Methods of Document Recognition and

Authentication

T he authenticity of international educational documents has taken on a new meaning in the last
year. While those who specialize credential evaluation have always made it a priority, the issue
has gained new attention. This document is designed to share the practices of World Education
Services (WES) and our experience with document verification.

Since WES published "Forged Educational Credentials: A Sorry Tale" some 20 years ago, a great
deal has changed. For one, computers and printers have become widely available and have
made it possible to produce high-quality forgeries. The Internet has made communication with
academic institutions abroad faster and more efficient. It is no longer always necessary to wait for
months for correspondence to reach its destination and for replies to make it back to us. We can
communicate by e-mail or fax and receive replies in a day or two from institutions located
anywhere in the world.

This document raises the issues related to document authenticity and offers advice on how to
ensure that academic credentials are authentic.

The Facts

The majority of immigrants and international students who come to Canada do so at great
expense. Their aim is to get a job in their profession or further their education and earn skills and
qualifications that will help them succeed professionally.

Coming to Canada is neither easy nor inexpensive for most immigrants or international students,
and it takes a great deal of grit and determination on their part to meet all the eligibility
requirements. Among the hundred thousands of well-qualified applicants, however, there are also
those who will attempt to gain admission to Canada or Canadian institutions by using fraudulent
documents. Through training and experience, international admissions officers and credential
evaluators can minimize fraud and protect the integrity of their institutions.

How to Recognize International Educational Credentials

One of the key steps in the evaluation of international credentials is establishing the accuracy and
authenticity of documents. Documentation requirements are specific to the level(s) of education
completed, as well as to the type of program.

Document authentication proceeds from the knowledge of an educational system and its
documents, as measured against the evidence of the documents themselves.

Fundamental Questions in Examining Documents

1. Does the institution exist?

2. What is the status of the institution?
3. Does it offer the program that is indicated on the document?

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4. Did the candidate complete the prerequisites for admission into the program that led to the
credential in question?

Existence of Institutions

The existence of a particular institution must be verified by checking independent sources. This
means the institution must be listed in an authoritative source, such as the Web site of the
ministry of education of the country in question, a contemporary edition of the International
Handbook of Universities or the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. There are many other
publications, and any legitimate institution will be listed in one or more of them.

For non-university institutions, one has to dig a bit deeper and check information published by the
educational authorities of the country in question or other publications published by a third party.

A catalog or brochure published by the institution itself can be a good source for information, but
it should not be the sole source of information about the existence or status of a particular
institution.

While you are checking independent sources to verify the existence of a particular institution,
please bear in mind name changes, particularly in systems of education going through reforms.

Status of an Institution

Every country has laws and regulations that govern the establishment, recognition and status of
academic institutions within its jurisdiction. It is essential that credential evaluators familiarize
themselves with those rules and understand what they mean in each country. For instance, in
some countries all universities are public (government) institutions, and private schools can
operate but not as universities. In other countries, private universities can operate but may not be
authorized to award degrees. Elsewhere, there are both public and private universities that are of
equal status.

Instances of recently recognized institutions have to be reviewed carefully, particularly if the

institution existed prior to the date it was recognized. Also, be aware of institutions and programs
recognized not in the country where they operate. Finally, it is important to note that some
institutions that are not recognized by the relevant authorities may offer certain programs that
might indeed be recognized. The key to determining the correct status of an institution is
knowledge of the rules of that particular country.

Programs of Study

Programs of study evolve rapidly, and institutions are constantly updating old programs or adding
new ones all the time. It is important to check whether a given course of study was or is offered at
the particular institution. That can be checked in the major publications, such as the International
Handbook of Universities or the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. Many institutions
maintain comprehensive Web sites that list and describe the programs they offer.

What are Authentic Documents?

Documents are authentic when they are issued by authorized academic institutions, examination
boards or the entities that conducted the teaching and/or examinations.

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Ensuring Document Authenticity

1. Request that transcripts be sent directly from the student's academic institution.

2. If the institution is not able to send transcripts directly, send copies of the documents submitted
by the student to the institution that issued them and ask them to verify their authenticity.

3. When sending a document for verification, check the address to which you send your request
against the address that appears in published sources and do not rely solely on the address that
is provided on the document itself.

4. It is best not to address verification letters to any particular individual unless you are certain
that the person is still in office at that institution. The letter should be addressed to the officer that
issued and signed the document: "Controller of Examinations," "Director of Studies" or "Director
of International Relations," for example.

Communicating with an Institution Overseas

In addition to mailing documents to the academic institution for verification, you can expedite the
process by faxing your request along with the relevant documents. Replies by e-mail are
acceptable, provided that you can verify the name and the e-mail of the individual who replied in
any of the reference publications such as the International Handbook of Universities, or in the
Commonwealth Universities Yearbook, or the institution's website.

