Educational Credential Assessment for Canada

If you’re planning to migrate to Canada then you have to apply for educational credentials assessment through IRCC designated organizations. These organizations validate foreign degrees, diplomas, or certificates. You must have your ECA results before creating your account for application submission.

In case you have studied in Canada, then you don’t need to file an assessment for your educational credentials.

Educational Credential Assessment for Canada is a very simple process and in this article, we’ll walk our readers through the process of assessment.

IRCC Designated Organizations

There are seven organizations designated by IRCC for educational credential assessments. These ECA results are valid for five years from the date it has issued by the designated organizations.

Below are the designated organizations to obtain ECA for your foreign education:

1. WORLD EDUCATION SERVICES

WES is one of the most famous organizations by IRCC for educational credentials assessment. WES provides ECAs for degrees, diplomas earned outside of Canada.

Note: WES does not evaluate occupational or trade qualifications.

Application Procedure

To get your credentials assessed by the WES, you have to complete the online application here. After filling your application form, you will receive a reference number which you must keep safe as you have to update/mention this reference number in all your communication with WES in the future.

You may check the document requirements for your country here. You must have an academic transcript listing all the courses taken and grades earned for each year of study.

If you have a doctoral degree, you will need an official letter confirming the award of your Ph.D. You must download an Academic Records Request form or Doctoral Degree Conferral Request form to send to your educational institute so that they can send the transcript directly to WES.

Download Here: Academic Records Request Form

Download Here: Doctoral Conferral Form

Note: Your education documents evaluation will be completed within seven business days after receipt, review, and approval of all documents.

Application Fee for ECA

You have to pay $220 CAD* (Canadian dollar) which does not include delivery fees, additional fees, or a 13% HST.

For more details. Click here

2. COMPARATIVE EDUCATION SERVICE

This is a Toronto based designated organization which provide ECA reports for applicants around the world.

Application Procedure

To get your credentials assessed Click here to complete the online application. After filling your application form, you will receive a reference number which you must keep safe. Check here the document requirements for your country. You must download an Academic Records Request form and send it to your educational institute so that they can send the transcript directly to CES.

Application Fee for ECA

You have to pay $210 CAD. For more information about Fees and other application services. Click here

3. INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIAL ASSESSMENT SERVICE OF CANADA

ICAS is based in Ontario as the designated organization by IRCC which provides an ECA report since 1993.

Application Procedure

To get your credentials assessed Click here to complete the online application. Please note that ICAS accepts fees only by credit card (No Debit card) So you must have a credit card before getting started for the application process.

Once you paid your application fees, you will receive a confirmation email from ICAS which includes:

a) your ICAS File number

b) document Submission Form

c) official Records Request FormYou have to complete and print the document submission form which lists the documents you must photocopy and send to ICAS. You also have to print the Official Records Request Form for each qualification which you want them to assess.

d) You have to submit the Official Records Request Form to the appropriate institution/university for each qualification assessment and request that the institution/university to send required documents directly to ICAS for further assessment.

Note: If you have completed a post-secondary (college/university) qualification, then secondary school documents are not required for assessment.

Application Fee for ECA

There is a package of $200 CAD

Note: Please note that when you will check their site you’ll find that they take 20 weeks for ECA from the date when all documents are received which is a bit long.  Here, you can save some money with them as they charge less compared to WES and CES, though the difference in money is not much.

4. INTERNATIONAL CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICE

ICES is a designated organization by IRCC since 2015. ECA service is provided by the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Application Procedure

To get your credentials assessed Click here to complete the online application. Please note that ICES accepts fees only by credit card (No Debit card) So you must have a credit card before getting started for the application process.

Before getting started for your online application You must have:

a) a color scans of Identification

b) a color scans of academic records

c) a translation of the above documents in case they are not in English or French

All these documents must be in PDF format and should not exceed a size of 5 MB.

Note: The above information is for applicants only. Your institution is required to send separate documents through one of the followings:

1. Institutions can directly send your credentials to icesinfo@bcit.ca
2. By post to c/o ICES 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC V5G 3H2 Canada

In case applicants are unable to submit the online application then there is another way for sending applications with the below options:

a) You have to complete and print the application form for your educational credentials assessment and send it to ICES. Download Application Form

b) If you want to update your existing ECA report by ICES then there is a separate Application form that you have to fill for re-assessment. Download Application Form

Application Fee for ECA

You have to pay $200 CAD for your ECA.

