Homologation

It is an evaluation and academic report of all your academic credentials to establish an equivalence of your studies in your country to the equivalent of studies in the US: The cost of homologation is less than the cost of a revalidation - a maximum of $600.00 to $1,200 +USD.

Recognition is a mandatory step "sine qua non" for the majority of professionals graduated outside the United States who wish to revalidate their degrees. This is to certify and use one's educational and professional background as part of the resume.

A homologation is made of each degree [not just law] obtained in a foreign country, it is to grant academic evaluations and accreditations with translations into the English language to people educated in universities and colleges in other foreign countries, establishing an equivalence of your credentials in the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain. For example, the institution which grants homologations through UNPAM.

Revalidation with license to practice is the training and all administrative and curricular management to overcome the requirements for general revalidation that must be met by any person aspiring to practice the profession (i.e. law, education, business administration, etc.) in the United States.

The total cost of the entire administrative process, with the evaluation and equivalence of academic credentials carried out by UNPAM is between $600.00 and $1,200.00 USD. If the petitioner has not yet done their NACES or AICE equivalency, is an additional cost of $600.00 USD.

(a)      A crucial point for those who aspire to obtain permits to pursue their career in the U.S. is the command of English, with some exceptions.
     In some careers such as medicine, law, dentistry, engineering, accounting, among others, it is critical that the person speak, understand and write the English language properly. The exceptions are, for example: the legal profession has licenses in foreign international practice called “Foreign Law Consultants” for which English proficiency is secondary and does not involve a TOEFL exam.
     Practically for most licenses, all exams are given in English and not mastering it is one of the main obstacles that professionals graduated abroad face when they decide to revalidate. In most cases they will require you to pass the TOEFL (The Test of English as a Foreign Language – www.toefl.org – 1-800-468-6335, open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and costs $130 +) and the levels of language knowledge will be determined by the corresponding evaluation board. NAFA ASSOCIATION offers English language courses for professionals and lawyers. (b)      Another essential issue that must be assimilated from the beginning is that obtaining a license or certification to practice in the United States is not equivalent to having the legitimate right to work if you are not a citizen, permanent resident (with a green card) or have a work permit issued by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or with a Work Visa.
         In fact, the process of revalidation of their academic credentials for a foreign professional has nothing to do with the USCIS and it is not necessary to have a work permit or visa until they decide to start working, because for this they do require authorization from work of this government entity.
(c)      For professionals who are processing their immigration documents, it is advisable to advance in obtaining their license and certification to practice.
          For a company willing to make a job offer with sponsorship to obtain a work visa, it is much more advantageous if the person already has the academic equivalence to work in their field. Remember that when a company decides to hire someone, it will most likely need that person immediately and having to wait for their licensing process to finish may decrease that company's interest in the professional.
(d)      In some careers whose revalidation process is long, there are alternative options for the professional to obtain a license of a lower degree and enter the job market and thus gain experience in the field while certifying their degree.
         This is the case of dentists who can opt for a dental hygienist license, doctors who can opt for a medical assistant license, psychologists who could obtain a counselor license, lawyers willing to work as “paralegals” (legal assistants) or legal consultants. of their countries, etc. The first thing you have to have is a lot of patience, order and follow the instructions of the experts, dedicate special time to collect the information, get very serious about your studies and study of English before trying to take the revalidation, especially if it requires presenting a admission exam, call the DBPR office in Tallahassee (practically all divisions serve only in English) and get going to follow all the steps required with great discipline. Or simply let all these tasks be carried out by NAFA ASSOCIATION. Almost all professions achieved through bachelor's, master's, and technical degrees require a special certification or license from the state so that people can work in that field under the law.