Q&A’s

Your applicants or your institution (on behalf of your applicants) can apply online by using our interactive, easy-to-use application. Paper applications are also downloadable from our website.

If you would like to request bulk applications, please click here.

The easiest way to refer applicants to IERF is via our website. We also have a variety of materials available for distribution to your applicants. For more information, or if your institution would like to put IERF’s link on your website, please contact our Institutional Relations Officer at institutions@ierf.org.

IERF provides reports for:

• education
• professional licensing/certification
• employment and salary adjustment
• immigration
• military enlistment

For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

IERF’s fees are determined by your institution’s needs. Please refer to the Learn About Our Services section for more information.

If your applicants are completing the application online, the interactive system will help them choose the correct report type. We generally recommend:

• a General Report for employment and immigration
• a Detail Report for college and university admission and transfer credit
• a Detail Report with Course Level Identification for junior/community colleges and professional licensing/certification

Please note that we also provide specialized licensure reports for barbering and cosmetology, nursing, and physical therapy.

For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

IERF’s turnaround time depends on the report type and the services requested. For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

The answer to this question is usually determined by the individual institution. In general, the individual applicant pays for the equivalency report. However, some educational institutions or employers choose to pay for their applicants. The Military and attorneys must pay for their recruits’/clients’ equivalency reports.

The fee includes one applicant copy and one official agency copy, which is in a sealed envelope. Both copies will be mailed to the payer unless IERF receives a request that the official agency copy be mailed to a separate address.

Both the official and applicant’s copies of the evaluation are mailed to the payer, unless instructed otherwise. Requests to have reports mailed to other addresses must be indicated in the appropriate section of the application. If an application has already been received by IERF, the request should be submitted in writing.

IERF's equivalency policy is determined by examining world educational systems, including the U.S., and how a program best fits into the U.S. system.

The salient criteria are:

• entrance requirements to the program
• level of education (primary, secondary, postsecondary)
• content of the program
• purpose of the program (further education, vocational/professional training)
• length of the program of study
• practical or clinical components
• institutional status
• what the credential gives access to in the country of study

Each evaluation report represents the considered judgment of at least two qualified credentials evaluators certifying to the validity of the opinion expressed.

IERF reports postsecondary academic coursework in terms of semester units, which is the most commonly used credit system in the United States.

Yes. Please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

This decision rests with the individual institutions for which the report is intended, as they may have different requirements regarding the date of issue of an evaluation report.

Please contact our Executive Director, Susan Bedil, at sbedil@ierf.org or (310) 258-9451, ext. 140 for more information.

Please refer to the Learn About Our Services section. If your institution has specific documentation requirements of which you would like IERF to be aware, please contact our Institutional Relations Officer at institutions@ierf.org.

No. However, this information can often be helpful when completing an evaluation report. For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

Please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

IERF does not translate academic records. Translations must be submitted for all records not officially issued in English. These must be in the same format as the original-language documents, line-by-line, word-for-word, and must be typed. IERF reserves the right to request translations prepared by professional translation services. For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

IERF has negotiated a special discount with University Language Services for our applicants who use their translation services. They can be contacted directly through their website for the discount.

IERF maintains an archive of both original and altered documents, as verified by the institution of study or examining authority. As a result, we compare documents to authenticated records on file in our office.

Furthermore, IERF monitors changes in the documentation of studies by region and period of study. We also have a process for examining documents microscopically to determine the presence of security features, such as watermarks, consistency of printing, and type of paper, to ensure that documents have not been altered.

If irregularities and inconsistencies are observed, IERF will contact the institution of study, examining authority or ministry of education to verify the authenticity of any documentation that is submitted.

If forged, altered, or falsified documents are submitted to IERF, the request for evaluation will be immediately cancelled. All documents (original and photocopies) become the property of IERF and no refund will be issued. The information will be made available to the appropriate parties (academic institutions, government agencies, professional organizations and other evaluation services).

IERF offers this service for the US Military and attorneys.

Yes, IERF provides Experiential Reports, based on combined academic and professional experience.

According to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations, individuals may have a degree equivalency based on a combination of their academic achievement and their significant and broad professional experience, even if they did not complete their studies.

Please note that IERF provides an assessment of these experiences for immigration and employment certification only. Applications must be submitted through either an attorney or employer on behalf of the applicant.

Yes. For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

Yes. For more information, please refer to the Learn About Our Services section.

If you or your colleagues have questions concerning an evaluation at any point during the evaluation process, please contact our Institutional Relations Officer at institutions@ierf.org or (310) 258-9451, ext. 141. Remember to include the IERF reference number and the name of the applicant on all correspondence.

If applicants have any questions, they should contact IERF via mail, email (support@ierf.org) or telephone (310-258-9451). They should provide their name and file number on all correspondence.

An applicant has 90 days from the date of issue of the evaluation report within which to raise any questions concerning its content (thereafter, the file will be closed).

If the applicant would like to have his/her file submitted to the Review Committee, he/she must put his/her request in writing. The request may be sent by regular mail, email (review@ierf.org) or fax (310.342.7086). The applicant’s name and file number must be included on all correspondence.

The applicant should allow a minimum of 10 business days for the case to be reviewed. He/she will receive a reply in writing thereafter.

There is no guarantee that the Review Committee will determine that any changes should be made to the existing evaluation report.

Once an application has been submitted, an acknowledgement message will be sent to the applicant with the file number and the date the application was received. If further information is required, we will contact the applicant by e-mail, regular mail, or phone.

If your institution has a question about the status of an applicant’s file, you can either check the status through EvalDirect, or contact our Institutional Relations Officer at institutions@ierf.org or (310) 258-9451, ext. 141.

Yes. The status of your applicants’ evaluations is made available online through EvalDirect.