When pursuing permanent residency through employment, the applicant must choose to file his or her application through a particular employment based category. The most common categories are the EB-2 and the EB-3 categories. The EB-2 generally requires the applicant to hold a master’s degree or the equivalent and the EB-3 category requires the applicant to hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. If the Applicant’s education has been obtained abroad, it must be established that his or her foreign academic credentials are equivalent to education obtained at an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.
The following degree equivalency determinations have been made by the AAO, USCIS, District Court and through regulations:
1. A Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is the foreign equivalent of a US medical degree. (2009)
2. A three year Bachelor’s degree from India is equivalent to a US Bachelor’s degree. (2008)
3. In some cases a three year Bachelor’s degree plus a a Master’s degree can be equivalent to a US Master’s degree. (2007)
4. Membership in India Institute of Chartered Accountants in not equivalent to a US degree. (2004)
5. Multiple foreign degrees may be considered when evaluating degree equivalency. (2003)
6. For advanced degree equivalencies, five years of progressive experience requirement may be acquired in the US or abroad. (2003)
7. Progressive experience is defined as post-baccalaureate experience that is demonstrated by advancing levels of responsibility and knowledge in the specialty. (2000)