Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is a document that verifies the Canadian equivalence of a foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or other proof of education credential.

The ECA report states whether an individual's educational credential is equivalent to Canadian standards, and is valid for the purposes of Canadian immigration. If the ECA report states that the foreign educational credential is equivalent, the individual may include the information in his or her Express Entry profile.

 

Who needs an ECA?

Candidates who wish to be considered under the Federal Skilled Worker Class are required to have an ECA before entering the Express Entry pool, unless their educational credential was obtained from an institution in Canada.

Candidates who wish to be considered under the Federal Skilled Trades Class or Canadian Experience Class are not required to obtain an ECA. However, if they wish to obtain points for their foreign educational credential under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), an ECA is required. A higher CRS score is likely to increase an individual's chances of being drawn from the pool.

The spouse or common-law partner of a candidate for any of the programs managed under the Express Entry system must also obtain an ECA for his or her foreign education if he or she wishes to claim CRS points. An ECA is not required for an accompanying spouse or partner, however, no points may be awarded without presenting an ECA.

A candidate and his or her spouse/partner (if applicable) must obtain an ECA for each credential for which he or she wishes to claim points. For example, if a candidate has completed high school, a Bachelor degree, and a graduate diploma, he or she may obtain more points under the CRS if he or she obtains an ECA for the Bachelor and the graduate diploma, than if he or she had only the Bachelor degree assessed.

 

Obtaining an ECA

In order to obtain an ECA report, a candidate (and his or her accompanying spouse or partner, if applicable) submits the required documents to an organization designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These organizations operate independently of the government of Canada. Required documents may include transcripts and certificates.

The current organizations designated by IRCC to issue ECA reports are:

The ECA must be issued on or after the date that IRCC designated the service. In addition, the ECA must not be more than five years old on the date that IRCC receives the candidate's Express Entry profile and application for permanent residence.

It is important to note that an ECA is not proof of accreditation or a licence in a regulated profession. Professional accreditation is separate from the ECA process, and is decided by regulatory authorities in each province.

 

If you have any difficulty in obtaining an ECA, please contact us