For international students returning to China for work, one of the most important things is probably the certification of their academic degrees. Following the Ministry of Education's cancellation of the "Certificate for Overseas Returnees," a new policy has been issued regarding overseas academic degree certification.
The new policy states that starting from January 1, 2023, with the exception of official degrees from Spain and Italy, certification services will no longer be provided for holders of attestation letters from other countries who have not yet received their certificates.
That is to say, international students graduating in 2023 can only use their graduation certificate to apply for Ministry of Education degree certification; a graduation attestation will not be accepted.
What if you currently don't have your graduation certificate?
The policy announcement has caused concern among many international students.
Many have voiced that: the time between completing courses and receiving the graduation certificate can be months, and some classmates who have already returned to China say their certificate is still in the mail, and it will take a long time to receive it.
Is the new policy really completely unfriendly to international students? Not exactly. The Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) has provided an explanation:
For students who have not yet met certification requirements but have needs such as returning to China for employment or further studies, it is recommended to communicate with the relevant employers or universities, and send an email to the CSCSE.
(Send email to renzheng@cscse.edu.cn)
In the email, provide valid personal identification, an official attestation letter issued by the school's registration department, and the CSCSE can issue a formal explanatory letter to the relevant employer.
So there's no need to worry too much~
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Scope of Overseas Academic Degree Certification
The scope of degree certification specifically includes the following five categories:
1. Corresponding overseas academic degree certificates and higher education diplomas obtained through study at foreign universities or other higher education institutions;
2. Corresponding overseas academic degree certificates and higher education diplomas obtained through study at Chinese-foreign cooperative education institutions (programs) legally established (operated) within China;
3. Corresponding academic degree certificates and higher education diplomas obtained through study at universities or other higher education institutions in the Taiwan region;
4. Corresponding academic degree certificates and higher education diplomas obtained through study at universities or other higher education institutions in the Macao Special Administrative Region;
5. Bachelor's level (including bachelor's) and above academic degree certificates and higher education diplomas obtained through study at universities or other higher education institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Degree Certification Process
Detailed degree certification process is as follows:
Step 1: Prepare the required materials for the certification application (Note: All materials are electronic, no need to mail.)
1. Foreign diploma certificate to be certified (Upload format: PDF, no larger than 5MB.)
(1) The diploma certificate to be certified is generally written in the official language of the country/region. If you have diploma certificates in two languages, the original language certificate must be uploaded; other languages may be uploaded selectively;
(2) If the front and back of the diploma certificate to be certified contain text or images, scanned copies of both sides should be provided;
(3) If the applicant is unable to provide the awarded diploma certificate, our center is unable to provide certification services in principle.
2. Passport (or travel permit) and visa (or endorsement) used during overseas study (Upload format: JPG, each image no larger than 1MB.)
3. One two-inch ID photo (Upload format: JPG, no larger than 1MB.)
Recent standard ID photo of the applicant, background color not limited.
4. Authorization statement for verification of overseas diploma certificate, completed and signed as required by the CSCSE (Upload format: PDF, no larger than 1MB.)
As required by various countries and institutions, the CSCSE must obtain written authorization from the certificate holder to verify the authenticity of the diploma certificate.
This statement can be downloaded from the official website: http://zwfw.cscse.edu.cn/cscse/xlxwrz/391584/392299/393445/index.html
5. Other related materials (Upload format: JPG, each image no larger than 1MB.)
(1) Applicants whose study duration at the degree-awarding institution does not meet the program requirements must provide complete transcripts or research certificates for the study period;
(2) Applicants with study experiences in multiple countries or institutions, or who studied in a second country and received a diploma certificate from a third country, must submit complete transcripts for the study period, as well as all entry and exit stamps for the countries of study in the passport during the study period;
(3) To facilitate accurate determination of the applicant's field of study, it is recommended to submit complete transcripts for the study period;
(4) Due to differences in a few countries' education systems, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia, Italy, Spain, France, Hungary, Ireland, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine require additional application materials (click on the country name for details);
(5) Other related materials that the applicant may need to submit to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the certification process (subject to notification of supplementary materials).
Step 2: Log in to http://zwfw.cscse.edu.cn (CSCSE Online Service Hall) and register a new account.
Step 3: Fill in the certification application information
First, complete the 'identity verification' to obtain entry and exit records.
Next, select 'Application Type' and 'Application Information'. These steps are easy, basically filling in information about the school attended, degree, etc.
After filling in this information, it's time to upload materials! Scan the prepared materials and upload them to the computer. You can scan using a mobile app or notes app~
Step 4: Pay the fee online
The fee for each degree certification verification service is 360 RMB.
After completing all the above steps, just wait patiently for the certification agency to review the application materials. If there are no issues with the materials, the evaluation and review usually take about 10-20 working days, and you can check the progress.
After certification is complete, you can log in to obtain the result, verify it online, and apply for an invoice.
The CSCSE website also provides a process chart; following the steps makes it very easy.
Additionally, degree certification is not mandatory. If you plan to stay overseas for study or work in the future, or if you plan to work in a private company after returning to China, you can do without degree certification.
If you have any questions or uncertainties about the certification process or steps, you can also call the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) hotline at: 010-62677800.
Frequently Asked Questions about Degree Certification
1. What if I cannot provide the visa for the study period? What if the residence card used during study has expired and been revoked, and I cannot submit it?
If you are unable to provide a visa or residence card that fully covers the study period, you should provide an explanation when uploading materials. The staff will, as appropriate, notify the applicant to supplement relevant proof during the certification process.
2. If there are foreign language documents in the certification application materials, do they need to be translated into Chinese?
No.
3. If the degree certificate is lost, can I still apply for certification?
If the certificate is lost, you can apply to the degree-awarding institution for a replacement certificate before submitting the certification application.
If the degree-awarding institution is unable to issue a replacement certificate, you should provide a duplicate certificate or an official statement of degree conferral from the institution (usually issued by the student registration office or academic affairs office).
At the same time, the applicant must also submit a 'Statement of Inability to Submit an Overseas Academic Degree Certificate' and official transcripts.
4. How can I contact the CSCSE to inquire about certification-related issues?
Applicants can find answers to certification-related questions in the 'FAQ' section of the CSCSE Online Service Hall, or conduct an online consultation with customer service at the bottom of the Online Service Hall page.
If you cannot get an answer through the above means, you can call the customer service hotline at 010-62677800, or review the 'Email Consultation Notice' and send an email to the certification email address for consultation.
The new policy has already been implemented. Students who have not yet received their graduation certificate should prepare an attestation letter before applying for certification. Graduates affected by this new policy should not be anxious; as long as they receive their graduation certificate normally, they can successfully obtain certification.
Finally, we wish all international students smooth graduation, a safe return to China, successful certification, and continued pursuit of your dreams!
