Educational Credential Assessment ( ECA)
If you are thinking about moving permanently to Canada through Express Entry, having your Educational Credential Assessment done is an important part of the process if your education was conducted outside of Canada. An ECA is sometimes asked by employers if you conducted your studies abroad, as a way to verify your qualifications
What is an ECA?
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is used to evaluate your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate for authenticity and compare it to a Canadian one. You need to get an ECA for immigration purposes. The ECA report and the reference number must be referenced in your Express Entry profile.
Who needs an ECA?
- People applying for Canada Immigration
- Job searchers if asked by the organization
International students don’t need an ECA since the purpose is to compare their foreign credentials to Canadian ones.
Which credentials to get assessed?
It is recommended to assess your highest level of education. For example, if you have a Master’s degree, it will give you more points in the Express Entry system than assessing your Bachelor’s degree.
Your spouse can also can an ECA done to increase your chances of being drawn.
How to get started
Your ECA can be done by 1 of these 5 organizations
- Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada ( ICAS)
- World Education Services (WES)
- International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- International Credential Evaluation Service ( ICES)
WES remains the most popular one, but it is important to know that the assessment must be done based on your degree. However, some occupations cannot be done by either of these organizations. A medical degree must be evaluated by the Medical Council of Canada. If you are a pharmacist your ECA must be done by the pharmacy examining board of Canada.
At Swift Immigration, we first evaluate your diplomas and make an informed decision on which organization to proceed with. Contact us for a free initial consult.
- Before getting started, your foreign papers must be translated to English by an authorized organization
- Transcripts & Diploma are usually the only documents needed
You then have to create a profile and submit all the documents (usually in a sealed envelope and by courier)
Once all documents have been received, the processing time takes several weeks up to months to get your final report. The report will include
- A soft copy of the education evaluation for Canadian immigration
- ECA report for IRCC Canada electronically ( why it’s important to create your Express Entry profile)
- Official paper report sent to your address
Contact us for assistance
Swift Immigration is a leading Immigration company with over 11 years of experience. We can help you with your ECA process and additionally help you with your Express Entry application. Our company has had a very high success rate, and we are excited to help you start this exciting journey. Call us today for a free initial consult.