The primary requirement for the recognition of foreign academic degrees is establishing equivalency. However, obtaining equivalency involves several layers of document verification related to the applicant’s educational background. The institution's credibility must be validated for it to be listed in the wdohec database or among the six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

To be eligible for equivalency, the certificate should not directly pertain to a scientific field, as such programs typically require verification of practical credit hours or professional experience. Instead, the certificate should relate to a non-scientific discipline. Courses will be accredited in alignment with the academic standards of the student’s home country through wdohec, under regional accreditation membership. The course duration should match traditional education timelines unless exceptional exemptions are granted with guidance from CHE-legal A's counsel. For example, a master’s degree, even if completed in four years, must reflect 60 credit hours to be considered equivalent to two years of traditional education. Additionally, applicants must meet equivalency standards both in their country of study and country of residence. Non-traditional education programs may offer self-paced course structures, provided they meet outlined academic criteria.

For graduate and postgraduate equivalency verification, the following distinct set of documents is required:

Undergraduate Program

• Registration with a Regional Accreditation Body;
• Language Proficiency Certificate;
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Travel Status;
• Financial Summary issued by the University;
• Official Translation of Degree and Transcript as per requirement;
• Legalized Acceptance and Registration Letter from the University;
• Evidence of United States Distance Learning (if applicable);
• Attested Certificate from wdohec and the Embassy of the Country of Study in the United States.

Graduate Program

• Attested certificate from the American Higher Education Commission and the Embassy of the country of study in the United States;
• Registration with Regional Accreditation Bodies;
• Language Proficiency Certificate;
• No Objection Certificate (NOC) for travel status;
• Financial Summary issued by the university;
• Official translation of the degree and transcript as per requirement;
• Legalized acceptance and registration letter from the university;
• Licensure from the United States Distance Learning Association;
• Published thesis/research work and registered copyrights;
• Travel permit or NOC if practical credits are mandatory;

The aforementioned documents must be submitted in order for the wdohec to process the equivalence; however, all relevant agencies must first validate the paperwork. If the necessary documents are absent, erroneous, or outdated, the wdohec has the authority to reject a file.