What you need to know before ordering your Educational Credential Assessment

If you completed your education outside Canada and you’re considering an economic immigration program, you may have heard that you need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

An ECA is used to determine how your foreign education compares to a Canadian credential for immigration purposes.

One of the questions I hear quite often is:

“Which organization should I use?”

And the answer isn’t always simply WES.

There is more than one option

IRCC designates several organizations that can provide ECAs for immigration purposes, including:

• World Education Services (WES)
• Comparative Education Service (CES) — University of Toronto
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
• International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
• International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) — British Columbia Institute of Technology

So yes, WES is an option.

But it isn’t the only one.

Each organization has its own process, document requirements, fees and processing times. Before choosing one, it’s important to review the current requirements and determine which option applies to your situation.

Important: Some professions have a specific designated organization

This is where you need to be particularly careful.

Not everyone can choose which organization will assess their credentials.

If your primary occupation is an architect, physician or pharmacist, IRCC requires you to have your assessment completed by the designated professional body for your occupation.

In these situations, you cannot simply choose WES, CES, IQAS or ICES because you prefer their process or processing time.

For example:

Architects (NOC 21200) must use the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) for the assessment required for immigration purposes.

Specialists and family physicians (NOC 31100, 31101 or 31102) must have their medical degree assessed by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC).

Pharmacists (NOC 31120) must use the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) for their assessment.

These are profession-specific requirements. If your primary occupation falls into one of these categories and you require an ECA for your immigration application, you must use the designated organization for your profession.

This is why you should determine which requirements apply to you before ordering your assessment.

An ECA is not the same thing as professional licensing

This is another important distinction.

An ECA helps IRCC understand how your foreign education compares to a Canadian credential. It does not automatically give you the right to practise your profession in Canada.

If your occupation is regulated, you may have to complete a separate licensing or credential-recognition process before you can practise.

For example, having your pharmacy education assessed for immigration purposes does not automatically make you a licensed pharmacist in Canada.

The immigration process and the professional licensing process are two separate things.

So, which ECA organization should you choose?

If your situation allows you to choose between the general designated organizations, compare their current requirements, processing times, costs and document requirements.

But if you’re an architect, physician or pharmacist, check the profession-specific requirements first. The designated organization for your profession is not simply a matter of preference.

This is one of those steps where taking a little extra time before ordering your assessment can save you a lot of trouble later.

Make sure you’re using the right organization before you start the process.

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