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5–6 Business Days	USCIS Accepted	RFE Response Ready
Standard Turnaround	Recognized Evaluators	Initial, Transfer, Extension

What Is a Position-by-Position Evaluation?

A position-by-position evaluation is a formal written assessment in which a qualified expert analyzes each job role a foreign national has held — examining job titles, specific duties, required skills, tools used, and time spent on each responsibility — and maps them against recognized U.S. occupational standards, including Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes from the U.S. Department of Labor and O*NET descriptors.

Unlike a general work experience letter, a position-by-position evaluation is position-specific and analytically rigorous. It is designed to satisfy USCIS adjudicators who need to verify that a foreign worker’s professional experience is equivalent to a required U.S. degree — especially when a formal academic credential is absent or insufficient for a particular visa classification.

At AAE Evaluations, our position-by-position evaluation reports are prepared by credentialed academic experts and align with USCIS policy guidance on degree-equivalency, the “3-for-1” formula, and applicable federal regulations under 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4).

The USCIS Degree-Equivalency Formula

3 Years of Specialized Work Experience = 1 Year of U.S. Postsecondary Education

A bachelor’s degree equals 4 years of college. Therefore, 12 years of relevant, progressive work experience may substitute for a U.S. bachelor’s degree — but only when properly documented through a position-by-position evaluation.

Who Needs a Position-by-Position Evaluation?

Position-by-position evaluations are required or strongly recommended across several immigration pathways. Below are the most common scenarios where USCIS, the Department of Labor, or a licensing board may request one.

Received an RFE? Don’t Delay.

If USCIS has issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) questioning whether a foreign national’s work experience meets the bachelor’s degree requirement for a specialty occupation, a well-prepared position-by-position evaluation is one of the most critical documents in your response. An inadequate or missing evaluation is a leading cause of H-1B denials. Our team responds quickly to RFE timelines.

→ Contact AAE Evaluations for urgent RFE support

Position Evaluation vs. Other Credential Evaluations

Many applicants confuse a position-by-position evaluation with a general academic credential evaluation. While both are used in immigration, they serve fundamentally different purposes.

AAE Evaluations provides both types. If your case requires academic credential verification alongside work experience documentation, see our:

• Academic Credential Evaluation
• Course-by-Course Evaluation
• Work Experience Evaluation

What Does a Position-by-Position Evaluation Include?

Every position-by-position evaluation report prepared by AAE Evaluations covers the following for each prior role:

• Job Title & Employment Period — Exact position held with employer name and dates
• Detailed Duty Analysis — Comprehensive breakdown of responsibilities with percentage of time allocation
• Skills, Tools, and Technologies — Specific platforms, programming languages, equipment, or methodologies used
• Supervisory and Decision-Making Scope — Level of autonomy, management responsibilities, and organizational impact
• Minimum Qualification Mapping — Education and experience level required to perform the role
• U.S. SOC Code Alignment — Closest Standard Occupational Classification code per the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• O*NET Occupation Match — Detailed match to the O*NET-SOC descriptor for the relevant occupation
• Degree-Equivalency Conclusion — Expert opinion on whether experience (combined with any education) satisfies the relevant degree requirement
• Cumulative Qualification Summary — Overall assessment of career progression and how the totality of experience qualifies the individual

 Important: Each position is evaluated independently, then combined to show cumulative expertise. This is what distinguishes a position-by-position evaluation from a simple employment letter or summary experience evaluation.

The Position-by-Position Evaluation Process at AAE

Our streamlined process is designed to move fast without compromising quality or USCIS compliance.

1. Submit Your Documents — Email us the required documents (listed in Section 6 below). Our team reviews them within hours of receipt.
2. Expert Assignment — Your case is assigned to a qualified evaluator with relevant subject-matter expertise in your occupation field.
3. Duty Analysis & SOC Mapping — The evaluator analyzes each position in detail, cross-referencing DOL O*NET, SOC codes, and prevailing wage data as needed.
4. Draft Review — A preliminary evaluation is drafted and reviewed against USCIS adjudication standards and your specific petition requirements.
5. Report Delivery — Your completed position-by-position evaluation report is delivered via email within 5–6 business days (rush processing available for urgent RFEs and filing deadlines — contact us to arrange).
6. Attorney Coordination — We work directly with immigration attorneys and HR professionals. We are available to revise or supplement the report if USCIS issues a follow-up RFE.

Ready to Get Started?

Submit your documents today and receive your position-by-position evaluation in 5–6 business days. Need it faster? Rush processing is available — contact us to discuss your deadline.

→ Apply Now — Contact AAE Evaluations

Documents Required

To prepare an accurate and USCIS-compliant evaluation, please provide the following documents:

1. RFE Copy (not required for initial H-1B petitions, transfers, or extensions)
2. Copy of the LCA (Labor Condition Application)
3. Petition Support Letter (Letter of Support / LOS)
4. Detailed Job Duties with percentage breakdown of time spent on each duty
5. All Education Credentials (diplomas, transcripts, certificates)
6. Experience Letters from previous or current employers (if available)
7. Most Recent Resume in Word format (.doc or .docx)
8. Any Additional Supporting Documentation previously submitted to USCIS

Can’t locate some of these documents? Our team can guide you on acceptable alternatives, including affidavits, tax records, pay stubs, archived job postings, or organizational charts. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.

Turnaround Time & Pricing

For a full breakdown of all evaluation and expert letter fees, visit our Pricing Page. We offer competitive rates for immigration attorneys, HR professionals, and individual applicants. Volume discounts are available for law firms and employers with multiple cases.

