Academic Evaluations

Our academic evaluations assess foreign academic credentials to determine their equivalency in the United States. All of our evaluations include information that is required by USCIS, such as the name and location of the institution, the number of years of study, the degree earned, and the date of graduation. If transcripts are available, our evaluations also include coursework completed by the candidate in their studies. All evaluations include referenced sources and the curriculum vitae of the professor providing the evaluation.

Evaluation of Work Experience and/or Academic Credentials

Using the standards mandated by USCIS, our work experience evaluations pair relevant professional experience with academic coursework to grant a US degree equivalency. When academic information is unavailable, our evaluators are able to assess work experience alone. Company names, professional titles, dates of employment, and detailed descriptions of job duties are all included to clearly demonstrate the expertise that candidates have gained in the professional world.

Work Experience Evaluations in the fields of Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, and Management Information Systems can be evaluated in-house by professors that Morningside has on staff. For all other specialties, please see the Evaluation of Work Experience paragraph in the Expert Opinion Letters section.

Translations

For our clients' convenience, we also provide translations of any documents that pertain to visa applications. Diplomas, transcripts, work letters, birth and marriage certificates, and other documentation can be translated from virtually every language into English at highly competitive rates. Our experienced translators are also happy to provide certifications for their translations. Expert Opinion Letters

Our expert letters are designed to avoid or respond to Requests for Evidence (RFE) issued by USCIS. Morningside works with over 1000 experts who serve as professors at some of the top universities in the United States. With professors available in over 500 specialty fields, each letter will be signed by an expert in the candidate's same area of specialty.

Evaluation of Work Experience

We have professors on staff to evaluate work experience in a variety of fields (see Evaluation of Work Experience and/or Academic Credentials on the previous page), but many candidates applying for visas have specialties in other fields. As such, Morningside works with over 1000 experts who serve as professors in diverse fields of expertise to evaluate professional experience in virtually every specialty. Each professor that we work with is qualified to determine whether or not a candidate's experience in their field is sufficiently advanced to be considered university-level.

Specialty Occupation Letters

The primary purpose of a specialty occupation letter is to determine whether a position qualifies as a specialty occupation in connection with H1B and other petitions, requiring an individual with a higher educational degree. When performing evaluations of a professional position, our experts analyze the nature of the company and its industry, the position in the context of the company, and the background required for the position as determined by the industry.

Taking into consideration the job duties that will be required of the candidate, a specialty occupation letter clearly demonstrates that the position in the petition is a specialty occupation requiring expertise in the field.

Determination of Extraordinary Ability

Petitions for O-1 Extraordinary Ability visas are strengthened by expert letters which attest to the candidate's special expertise in their field. Taking into account the candidate's education, professional experience, awards, and/or publications in their field, our experts have the ability to speak to their status as individuals of exceptional ability. Such expert letters are thoroughly detailed, thereby clarifying the reasoning behind the determination of extraordinary ability.

Requests for Evidence (RFE)

Due to Morningside's extensive experience in providing evaluations and expert letters, we have developed efficient and effective procedures for satisfying the requirements set out by USCIS. By providing accurate and thorough evaluations the first time around, we help our clients to either avoid or combat RFEs on their cases.

Morningside's case managers are always available to work with clients to determine the type of letter needed in conjunction with specific visa petitions and/or RFEs. We are also willing to discuss the nature of each case at length because we are committed to helping our clients win their cases.