For more information about Fee. Click here

5. INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATION ASSESSMENT SERVICE (IQAS)

IQAS is a designated organization by IRCC since 2015 which provides an educational credential assessment (ECA) for Canadian immigration.

Application Procedure

You have to complete your application online and mail your application package by post. Click here to check the documents required for your country and based on that send your application package to IQAS.

In case your country is not listed in the above link you have to provide the following documents:

Photocopies of your degree/diploma certificates

a) You don’t need to send your original certificates.

b) Photocopies do not need to be certified or notarized.

c) For a Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) send a photocopy of the Ph.D. degree and the cover page of the thesis.

Official academic transcripts/mark sheets

a) Do not submit a transcript issued by colleges as final transcripts must be issued by the institution or universities.

b) Official transcripts for all years should be sent directly to IQAS by the institution directly.

c) In case your institution denies sending transcripts directly to IQAS then you can forward your transcripts in a sealed envelope. Your transcripts must be attested, dated, and placed in a sealed envelope which should be stamped with the institution’s official seal across front and back.

d) You can use this form to ask the institution to send the transcripts directly to IQAS and must update your IQAS file number while filling the form.

You have to complete your online application here. You will be asked to pay your application fee which you can pay through Visa, Master Card, American Express, and debit card.

In case you face any issue with online payment then you can send a bank draft or money order. Post submission of your online application, you will get the IQAS file number which you have to use for further communication with IQAS.

Mail your Application:

Applicants must collect required documents and complete the online application before mailing it to IQAS. You must ensure that your application is complete and include:

a) Signed IQAS Application form with the documents checklist

b) Photocopies of completed academic credentials which you want to have assessed

c) Official transcripts for the credentials you want to have assessed sent by the institutions directly to IQAS

d) Translations of all non-English educational documents

e) Proof of name

Mailing Address: International Qualifications Assessment Service/ 9th Floor, 9942 108 Street. Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J5. Canada

Application Fee for ECA

You have to pay $200 CAD for ECA.

For more info about fees. Click here

6. MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA

MCC provides ECA reports for Medical Degrees or Diplomas. The first step for medical professionals is to verify their medical degree or diploma.

Application Procedure

a) You have to create an online account to have your medical documents verified here then submit a Source Verification Request. For more information please check here

b) After creating an account on physiciansapply.ca, You have to create an SVR for each medical credential you want to have verified. You can pay your application fee

c) You have to submit your medical credentials with a cover sheet.

d) You don’t need to send your original documents for this verification.

Once your medical documents are verified, then you can apply for the ECA report separately.

Note: In order to work as a doctor or medical professional in Canada, you must ensure that you meet the Canadian government requirements including post-graduate training and additional assessments.

7. PHARMACY EXAMINING BOARD OF CANADA

This designated organization provides ECA reports for Pharmacists who wish to migrate to Canada. For pharmacy professionals, ECA is important but not enough to become eligible for this profession as they have to contact the Canadian regulating body to check what are the requirements to gain the license for working as a Pharmacist in the province or Territory.

Application Procedure

a) You have to create your account and complete your application process here. The minimum requirement is a four-year undergraduate degree in pharmacy.

b) You must register at Pharmacists Gateway Canada and obtain National Identifier Number. The cost to enroll in the Gateway is $335 CAD which excludes tax.

c) You will need two identical passport photographs (with the date taken, stamped, or written on the back by the photographer). They must have been taken within the last twelve months. 

Your documents must be signed and stamped by one of the witnesses:

a) Notary Public

b) Commissioner of Oath

c) Lawyer

You have to ask your witness to seal, stamp, or sign the front of the photo glued to the 1^st page of the application. The signature should be crossed which means it must cover the part of the photo and the application form. To check more details Click  here.

We hope the above information in this article will help you to get some ideas about Educational Credential Assessments and takes you a step closer to your dream of studying and settling abroad.

At Blogimmi, we help applicants to travel, study, and settle abroad by connecting them to their preferred destinations. We eliminate the frustration with complex application procedures by streamlining the process with our fully online on-demand consulting.

Our advisors are ready to answer your queries 24/7. If you have any questions, feel free to reach us by email or phone call.

Thank you!