Payment Options: We accept Zelle, ACH bank transfer, and credit card. Pay securely online at our Pay Online page.

How Position Evaluations Interact With Expert Opinion Letters

In many H-1B and EB-category filings, immigration attorneys submit both a position-by-position evaluation and an expert opinion letter — and for good reason: they serve different functions.

A position-by-position evaluation establishes degree equivalency through a systematic analysis of prior work history. An expert opinion letter, written by a university professor or recognized subject-matter expert, provides a scholarly opinion that the individual’s background qualifies them for the specific specialty occupation being petitioned for.

Together, these documents form a comprehensive evidentiary package that significantly strengthens a petition or RFE response. AAE Evaluations provides both:

• H-1B Expert Opinion Letter (Specialty Occupation Letter)
• EB-2 NIW Expert Opinion Letters
• EB-1 Expert Opinion Letters
• O-1 Expert and Advisory Letters
• L-1A and L-1B Expert Opinion Letters

Why Choose AAE Evaluations?

There are many credential evaluation services, but AAE Evaluations is uniquely positioned for immigration-specific position evaluations. Here is why attorneys, employers, and applicants trust us:

• USCIS-Focused Expertise Our evaluations are tailored specifically to USCIS adjudication standards — not generic academic evaluations repurposed for immigration.
• Fast Turnaround Standard delivery in 5–6 business days. Rush processing available for urgent RFEs and filing deadlines — contact us to arrange.
• Attorney-Ready Reports Our reports are drafted to meet the evidentiary standards attorneys need. We coordinate directly with legal teams on complex cases.
• Position-Specific SOC Mapping We map each prior role to accurate SOC codes and O*NET descriptions — critical for LCA consistency and USCIS acceptance.
• Full-Service Immigration Support We offer the complete range — position evaluations, academic evaluations, expert opinion letters, and certified translations — all in one place. See all Services.
• RFE Revisions Supported If USCIS issues a follow-up RFE after our evaluation, we work with your attorney to supplement or revise the report as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does a position-by-position evaluation document?

It documents the job title, period of employment, detailed duties, percentage of time spent on each task, tools and technologies used, required skills, and the equivalent U.S. occupational classification (SOC code) for every position the foreign national has held. The report concludes with an expert opinion on degree equivalency.

How is this different from an experience letter from my employer?

An employer letter confirms that you worked somewhere. A position-by-position evaluation goes much further: it analytically compares your specific job duties to U.S. occupational standards and provides a formal expert conclusion about educational equivalency. USCIS considers the evaluation report — not the employer letter alone — as the evidentiary basis for degree equivalency.

Can a position-by-position evaluation help me avoid an H-1B RFE?

Yes. Submitting a detailed position-by-position evaluation with your initial H-1B petition — especially when the beneficiary does not hold a bachelor’s degree — demonstrates proactive compliance with USCIS degree-equivalency requirements and substantially reduces the likelihood of an RFE on educational qualifications.

Does it cover both U.S. and foreign job experience?

Yes. The evaluation covers relevant employment regardless of where it was performed — inside or outside the United States. All positions are assessed against U.S. occupational standards.

What if I worked for companies that no longer exist?

We can work with alternative evidence, including affidavits from former supervisors, tax records, pay stubs, archived LinkedIn profiles, or published job postings from the time of employment. Contact us to discuss the specifics of your case.

Is a position-by-position evaluation the same as a specialty occupation letter?

No. A position-by-position evaluation assesses the individual’s work history to establish degree equivalency. An H-1B Specialty Occupation Expert Opinion Letter assesses whether the job position itself qualifies as a specialty occupation under the INA. Both are often required together for a strong H-1B petition.

How long does the evaluation remain valid?

The factual analysis in the report does not expire, but USCIS and some state licensing boards prefer evaluations issued within the last 1–2 years for active petitions. We recommend requesting a new evaluation for each petition filing if significant time has passed.

Can I use one evaluation for both H-1B and PERM?

Potentially, but the evaluation must be specifically tailored to the requirements of each petition. H-1B and PERM have different regulatory standards. Contact us to discuss whether a single report can be structured to satisfy both, or whether separate evaluations are advisable.

What happens if my job duties changed significantly over time?

The evaluation will treat different phases of your role as separate “positions” if the duties changed substantially. This is common in careers where responsibilities evolved over time, and it can actually strengthen your case by demonstrating progressive career growth.

Does AAE Evaluations work with immigration attorneys?

Absolutely. We work with immigration attorneys and law firms of all sizes. Our reports are structured to integrate directly into attorney-prepared petition packages. Contact us at Contact@aaeevaluations.com or call (+1) 813-816-3969 to discuss your firm’s needs.

Related Services You May Need

Depending on the specific facts of your case, you may also need one or more of the following. AAE Evaluations offers them all:

Service	Description
Academic Credential Evaluation	U.S. equivalency of your foreign degree for immigration and employment
Course-by-Course Evaluation	Detailed analysis of individual foreign courses for licensure and graduate admissions
Work Experience Evaluation	Academic equivalency based on professional experience when formal degrees fall short
H-1B Expert Opinion Letter	Scholar-authored specialty occupation letter to support H-1B petitions
EB-2 NIW Expert Opinion Letters	Expert documentation for National Interest Waiver green card petitions
EB-1 Expert Opinion Letters	Expert letters for extraordinary ability and outstanding researcher petitions
View Pricing	Transparent pricing for all evaluation and expert letter services