ECA: assessing foreign credentials for Canadian immigration

No

ECA is used in many economic programs, but there is no rule:

“If you have a foreign diploma, you always need ECA.”

For example, the assessment of foreign education may be important in:

• Express Entry;
• Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP);
• Rural and Remote Communities Pilot Program (RCIP);
• Francophone Community Pilot Program (FCIP);
• individual provincial programs.

But the purpose and requirements may differ.

Therefore, first they check the rules of a specific program, and only then order an ECA.

In most cases start from the highest completed level

For Express Entry, IRCC indicates that assessing the highest level of education completed is usually sufficient.

For example, if you have:

• bachelor's degree;
• then master's degree;

and you want to declare master's level education, master's degrees are usually assessed first.

This does not mean that a previous degree will never be needed.

There are situations where it makes sense to evaluate multiple documents.

If you want to use the category "two or more degrees"

Express Entry has a separate level:

two or more certificates, diplomas or degrees.

To use this category:

• you need a valid ECA for each foreign educational credential you claim in this combination;
• at least one of them must be for a program of study lasting 3 years or more.

The order in which you received these documents does not matter.

That is, simply having two diplomas is not enough. If you want to receive credit specifically for a combination of two entities, each foreign document used must have an appropriate ECA.

If education after school has not achieved the expected Canadian equivalent

Sometimes a foreign high school diploma is not recognized as completed Canadian post-secondary education.

IRCC indicates that in such a situation, a School Certificate assessment may be considered to obtain at least a Canadian high school level.

This does not need to be done automatically.

First, they look at the actual higher education ECA result and the rules of your program.

There is no universally “best” organization

The five organizations differ:

• cost;
• deadlines;
• methods of transferring documents;
• rules for specific countries and educational institutions;
• translation requirements.

These conditions are changing.

Therefore, before paying, you should check:

1. does the organization work with documents from your country;
2. what type of ECA is needed for immigration;
3. who should submit an academic transcript;
4. whether electronic transmission is permitted;
5. is translation needed?
6. What are the prices and terms in effect now?

Don't choose an organization just because someone said it was "the fastest" a few years ago.

There is no universal rule

The order depends on:

• selected organization;
• countries;
• educational institution;
• document type;
• availability of electronic transmission.

Sometimes some of the documents are uploaded by the candidate himself.

Sometimes the academic institution must send the academic transcript directly.

Sometimes electronic transmission through a special system is allowed.

Sometimes you need a sealed envelope.

Therefore, do not copy someone else's WES, IQAS or other organization's instructions without checking.

Follow the instructions of the selected organization for your application.

It depends on the language of the documents and the rules of the selected organization

If the documents are not in English or French, the organization may require translation.

But the rules may differ:

• who can make the translation;
• which pages to translate;
• how to submit the translation;
• Should the translation go along with the original?

Translation of documents for ECA and translation for subsequent submission to IRCC may be subject to different rules.

First comply with the requirements of the organization that is doing the ECA. Then check the IRCC rules separately for the immigration application itself.

The most important information - Canadian equivalent

Do not focus only on the name of the foreign diploma.

The report should look for how the organization assessed education in the Canadian system.

For example, the result might be:

• high school;
• a one-year after-school program;
• two-year program;
• Bachelor's degree or study program lasting 3 years or more;
• two or more entities;
• master's level;
• a professional degree, which is a separate category in Express Entry;
• PhD.

This is the result that is then compared with the education options in Express Entry.

For Express Entry - 5 years from the date of issue

IRCC accepts ECA for 5 years.

For Express Entry it must be valid:

• when you create or update a profile;
• when, after an invitation, you apply for permanent residence.

If the ECA has already expired by the filing date, it cannot be used as valid.

IRCC explicitly warns that an application with an expired ECA may be rejected.

Yes, if it is still valid and was made for immigration purposes

There is no need to automatically order a new assessment just because the report is several years old.

Check:

1. date of issue;
2. whether 5 years have passed;
3. whether the assessment was made for immigration purposes;
4. does it relate to the education that you now want to apply for;
5. Is it necessary to additionally evaluate the second diploma?

IRCC confirms that a current ECA for immigration purposes can be reused in Express Entry.

Look at the future filing date, not today

Let's imagine:

• today the ECA is still in effect;
• you create an Express Entry profile;
• after a few months you receive an invitation;
• by the filing date the ECA had already expired.

In such a situation, a problem arises.

Therefore, even before creating a profile, it is useful to check whether the remaining period is sufficient.

If the ECA is about to expire, contact the organization that issued it and inquire about the possibility of reissuing or updating the report.

Points are determined by Canadian equivalent

After receiving the report, Express Entry selects the level of education that matches the ECA result.

The system distinguishes, for example:

• high school;
• one year of education after school;
• two-year education;
• Bachelor's degree or program lasting 3 years or more;
• two or more educations;
• master's level;
• a professional degree, which is a separate category in Express Entry;
• PhD.

You can't choose a master's level just because that's the name of your foreign diploma.

First you need to compare the ECA result with the official IRCC table.

Not automatically

The mere fact that a spouse is included in the application does not mean that he or she necessarily needs an ECA.

In Express Entry, your spouse's foreign education rating can be used if you want to get extra credit for his or her education.

Before ordering it makes sense to check:

• how many points will it give;
• whether an ECA is required for a spouse under another program;
• whether the report will have time to be ready and remain valid.

Don't count on one procedure to solve both problems.

Immigration and occupational licensing have different purposes.

ECA helps the immigration system evaluate education.

The professional regulator may separately require:

• own document verification;
• exams;
• language confirmation;
• practice under professional supervision;
• work experience in Canada;
• registration;
• additional fees.

If the profession is regulated, check separately with the requirements of the professional regulator in the province where you intend to work.

1. For which immigration program do I need an assessment?
2. What diploma or degree do I want to use?
3. Do you need to evaluate one document or several?
4. Is my profession subject to special rules for architects, doctors or pharmacists?
5. How does the selected organization require documents to be transferred?

If these questions are not yet answered, it is better to first understand the purpose and then pay for the ECA.