Every ECA submitted by a prospective Canadian immigrant is reviewed by IRCC to assess the equivalency of educational credentials (degrees, diplomas, certificates, and so on) earned in other countries, and to compare them to Canadian standards.
World Education Services (WES) is one of five organizations designated by IRCC to provide ECAs (not including ECAs for doctors and pharmacists) for degrees and diplomas earned abroad.
Note: WES does not evaluate occupational or trade qualifications. For more information about IRCC immigration programs, we advise applicants to visit IRCC’s website.
There are eight common questions WES applicants have
1) What does an ECA allow me to do in Canada?
An ECA is required to apply to certain IRCC programs. With an ECA from WES, applicants can:
- Meet IRCC immigration program
- Meet Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) requirements.
- Qualify for IRCC’s Agri-Food Immigration Pilot Project.
- Gain recognition for their education in Canada.
- Store their report and verified academic documents for future use.
2) How long does it take to obtain an ECA from WES?
WES has one of the shortest processing service standards of all ECA providers in Canada at just 35 days.
3) Can I have all my credentials evaluated and included in an ECA report?
ECAs typically only evaluate an applicant’s highest earned international academic credential.
4) Can I add another recipient to my ECA application?
Yes. WES applicants can make this request through their WES Account.
5) Can I send my ECA report to a U.S. recipient or institution?
No. WES only sends an applicant’s ECA to IRCC, PNP offices across Canada, certain immigration law firms, and licensed immigration consultants.
6) Can I send my standard (non-ECA) evaluation report to IRCC?
Yes. Applicants can make this request through their WES Account.
7) How can I renew my expired ECA report for IRCC?
An initial ECA from WES is valid for five years from the date of issue. To extend the validity of a WES ECA, applicants can sign into their online WES account and order an additional copy of the ECA for IRCC. This will extend the validity of the applicant’s ECA for an additional five years.
8) Will I ever need to upgrade my ECA to a WES standard evaluation report?
WES can help applicants immigrating to Canada upgrade their ECA when needed. ECAs clearly state that the report is to be used for immigration purposes only. However, there may come a time when employers, colleges, universities, and professional licensing bodies in Canada require information that is not included in an ECA.
A WES Course-by-Course (CxC) or Document-by-Document (DxD) evaluation report can fulfill this requirement.
