Frequently Asked Questions

Who is ICD?
The International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD), a division of CGFNS, is recognized nationally, as well as globally, as an expert in the field of international education. Established in 1977, ICD is a credentialing agency which evaluates international educational documents and provides their U.S. equivalents. These equivalents are used to assist individuals in obtaining additional education, employment and immigration visas for any career field, as well as licensing and certification for healthcare professionals.

Who is CGFNS?
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a non-profit, internationally recognized leader in the education, registration and licensure of healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS protects the public in relation to evolving healthcare policies and standards of professional practice for migrating healthcare professionals.

Why do I need ICD’s services?
ICD was created to evaluate foreign educational credentials for such purposes as further education, immigration and employment. ICD’s range of experience includes evaluations of credentials representing a wide array of professions and majors from over 70 countries around the world, incorporating elementary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

Who uses ICD?
ICD’s services are utilized by individual foreign applicants as well as immigration attorneys, governmental agencies, colleges and universities, professional licensing boards and private organizations.

Is ICD a member of NACES?
Yes. ICD is a charter member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). This is the only organization which serves the purpose of maintaining standards of foreign credential evaluations. Members voluntarily agree to uphold the standards of the profession.

What specific services does ICD provide?
ICD provides three types of reporting from which to choose. These evaluation equivalence reports are used to support individuals in obtaining further education, employment and immigration visas, and in the case of healthcare professionals, licensing and certification as well. The three types of reports that ICD provides are: General Statement Evaluation, Course-by-Course Evaluation and Physical Therapy Evaluation.

How are evaluations prepared?
All evaluations include the names of the foreign universities/institutions attended, names of the academic qualifications and dates earned. The foreign academic credentials are compared to those of the United States, and U.S. equivalencies are provided. 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 National Association for Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA) which describe the educational systems of countries around the world. In following these texts, ICD applies standards which are used by the mainstream of higher educational institutions in the United States and approved by the National Council on the Evaluation of Foreign Educational Credentials. 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 is eligible?
ICD’s various credentials evaluation services will benefit candidates applying for employment, further education, certification or licensure in the U.S., or to support an immigration application to the United States. ICD does credentials evaluations for the following areas:

• Business administration;
• Business management;
• Certification/licensure;
• College administration;
• Computer programming;
• Computer science;
• Employment;
• Engineering;
• Doctor of medicine;
• Further education
• Immigration application;
• Medical technology;
• Medicine;
• Nursing;
• Pharmacy;
• Pure and applied sciences;
• Respiratory therapy;
• Speech and hearing science;
• Teacher certification;
• Transfer credits;
• University admission; and
• Many others.

What are the requirements for an ICD evaluation?

1. Complete and sign the application form.
2. Enclose 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 and made payable to International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.
3. Enclose notarized photocopies of all degrees, diplomas and certificates held by the candidate.
4. Enclose certified, word-for-word translations of any documents that are not in English.
5. Completed transcripts and marksheets, submitted by the issuing institution directly to ICD and containing: courses, grades/marks, credits, contact hours, course weighing factors and proof of conferral of all degrees, diplomas and certificates earned.
6. Completed license verification forms, submitted by the issuing board/body in the country of education directly to ICD.
7. (In the case of Physical Therapists) a notarized photocopy of the most recent international physical therapy license held by the candidate.

Does ICD accept faxes of documentation?
No. ICD does not accept documentation sent by fax. All documents must be mailed.

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 the request in writing, including the address where you wish to have the evaluation sent. A reasonable fee is charged for this service.

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 three to six weeks.

If ICD completes a physical therapy evaluation for me, does this mean I will be licensed?
ICD completes physical therapy evaluations according to the forms and requirements supplied by the various state boards. When the state board receives a completed evaluation, they decide if an applicant meets their requirements for licensure based on the information included in the evaluation.

If I am licensed as a physical therapist in one state, does this mean that I will be licensed in other states?
Each State Board of Physical Therapy has its own requirements for licensure. Licensure in one state does not guarantee that you will be licensed in another.

Will the U.S. college I plan on attending transfer all the academic credits that are listed on the evaluation?
Each college and university in the United States has different requirements for obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Some of the coursework which you may wish to transfer may not transfer to a degree program at a particular university or college.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my application?
For more information about ICD’s services or for specific questions about an application, contact the ICD office at the following address: International Consultants of Delaware, Inc., P.O. Box 8629, Philadelphia, PA 19101-8629 USA, or call the office between the hours of 9 a.m. to Noon (ET) Monday through Friday at (215) 222-8454.

Click here for more information about the different types of Evaluation Services offered by the International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.

Click here to Download an Application for any of ICD's evaluation services.

For information on the fees associated with each program, check out the Fee Schedule.

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