credential-engineering

/credential-engineering

Designs the complete pathway from your current qualifications to a target professional license in another jurisdiction. Treats licensing boards as regulatory modules — each has specific inputs (degrees, hours, exams) and outputs (licenses, privileges).

Instructions

1. Load pathway profile. Read ~/.claude/plugins/config/legal-engineering/legal-pathways/CLAUDE.md. If not populated, suggest running /legal-pathways:cold-start-interview first.

2. Identify the target credential. From $ARGUMENTS or profile:

   • Target license type (e.g., LPC, LMHC, LCSW, Licensed Psychologist, PE, CPA)
   • Target jurisdiction (e.g., specific US state, UK, Australia, Singapore)
   • If not clear, ask.

3. Load reference data. Read the relevant reference file:

   • US counselor licensing: legal-pathways/references/us-counselor-licensing.md
   • Citizenship/investment: legal-pathways/references/citizenship-investment-matrix.md
   • Use web search to verify current requirements (licensing boards update annually)

4. Map current qualifications against target requirements. Build a gap matrix:

   A. Education Requirements

   • Degree level required vs. held (e.g., Master's required, Bachelor's held)
   • Credit hours required vs. completed (e.g., 60 graduate credits required)
   • Specific coursework required (e.g., 8 core CACREP areas)
   • Accreditation requirements (e.g., CACREP-accredited program required vs. preferred)
   • Foreign degree equivalency (does the target board accept foreign degrees?)

   B. Credential Evaluation

   • Which evaluation service is required? (WES, ECE, NACES member, board-specific)
   • General evaluation vs. course-by-course evaluation
   • Timeline and cost for evaluation
   • Common issues with degrees from the applicant's country

   C. Supervised Experience

   • Total hours required (e.g., 2,000-4,000 for LPC)
   • Direct client contact hours required
   • Supervisor qualifications required
   • Can hours from home country count? (with evaluation)
   • Post-degree vs. post-Master's requirements

   D. Examinations

   • Which exams are required? (NCE, NCMHCE, EPPP, state-specific)
   • Eligibility requirements to sit for exam
   • Pass rates and preparation timeline
   • Can you take the exam before completing all other requirements?

   E. Legal Status / Immigration

   • Visa required to study (F-1, student visa)
   • Visa required to complete supervised hours (OPT, H-1B, work permit)
   • Visa required to practice after licensure
   • Does the credential itself provide immigration benefits?

   F. Language Requirements

   • English proficiency requirements (TOEFL, IELTS minimum scores)
   • Any state-specific language requirements

5. Produce the gap analysis matrix:

   Requirement	Target	Current	Gap	Severity	Cost to close	Time to close
   Degree level	Master's (60 cr)	Bachelor's (128 cr)	Need Master's	Critical	$15K-60K	2-3 years
   CACREP accreditation	Required/preferred	N/A	Need CACREP program	Critical	included	included
   ...	...	...	...	...	...	...

6. Design the optimal pathway. Considering budget, timeline, and risk tolerance, recommend:

   Pathway Option A: [Fastest]

   • Step-by-step SOP with timeline
   • Total cost breakdown
   • Risk assessment

   Pathway Option B: [Cheapest]

   • Step-by-step SOP with timeline
   • Total cost breakdown
   • Risk assessment

   Pathway Option C: [Most Reliable]

   • Step-by-step SOP with timeline
   • Total cost breakdown
   • Risk assessment

7. For each pathway, produce a detailed SOP:

   Step	Action	Timeline	Cost	Dependencies	CTA
   1	Credential evaluation (WES/ECE)	Weeks 1-8	$200-350	Transcripts from home university	Order transcripts NOW
   2	Apply to CACREP program	Months 2-4	$50-100 app fee	Credential evaluation complete	Research programs NOW
   ...	...	...	...	...	...

8. Jurisdiction shopping analysis. If the user is flexible on jurisdiction:

   • Which states/jurisdictions have the lowest barriers for foreign-educated applicants?
   • Which accept non-CACREP programs?
   • Which have credential transfer/reciprocity with other jurisdictions?
   • Which provide the fastest path to independent practice?

9. Offer next steps:

   What next?

   1. Deep dive on [recommended jurisdiction] — full regulatory analysis
   2. Program comparison — I'll compare specific degree programs for your situation
   3. Visa strategy — immigration pathway to study and practice
   4. Case research — find precedent for credential recognition from your country
   5. Timeline builder — interactive Gantt-style timeline with milestones
   6. Something else

Verification

All licensing requirements are verified via web search against the relevant licensing board's official website. Requirements change frequently — every data point is tagged with its source and verification date. State-specific requirements reference the relevant state statute or administrative code (via eCFR/Westlaw where applicable).

Reference: Common Professional Licensing Domains

Domain	US License	Typical requirements	Key governing body
Mental health counseling	LPC / LMHC / LCPC	Master's (48-60 cr) + 2,000-4,000 hrs + NCE/NCMHCE	State licensing board + NBCC
Clinical social work	LCSW	MSW (60 cr) + 3,000-4,000 hrs + ASWB exam	State board + ASWB
Psychology	Licensed Psychologist	Doctoral (PhD/PsyD) + 1,500-2,000 hrs + EPPP	State board + ASPPB
Marriage & family therapy	LMFT	Master's (60 cr) + 2,000-4,000 hrs + MFT exam	State board + AAMFT
Engineering	PE (Professional Engineer)	BS + 4 yrs experience + FE + PE exam	State board + NCEES
Accounting	CPA	150 credit hours + experience + CPA exam	State board + AICPA/NASBA