The Education Credential Assessment compares an individual’s degree, diploma, or certificate to the Canadian Educational Standards. Every immigration program offered by Canada has its own set of specified documents that an individual must provide. An ECA is a common document that is required under most economic immigration programs including the Express Entry.
To immigrate as a Federal Skilled Worker, an individual must get an ECA if they were educated outside of Canada. International Students who are educated at a Canadian Institute are exempted from getting an ECA.
How to get an ECA?
An applicant to obtain their ECA is required to submit documents such as transcripts, degrees, and certificates to one of the various organizations designated by the Immigrations, Refugees, and Citizenships Canada (IRCC).
The organizations mentioned below are not a part of the Canada Government: -
- World Education Services (WES)- In 2013, WES was selected as one of the five main designated organizations to provide ECAs. The faster processing times of applications under WES result in it being the most popular choice for obtaining an ECA. WES evaluates students’ credentials with numerous educational institutions with the help of tools such as required equivalency, WES iGPA Calculator, digital badges, etc.
- University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies- University of Toronto’s Comparative Education Services provides International Students with their ECAs. The ECA reports issued by this institute are solely used for advisory purposes and are authorized for immigration, employment, education, and general purposes.
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)- ICAS takes the longest time to process an application. It is the only ICCRC Certified Organization that evaluates a few University Degrees that are not even considered by other organizations.
- International Qualification Assessment Services (IQAS)- IQAS was authorized as a designated organization by the IRCC in August 2015. ECAs issued by this organization are valid under the Express Entry Program for 5 years and do not imply that a candidate’s credentials are accepted for licensure in Canada.
- International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)- ECAs issued by this organization are authorized for immigration purposes such as Express Entry, Agri-Food Pilot, and Permanent Residency. ECA issued by this organization may be used under a few of the Provincial Immigrant Nominee Programs (PNP).
Assessment for Specialists and Family Physicians-
- Medical Council of Canada (MCC)- ECA reports for Specialists and Family Physicians with degrees/diplomas and transcripts are obtainable from the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). An ECA issued by the MCC has a validity of 5 years for immigration purposes.
Assessment for Pharmacists-
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC)- PEBC was authorized as a designated organization by the IRCC in January 2014. This organization issues ECAs mainly for applicants under the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The processing time for this organization is 8 weeks.
Gaining an ECA is one of the vital steps while immigrating to Canada. This report determines whether the educational quality in the applicant’s home country is comparable to that of Canadian Degrees.
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