An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is used to verify that your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate (or other proof of your credential) is valid and equal to a Canadian one. Applicants need to get an ECA for immigration purposes.
An Education Credential Assessment is how employers, schools and other establishments compare the education you obtained in your home country to Canadian standards. First, it’s used to find out the validity of diplomas, degrees, certificates and other academic achievements. Second, it’s used to see if your achievements are worth more, less, or the same as their Canadian counterparts.
There are different types of ECAs. You need to get an ECA for immigration purposes. If you got another type of ECA, you may be able to get it re-issued, depending on the type of ECA and/or issuing organization.
If you’re eligible for Express Entry, you will need one if you want to claim any Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for your education. Since an ECA compares your education to its Canadian equivalent, you don’t need an ECA for any education you obtained in Canada. If you have more than one post-secondary degree, you usually only need to have your highest degree assessed. However, you might want to get all of your credentials assessed to claim as many CRS points as possible once you’re in the pool. IRCC will only accept ECAs from designated organizations:
- World Education Services
- Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- International Qualifications Assessment Service
- International Credential Evaluation Service
- Medical Council of Canada (the professional body for Doctors)
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (the professional body for Pharmacists)
Your report must show that your foreign credential is valid and equal to a completed Canadian secondary school (high school) or post-secondary credential. If it does, you must include the result and reference number in your Express Entry profile.
If your report shows that your credential isn’t equal to a completed Canadian credential or the foreign educational institution is not recognized:
- you won’t meet the education requirement under the Federal Skilled Workers Program
- you won’t get any points for it
Your report must be issued for immigration purposes by an organization or professional body designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It must be issued on or after the date we designated the organization or professional body. The issued report must not be more than 5 years old on the date you submit your Express Entry profile or to apply for permanent residence. Don’t ask the designated organization or the professional body to send your report to IRCC.
Once the applicant gets their report, they will enter the results and the reference number into their Express Entry profile. They must keep their original documents and be ready to upload copies if IRCC invites you to apply for permanent residence.