Immigrating to the United States is an opportunity to use your international training to either advance in your field or pursue a new career that builds on your education and experience. Because teaching usually involves obtaining a certificate or license—a process that can be costly and time-consuming—it is especially important to fully understand and consider your options.
If you have completed your education in another country and are starting your career in the United States, you will need to understand to what extent you meet the academic requirements of your chosen career.
How do you determine the U.S. equivalency of your foreign degree to help you explore career pathways in education?
A credential evaluation compares the education you received in your country to a similar degree or diploma in the United States and provides a degree equivalency.
If you reside in California, you can contact an approved agency listed on the Foreign Transcript Evaluation (CL-635) (ca.gov) web page to request a foreign transcript evaluation.
There are many ways to enter the education field. Some internationally trained teachers begin by enrolling in degree programs to gain access to higher level jobs. Others gain U.S. experience in entry-level professions as they pursue licensing and certification. Here is a list of educational pathways you may be interested in:
If you hold an out of country teaching credential, you can apply for a New Document from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing at https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/apply
You can view the requirements for a California teaching credential by viewing the Credential/License from Another Country page on the TEACH California website.
Not all internationally trained educators decide to pursue a teaching credential in the United States, either because of the time and expense involved, or because they want to pursue a different career. You may want to consider other teaching options listed on the TEACH California website, such as providing bilingual instruction, promoting cross-cultural exchanges, obtaining an Eminence Credential, or completing needed coursework at a California teacher preparation program.
While bilingual abilities are beneficial, the ability to read, write, speak and understand English is required. You must be legally eligible to work in the United States. (This means that you must be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident with a Social Security Number or an Individual Tax Identification Number). See the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Website for more details.