Acceptable Verifications

Documents must be authenticated by authorized officials at the institution that issued them.
Verifications obtained from embassies, consulates or other officials that are outside of the
academic institution are not usually acceptable unless there is reason to believe that those
officials have themselves checked the document for authenticity through their office.

Photocopies or Originals?

This has always been a question for credential evaluators. Today, more and more institutions
abroad are capable of sending documents directly to Canadian institutions, and applicants should
be asked to arrange for their records to be sent directly from the institutions that they attended.
As stated above, when an institution is unable to send documents directly to an institution in
Canada, the documents should be sent for verification.

How Long Does Verification Take?

The time it takes to obtain a response from institutions abroad varies by country and institution.
Some countries take three or more months before they send a reply. Others will respond quickly,
in a matter of weeks or days. Individuals should always be advised to submit their applications
early to allow time for the international exchange of correspondence and information.

Translations

Documents are most often issued in the official language of the country of origin. However, in
many countries, institutions will issue documents in English for students who are bound for
Canada. In those cases, students should be required to request that their documents be issued in
English (or French) by the institutions themselves.

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When documents are issued in languages other than English (or French), documents in the
original language should accompany any translations. Translations are best done by a sworn
translator in the home country and validated by legal authorities.

Translations that are done in Canada vary greatly in quality. Translators cannot vouch for the
authenticity of the documents that they were given to translate. It is essential that all translated
documents be accompanied by the original-language documents from which the translations
were made.

Documentation Requirements

To ensure maximum and timely compliance, document requirements must be made very clear
from the outset. Candidates must be given clear instructions on what to submit and the deadlines
by which they must furnish their documents. When you request documents from applicants, you
need to use language that is familiar to them.

If you need information regarding the status of the academic institution, asking for its
"accreditation status" might not always be applicable, since the process, or the concept, of
accreditation is not universal. Instead, you need to request information and/or documentation that
attest to the institution's recognition by the appropriate educational authority in that country.
Furthermore, you need to find out if it is a recognized degree-granting institution.

In several countries, particularly those in which private higher education is newly established,
postsecondary institutions are granted a license to operate or are registered with the ministry of
education to function as a business. These are not necessarily recognized degree-granting
institutions.

Request documents by using terminology familiar to the candidate. For example, academic
transcripts are called "mark sheets" in India and are issued, in most instances, by the university,
which is the examining authority. As such, it is the only authority that may issue documents.

For university graduates from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, you need to request degree
certificate(s) or provisional degree certificate(s) and all university-issued mark sheets with exact
paper titles. College-issued mark sheets alone are not sufficient.

Countries That Issue Documents Directly into English

Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand

Middle East: Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Yemen and the United Arab Emirates

Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan

Documentation Requirements Specific to Countries or Regions

China: Transcripts and graduation and degree certificates are issued in Chinese by the
academic institution.

European countries where the diploma supplement is available: Please request that, if
possible, the institution issue postsecondary academic documents according to the Diploma

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Supplement template developed by the Joint European Commission/Council of
Europe/UNESCO Working Party. The diploma supplement may be issued directly in English.

North Africa (Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia): Documents must be issued in
French by the academic institution.

Latin America: Degree/certificate (Título/Licenciado); transcripts (Certificado de

Notas/Calificaciones) indicating all subjects studied with grades and credits or hours of study.

Russian Federation: For incomplete postsecondary programs, Russian-language academic

transcripts Academicheskaya Spravka (academic certificate). For completed programs
Prilozhenie k Diplomu (supplement to the diploma) or Arkhivnaya Spravka (archival
certificate).

How to Detect Fraudulent Documents

There are several criteria that you can use in the document-recognition process, all of which stem
from knowledge of the specific system of education:

Very high grades in a system where grades tend to cluster at the lower end
Uncharacteristic documentation format for the institution or the system of education in review
Inconsistency in typeface elements on the document
Spelling errors
Records stamped "confidential" and yet submitted by the applicant
Colored photocopies (good-quality colored photocopies may easily be accepted for original
documents).
Lines, words, numbers, etc. missing from the use of white-out

Finally, when in doubt, do not hesitate to write to the institution or educational authority that
issued the credential, and ask for verification and/or explanation to your questions.

Degree/Diploma Mills

Degree or diploma mills are businesses that use the names of non-existent universities to sell
documents that are not backed by appropriate study or examinations. They are illegal in the U.S.,
Canada and in many other countries. Degree mills can be difficult to trace because they usually
use mail drops and multiple addresses. Numerous degree mills operate on the Internet where
they often pose as institutions of distance learning. Legitimate distance learning providers are
recognized in the countries where they are located and their status can be verified by contacting
the relevant educational authorities. Evaluators should be suspicious of documents issued by
'universities' with addresses that are office suites or box numbers that cannot be verified in any
authoritative independent publication. Most degree mills also claim 'accreditation' by one or more
fictitious 'national' 'international', 'worldwide' or 'global' accrediting agencies. Verifying the
existence and status of an institution is an essential step when reviewing educational documents.

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