International educators who have completed an educator preparation program and have an eligible immigration status such as an H-1B Specialty Occupation visa or a Permanent Resident Card may apply for a South Carolina Initial certificate. The application process requires successful completion of the state’s required subject area and pedagogy assessments for the specific certification field.

International educators holding a standard, current educator credential issued by another US state may be eligible to apply for a South Carolina certificate without completion of South Carolina's testing requirements, by providing documentation verifying passing scores on certification assessments completed in any state where the individual has been issued an educator credential.

Documentation of Coursework and Degrees Earned Outside the United States

The SCDE does not evaluate degrees or coursework from colleges and universities outside the United States. Applicants must not submit these transcripts, diplomas, or other credentials for evaluation to the Office of Educator Services.

Course-by-Course Evaluation and Degree Equivalency

Individuals who have completed academic degrees or coursework at an institution of higher education outside the United States must obtain a complete, course-by-course evaluation of their credentials and other relevant documents prior to applying for a South Carolina educator certificate or certificate change. This requirement applies to degrees and coursework completed at any institution of higher education outside the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, or any territory or possession of the U.S. Please note: an evaluation document is not required if an individual only completed coursework, but not a degree, outside the United States and the coursework has been accepted and included on a transcript issued by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.

Acceptable Evaluation Services

Applicants must submit a copy of the evaluation of their out-of-country credentials completed by a member organization of one of the two national associations of credential evaluation services with published standards for membership and an enforced code of ethics:

• Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE), or
• National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

If you earned a degree, the evaluation must include a statement of that degree’s equivalency to a degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. The evaluation must also include a listing of all courses completed and the semester-hour equivalent of each course.

Applicant Responsibilities

All costs associated with the evaluation are the responsibility of the applicant, and the applicant must retain the original evaluation document for personal records. Instead of the original evaluation document, the applicant must submit a legible copy to the SCDE electronically by email or in hard copy by mail. Under no circumstances should an individual submit an original evaluation document, out-of-country transcript, or other credential. Documents submitted to the SCDE are retained in the applicant's records electronically and cannot be returned.

Completing the Application Process

• Checklist for International Initial Certification Applicants

International applicants must follow the steps below to complete an application for a South Carolina Initial certificate:

• Create a user account and submit a Standard Application through My SC Educator Portal prior to all other steps.  

• Submit a copy of the visa or other documentation verifying a valid immigration status.

• Provide a copy of the course-by-course evaluation of out-of-country credentials by an AICE or a NACES member organization.

• Submit official transcript(s) from all regionally accredited institutions attended in the United States, if applicable.

• Complete the Fingerprinting and Criminal History Review Process. Specific instructions for completing the fingerprinting process are available to an applicant through the Educator Portal after the application for certification is submitted.

• Submit Experience Verification Forms for any teaching experience completed after conferral of the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree.

• Pay the non-refundable  $105 application fee through My SC Educator Portal.

• Submit official reports verifying a passing score on the required subject area assessment and pedagogy exam. 

  • After submitting an AICE or a NACES evaluation, the applicant should contact the Office of Educator Services for advisement on specific assessments. Certification field eligibility and examination requirements are determined by the applicant’s evaluation report.

For more information on submitting application materials, please visit the Submitting Requests and Documents webpage.