Questions You May Have – General

How are evaluations prepared?

All evaluations include the names of the universities/institutions attended outside the United States, names of the academic qualifications and dates earned. U.S. education comparabilities of the academic credentials are listed in the report. To determine the U.S. academic placement recommendations, ICD refers to reference texts such as those published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and the NAFSA: Association for International Educators which describe the educational systems of countries around the world. Also, ICD conducts its own research on educational systems around the world and maintains thousands of files of sample foreign documents as key reference sources.

Who can benefit from an ICD evaluation?

ICD’s various credentials evaluation services will benefit candidates applying for employment, further education, certification or licensure in the United States, or to support an immigration application to the United States. ICD does credentials evaluations for the following areas:
General
Course-by-Course
Certified Public Accountant
Massage Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Physical Therapist
Physical Therapy Assistant
Pharmacist
Teacher
Real Estate Agent
Veterans Affairs RNs

What are the requirements for an ICD evaluation?

The requirements for an ICD evaluation are
A completed and signed application form.
The application fee, which can be a U.S. money order, cashier’s check or personal check in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank, made payable to ICD.
Photocopies that are authenticated, legalized or notarized by the country’s approved channels of all degrees, diplomas and certificates held by you.
Certified, word-for-word translations of any documents that are not in English.
Completed Request for Academic Records/Transcripts for Credentials Evaluation forms, submitted directly to ICD by the your school with academic records/transcripts containing: courses, grades/marks, credits, contact hours, course-weighing factors and proof of conferral of all degrees, diplomas and certificates earned.
Completed Request for Validation of Registration/License for Credentials Evaluation forms, submitted directly to ICD by the issuing authority where you were licensed.
(In the case of Physical Therapists) A photocopy that is authenticated, legalized or notarized by the country’s approved channels of the most recent international physical therapy registration/license held by the candidate.

Does ICD accept faxes of documentation?

No. Documents need to be sent by postal mail or courier, correspondence can be sent through email, postal mail or courier.

What is the difference between ORIGINAL and OFFICIAL documents?

ORIGINAL documents are those sent to you from the educational institution in an official envelope with the proper seal/stamp.
OFFICIAL documents are those sent directly to ICD from the educational institution in an official envelope with the proper seal/stamp.

Must I submit my original documents for review?

Yes and no. ICD accepts legible secondary school document photocopies that are authenticated, legalized or notarized by the country’s approved channels. However, ICD will only accept original verification of registration/licenses from issuing agencies. All validation of registration/licenses and your post-secondary (tertiary) transcripts must come directly from the issuing authority to ICD. In addition, since ICD verifies credentials authenticity, ICD maintains the right to validate any documentation with the source agency.

What if my documents are not in English?

A certified word-for-word English translation, signed with a certification of authenticity by the translator, must accompany any credentials not in English. If you cannot furnish a translation of your documents, ICD can provide an official translation of each document for an additional fee. ICD will accept translations of documents submitted by source agencies (such as transcripts and validations) only from the issuing authorities. Otherwise, ICD will translate documents for the appropriate fee.

How long does ICD keep my documents?

All documents and a copy of the evaluation are retained in your file for at least three years.

What do I do if I need extra copies of my evaluation?

If you need duplicate copies, please send us a written request by email or postal mail. Include the address where you wish to have the evaluation sent and enclose the fee listed at www.icdeval.com/fees.shtml.

How long does an evaluation take?

Evaluation times vary according to the amount of work received and the amount of time it takes to receive all the documentation from source agencies. Once all documents are received, an evaluation typically takes about eight to ten weeks.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my application?

Our ICD Customer Care staff, available from 12:30pm to 3:30pm (U.S. Eastern Time) Monday through Friday, can answer any questions you have about your application. For information about the ways to contact ICD Customer Care, go to www.icdeval.com/about/contact.shtml.

Who pays for the program?

The applicant typically pays for the program. The application fee can be paid by an international money order or certified bank check in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to “ICD”, or by one of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus.