Dealing with Student Documents

International students must produce various documents as evidence in their enrolment and visa applications. The student counsellor must know the types of documents required, how to handle them securely, and how to process them properly.

Document handling is discussed in A4.2 Agent Contracts and Accountability.
Supporting documents are discussed in A5.3 Enrolment and Visa Applications.
Recognition of qualifications is discussed in A2.2 Qualifications Frameworks.

Types of Student Documents

Students may need to submit documents to prove their academic merit, as well as various other procedural and legal/official documents, during enrolment and visa application processes.

Student Information

Student information includes personal information and academic and/or professional qualifications and experience.

Personal Information

International students may be required to provide quite detailed information about their identity, residence, health, study or work history, and financial means. Such information is confidential and should be safeguarded by privacy policy and information security procedures.

Qualifications

Enrolling students must usually provide evidence of academic and language qualifications which meet course prerequisites. This might include copies of the certification, academic transcripts and records, testimonials, etc. In most cases, education institutions and visa authorities require copies of the documents to be independently certified. In addition, certified translations of the documents into the language of the destination country may be required. (Note: It is unusual and dangerous for students to submit original certification. Always use certified copies.)

Legal and Financial Information

The information supplied by students in application forms and supporting documents is legally binding. That is, supplying false information may result in cancellation of the enrolment or visa, and possibly other legal penalties. (Note: Applicants are usually obliged to disclose any criminal history or legal judgements against them.)

International students may have to supply sensitive financial information to prove they have sufficient funds to study in the destination country. This might include bank statements, account balances, credit ratings, proof of income, or other official financial records. The student counsellor must be extremely careful to maintain the confidentiality and security of students’ financial information.

Procedural Documents

Enrolment and visa applications involve one or more forms or other procedural documents. In addition to the initial application forms, students may need to submit specific forms with supporting documents and answers to requests for more information. There may be official documents relating to preliminary acceptance or rejection of the application and later to full enrolment.

The student counsellor should ensure that the correct forms are used and that they are completed accurately. Information should be provided in the required format. Whether electronic or paper-based, forms should be submitted through the correct channels.

Extension Questions: For enrolment and visa applications:

• What types of documents do students need to provide?
• How is the confidentiality of students’ information safeguarded?
• What personal information is required? In what format?
• What academic information is required? In what format?
• What legal and financial information is required? In what format?
• What procedural forms and documents are used?

Recognition of Qualifications

Students cannot simply claim to have suitable qualifications. They must provide authentic certification to prove the claim. The certification must be relevant, valid and recognised by the education institutions and qualifications authorities in the destination country.

Students may have a large variety of educational credentials from a wide range of education providers (both campus-based and web-based). Education institutions and qualifications authorities in the destination country may only recognise the validity of credentials which meet their criteria.

Recognition criteria might include:

• An approved education provider issues the qualification
• The education provider is appropriately registered and accredited by recognised authorities
• The qualification results from appropriate course work and assessment by qualified educators
• The qualification is recognised by a legitimate professional body.

Destination countries may have an official office which evaluates the equivalence of foreign qualifications to those in the domestic education system. Education providers may be approved if accredited in their source countries by approved recognition authorities, or if they are recognised by approved industry organisations.

For example, recognition might be granted to education providers in:

• The U.S.: Accredited by an agency recognised by either the US Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
• The U.K. and the British Commonwealth: Membership in the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and listed in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook.
• Australia: Listed on the Australian Qualifications Framework Register (AQF).
• Rest of the world: Appropriate description in the World Education Series (published by PIER – Projects in International Education Research – a joint venture of AACRAO, NAFSA (the Association of International Educators) with the participation of the College Board.

Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:

• How are foreign qualifications evaluated for equivalence with local certification?
• What recognition criteria are used?
• How can the student counsellor check whether a particular qualification is recognised?

Authenticity of Documents

Even if the claimed qualifications are recognised in the destination country, students must provide valid documentation for the claim. The student counsellor must check the authenticity of student documents and know how to recognise and deal with fraud and forgery.

Fraud

Between 15% and 20% of supporting documents may be falsified. The main types of fraud include false work documents, false bank documents, false educational qualifications, false relationships, false language proficiency scores, false age or personal details, and altered enrolment documents.

It is difficult to determine the main sources of fraudulent documents, where they are produced, and how they are obtained. The internet and other black market sources make them easily accessible across the globe.

Source countries can be assessed on their perceived level of risk with regard to corruption and risk of falsification. A useful guide for possible fraudulent documents is the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). This is a ranking of corruption developed by Transparency International. The CPI ranks a total of nearly 200 countries and provides a score between 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (highly clean).

Forgery

The main types of forgery include:

Counterfeit qualifications:

• May claim a legitimate or fictitious institution and/or programme of study
• May be created by students or purchased from the internet or other black market source
• Vary in quality from perfect replicas through to very poor reproductions.

Altered documents:

• Official, legitimate documents are altered through omissions, additions, or changes. Common alterations include date of birth, dates of attendance, enrolment and graduation dates, grades, and course content.

Fraudulent qualifications:

• Documents are produced by dishonest employees of an education provider
• May inflate grades, contact hours, or credits
• May indicate qualifications that are unearned or only partially earned.

Interpretative translations:

• Inaccurate and systematically misleading translations of documents
• May use inaccurate translation of foreign language terms
• May convert grades incorrectly
• May convert course titles inaccurately.

Official copies of forged qualifications:

• Copies of forged documents are certified as authentic by an official source.

Identification of Inauthentic Documents

Recognising fraudulent documents can be extremely difficult. The student counsellor should look for clues such as:

Information:

• Chronology of study period does not make sense or match claims on application form
• Programme of study did not exist at the claimed time
• Inappropriate or outdated signatures
• Cultural and anachronistic inconsistencies (dates, institutional name changes, institutional mergers, institutional closures)
• Educational abnormalities (hours of study, uncharacteristic grading system, years of study, programme cancellations)
• Numerical anomalies: credits do not add up; overall grade point averages are mathematically impossible
• Unusually high grades in countries where higher grade ranges are virtually nonexistent
• Creative translations of grades, course titles, credits, or hours per class.

Language:

• Misspellings, unprofessional language, poor grammar or unusual formats on academic documents
• Incorrect terminology
• Use of a language other than the official language of the country where the document originated.

Appearance:

• Awkward or forced lettering
• Inconsistent fonts and/or incompatible typefaces
• Weak, blurry, or incorrect seals/emblems, colours, shapes
• Scanned images
• Cut-and-paste quality
• Incorrect paper quality, texture, size, or colouration
• Lack of watermarks or obviously handmade watermarks
• Incorrect diacritical marks
• Lack of holograms or other safety measures
• Missing pictures in diplomas or professional identification cards
• Partial seals on the surface of superimposed pictures but not the document, and vice versa
• Irregular spacing between words or letters, or insufficient space for the text
• Poor ink colour and quality
• Signature aberrations including shading and continuity.

Corrections:

• Evidence of changed personal data (name, birth date, gender)
• Evidence of white-out, burn-marks, or erasures
• Interrupted/obliterated lines where information is generally typed or printed.

Document Verification

Student documents can be verified by checking with the conferring institution. However, this can be a slow process and depends on the availability and accuracy of the institution’s student records.

Some countries have developed centralised and online verification systems, which are useful tools to authenticate a qualification. The most current and trusted online systems are:

• U.S. qualifications: degreechk.com, National Student Clearinghouse
• Australian qualifications: QualSearch
• Chinese qualifications: Chinese Qualification Verification Services
• South African qualifications: Kroll MIE.

Extension Questions: For each relevant source country:

• What are the main types of document fraud used by students?
• How can inauthentic documents be identified?
• How can student documents be verified?

Processing

The student counsellor has an important role in the processing of student documents. He/she should advise students about the specific documents required for enrolment and visa applications, and assist them in preparing the supporting documents for submission.

Collecting Documents

Students usually need advice from the student counsellor concerning the specific documents required by education institutions and visa authorities. The student counsellor is responsible for providing accurate information to students about enrolment and visa requirements for their selected courses. This includes the types and formats of supporting documentation.

Following the decision to enrol in a course, the student counsellor should ensure students know the details of the documents they must supply, and establish a time frame for collection. Experienced students may already have their documents prepared, and simply need to confirm the specific requirements for their collection and submission. New students usually need more assistance from the student counsellor.

New students may need help to:

• Understand the equivalence and recognition of their qualifications in the destination country
• Understand the exact documents required and where and how to obtain them
• Present their documents in the approved language, formats, and media.

The time frame for gathering documents must allow enough time for students to source them and if necessary convert them to the approved form. The collection of documents should leave enough time for any verification checks, translations, and authentication that may occur during the preparation and processing of the enrolment and visa applications.

Checking Documents

The student counsellor should carefully check the information and documents supplied by students for relevance and accuracy and to identify any obvious fraud or forgeries. There is no point in attempting enrolment and visa applications with inauthentic documents. The applications normally fail, and the student counsellor’s reputation with prospective students, education institutions, and visa authorities will be damaged.

Some education institutions ask the student counsellor to look over students’ original documents and verify their authenticity. Other institutions may require certified copies and translations to be submitted with the application forms. Reputable education institutions and visa authorities normally check the authenticity of student documents and may request that students supply further documentation or information to verify their claims.

Preparing and Submitting Documents

A complete set of application documentation includes application forms and supporting documents. Individual education institutions and visa authorities use distinct forms and have diverse requirements for document handling. The student counsellor must make sure to identify and use the correct forms and documentation protocols for each particular institution or authority.

Preparing application forms involves making sure that accurate information is entered in the approved format into the right fields on the correct form. Information can be filled in on paper-based forms as it comes in but may have to be fully collected before completing electronic forms.

Preparing supporting documents involves ensuring they are in the approved language, formats, and media. Original documents may have to be reviewed and certified copies produced. Foreign language documents may have to be translated, and translations certified. Paper documents may have to be converted to electronic form. Electronic documents may have to be in a particular software format. Documents may have to be grouped or presented in a certain order.

When information is complete and documents ready, the application can be submitted to the relevant education institution or visa authority. Submission of applications must follow the particular procedures of the institution or authority. Paper-based applications may have to be packaged in a particular manner, transported by a specified carrier or through prescribed channels, and delivered to set individuals or specific locations. Electronic applications must use the prescribed portals, software, and security measures. In all cases, the student counsellor should ensure that applications reach the right people ready for processing.

Managing Documents

The student counsellor should manage student documents to ensure that information is secure and confidential and that clear records are kept.

Original Documents

The student counsellor should ensure that students’ original documents are handled carefully and returned safely to students.

Records

Clear record-keeping is essential. The student counsellor should keep copies of all documents in individual student files. Any important telephone or face-to-face conversations with students should be recorded as written file notes. Files should be maintained until students have completely finished their course of study and then archived for future reference. Records should be clear and easy to understand when accessed at a later date. Student records should be backed up regularly to guard against a major loss such as a fire or theft.

Security

Student information and documents should be kept in a secure location and protected from any unauthorised access. The student counsellor should ensure that student information remains confidential, and should observe privacy principles when dealing with students’ records.

Extension Questions: For each enrolment and visa application:

• What specific documents do students need?
• How are they collected and checked?
• How are they prepared and submitted?
• How should the student counsellor manage them?