An expert opinion letter is a formal document written by a recognized authority in a specific field, such as a university professor or industry leader. The letter evaluates an individual's qualifications, skills, and experience, offering an objective assessment of how their credentials align with the standards of a particular system.
These letters serve a variety of purposes, including:
- Determining foreign educational degree equivalencies
- Establishing industry standards for professional positions
- Defining specialty occupations
- Responding to requests for evidence (RFEs)
- Supporting petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Labor (DOL)
Expert opinion letters are tailored to each case and may include supporting documentation such as academic transcripts, employment verification letters, and detailed job descriptions.
Several organizations provide expert opinion letter services, including:
- Foundation for International Services: Assists with referring professors and industry experts, supporting petitions, and determining foreign educational degree equivalencies.
- Morningside Evaluations: Offers expert opinion letters.
- EEE of America: Provides tailored expert opinion letters for visa categories like EB-1, L-1A/L-1B, O-1, and EB-2/NIW.
- Carnegie Evaluations: Works with retained faculty experts across several disciplines.
