If you’re applying for Canadian immigration under the Express Entry system, you need to have all your significant education qualifications such as degree/ diplomas (8 months or longer) assessed and get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from a designated organization listed below. You must have a separate assessment for each academic qualification for which you wish to obtain points. An ECA is not required if you have a Canadian degree and it should be mentioned in your application along with any Canadian work experience in order to maximize your probability of selection
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) was introduced and effective from May 4, 2013. Applicants should keep in mind all program eligibility requirements listed above, i.e. whether they have a qualifying offer of arranged employment or are applying under the PhD stream or eligible occupations stream; and if they meet the minimum language threshold through a designated third-party test. Applicants who have Canadian educational credentials do not need to get an ECA, unless they are also submitting a foreign educational credential in support of their application.
Three organizations have been designated for ECA reports plus one for medical practitioners for purposes of immigrating to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). The designated organizations are:
- Comparative Education Service (CES): University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies;
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS);
- World Education Services (WES) - (AMS Recommended Assessor)
Applicants should contact the designated organizations directly for further information on their documentation requirements, processing times and fees.
An ECA report will be valid for immigration purposes for 5 years from the date that it was issued by the designated organization.
