — evaluation, translation, or an expert opinion letter.
2. Gather the documents the evaluation will be based on, such as your degree and transcripts.
3. Submit the request and upload your documents.
4. Receive the completed report for use with your employer, school, immigration case, or licensing body.

For specific document requirements by country, FIS publishes guidance — for example, on what documents it needs to evaluate a Chinese degree. Check the requirements for your own country before uploading, because missing documents are the most common reason a request stalls.

A practical way to decide

If an institution has asked you for an equivalency, get a credential evaluation from a provider with recognized membership and a long operating history, and add translation or an expert opinion letter only if the receiving organization asks for it. If no one has asked, confirm the requirement first — an evaluation you did not need will not move your application forward.