An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is a document that confirms a foreign post-secondary educational credential is valid and equivalent to a specific level of Canadian credential. For Express Entry, principal applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker Program who completed their highest level of post-secondary education outside Canada must have an ECA from an IRCC-designated organization — without it, the foreign credential cannot be scored in the CRS education factor. ECAs must be obtained from one of several designated organizations, the choice of which depends on the type of credential being assessed — general academic credentials are assessed by organizations such as WES, ICAS, IQAS, and CES; medical, nursing, pharmacy, and other regulated profession credentials have specialist designated organizations. An ECA is valid for 5 years and can be reused across multiple Express Entry profiles and applications within that period. An ECA confirms educational equivalency — it does not authorize practice of a regulated profession. This page explains who needs an ECA, the designated organizations, the process, validity and reuse, and how to enter ECA details in an Express Entry profile.

For the current list of designated organizations and ECA application instructions, refer to the IRCC educational credential assessment page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s 75(2)(b) — the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility criteria require the principal applicant to have their foreign education assessed by an organization designated by the Minister; the ECA requirement is a regulatory condition for FSW Express Entry eligibility
• Ministerial Instructions Respecting the Express Entry System — the CRS assigns education points based on the candidate's highest level of completed education; for foreign credentials, the CRS uses the educational level confirmed by the ECA; without an ECA, the foreign credential is assigned the lowest education level in the CRS grid
• IRCC: Designated organizations for ECAs — IRCC publishes and maintains the list of designated organizations for ECA purposes; only assessments from designated organizations are accepted for Express Entry
• IRCC: Educational credential assessment — canada.ca/eca-express-entry

Who needs an ECA

An ECA is required for:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) principal applicants who completed their highest level of post-secondary education outside Canada — the ECA is a condition of FSWP eligibility
• Candidates who want to use a foreign credential to earn CRS education points in the Express Entry pool — if no ECA is provided for the foreign credential, IRCC assigns the lowest CRS education level, which significantly reduces the CRS score

An ECA is not required for:

• Candidates whose highest level of education was completed in Canada — Canadian credentials do not require an ECA
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants who do not have a foreign credential they wish to use for education points

Designated organizations — choosing the right one

ECAs for immigration purposes must come from one of IRCC's designated organizations. The principal organizations and the types of credentials they assess:

• World Education Services (WES): assesses most academic credentials — undergraduate degrees, diplomas, certificates, master's degrees, and doctorates from institutions worldwide; WES is the most commonly used designated organization for general academic credentials
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS): assesses academic credentials from post-secondary institutions worldwide
• International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS): assesses academic credentials; available to candidates in Alberta and Canadian overseas visa offices
• Comparative Education Service (CES): assesses academic credentials; part of the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
• Medical Council of Canada (MCC): assesses medical degrees for physicians (MDs or equivalent); required for medical graduates seeking CRS education points from a foreign medical degree
• Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC): assesses pharmacy degrees for pharmacists
• Other designated organizations: specific organizations assess teaching, nursing, engineering, and other professional credentials; IRCC's designated organization list on the ECA page should be checked for the most current list and eligibility

Different organizations have different processing times, fees, and documentation requirements. Candidates should consult the designated organization's website for application instructions. For the full and current list of designated organizations and which credential types each assesses, refer to the ECA designated organizations page and the IRCC ECA page.

The ECA application process

The general process for obtaining an ECA is:

1. Choose the appropriate designated organization based on the type of credential being assessed
2. Create an account on the designated organization's website (e.g., WES account)
3. Submit the application with the required documents — typically includes the academic transcript (certified or notarized), the degree certificate, and identification; requirements vary by organization and country of study
4. Pay the assessment fee — fees vary by organization and credential type; WES typically charges a few hundred Canadian dollars depending on the credential and the level of service (standard vs. express)
5. Institution verification: the designated organization may contact the issuing institution directly to verify the credential; this step can add time if the institution is slow to respond
6. Receive the ECA report: once assessment is complete, the designated organization issues the ECA report specifying the Canadian equivalency level; the report includes a reference number used in the Express Entry profile

Processing times vary by organization, credential complexity, and service level — standard processing at WES may take 7–25 business days for most assessments; other organizations may have different timelines. Candidates should plan ahead and obtain their ECA well before creating an Express Entry profile.

Validity — 5 years, reusable across applications

An ECA report is valid for 5 years from the date it is issued:

• A candidate can reuse the same ECA report to submit an Express Entry profile more than once, as long as the 5-year validity period has not expired
• A candidate can use the same ECA report if their profile expires and they create a new profile within the 5-year period
• An ECA older than 5 years is not accepted for a new Express Entry profile — a new ECA must be obtained

Entering ECA details in an Express Entry profile

When creating or updating an Express Entry profile, candidates enter their educational history and include the ECA details:

• Select the appropriate educational level (bachelor's degree, master's degree, etc.) as determined by the ECA
• Enter the ECA report number (the reference number on the ECA report)
• Enter the assessment body code (the code for the designated organization)
• IRCC's system validates the ECA details and applies the corresponding CRS education points to the profile

What an ECA does not confirm

An ECA confirms educational equivalency for immigration purposes — it does not:

• Authorize the holder to practice a regulated profession in Canada — a foreign-trained professional who has an ECA confirming their degree's Canadian equivalency must still go through the provincial professional regulatory body's licensing process
• Guarantee admission to Canadian academic programs — Canadian universities and colleges may have their own admissions assessment processes
• Confer any rights beyond the immigration context in which it is used

The ECA is one of the most time-sensitive documents in the Express Entry preparation process — candidates who underestimate the processing time may find themselves unable to create an Express Entry profile until the ECA is received. WES standard processing is generally the most commonly used pathway, but WES's institutional verification step can cause delays if the issuing institution is slow to confirm the credential. Candidates from countries with less-common educational institutions or where the institution may be defunct or difficult to contact should plan for extended processing times. The 5-year validity period means candidates who obtained an ECA earlier for a previous immigration application (or a provincial program) may be able to reuse it for a new Express Entry profile, saving time and money. For the current designated organization list, ECA application requirements by credential type, and IRCC's instruction for entering ECA details in an Express Entry profile, refer to the IRCC ECA page.