Canada Degree Equivalency & WES ECA Guide 2026
Find out whether you need an Educational Credential Assessment, which IRCC-designated organization can assess your foreign education, how WES works, and how an ECA result affects Express Entry education points.
1. What an ECA is and when you need one
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is an assessment for Canadian immigration purposes that verifies a foreign degree, diploma or certificate and states what Canadian education level it is comparable to. An immigration-purpose ECA is not the same thing as a general academic or employment credential evaluation.
Key Policy Highlights & Benchmarks
- For Express Entry, a foreign-educated principal applicant needs an ECA to be eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or to claim points for foreign education.
- A spouse or common-law partner who is coming to Canada can also receive CRS points for foreign education when the required ECA conditions are met.
- An ECA must be issued by an organization or professional body designated by IRCC for immigration purposes.
- An ECA does not guarantee employment, professional licensing, admission to a Canadian institution, or recognition by a provincial or territorial regulator.
2. IRCC-designated ECA organizations in 2026
IRCC currently lists five multipurpose organizations for most applicants: Comparative Education Service (CES), International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS), World Education Services (WES), International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS), and International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). IRCC states that costs and processing times vary by organization, so provider-specific figures should be checked directly before applying.
| Designated organization | Best described as | Current IRCC status | Official information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative Education Service (CES) - University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies | Multipurpose immigration ECA provider | IRCC-designated since April 17, 2013 | https://learn.utoronto.ca/comparative-education-service/educational-credential-assessment-eca-canada |
| International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) | Multipurpose immigration ECA provider | IRCC-designated since April 17, 2013 | https://www.icascanada.ca/ |
| World Education Services (WES) | Multipurpose immigration ECA provider | IRCC-designated since April 17, 2013 | https://www.wes.org/eca-2/ |
| International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) | Multipurpose immigration ECA provider operated by Alberta | IRCC-designated since August 6, 2015 | https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment |
| International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) - British Columbia Institute of Technology | Multipurpose immigration ECA provider | IRCC-designated since August 6, 2015 | https://www.bcit.ca/ices/ |
Important Guidelines & Notes
- IRCC's designated-provider list is the controlling source for immigration purposes. A provider can offer several report types; select the one specifically intended for Canadian immigration.
- Exact fees, document rules and processing times can change. Do not use an old comparison-table amount as a guaranteed current price or turnaround.
3. Professional occupations that use a designated professional body
Some applicants cannot simply choose any multipurpose ECA provider. IRCC currently requires a designated professional body for certain primary occupations when the stated professional conditions apply.
| Occupation | NOC | Designated professional body | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | 21200 | Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) | Required where the primary occupation is architect and a licence to practise is needed. |
| Specialist in clinical and laboratory medicine | 31100 | Medical Council of Canada (MCC) | MCC must assess the primary medical diploma when this is the primary occupation. |
| Specialist in surgery | 31101 | Medical Council of Canada (MCC) | MCC must assess the primary medical diploma when this is the primary occupation. |
| General practitioner or family physician | 31102 | Medical Council of Canada (MCC) | MCC must assess the primary medical diploma when this is the primary occupation. |
| Pharmacist | 31120 | Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) | Required where the primary occupation is pharmacist and a licence to practise is needed. |
Important Guidelines & Notes
- The original page omitted architects from the professional-body list.
- The rule is not a blanket requirement for every person who has a medical or pharmacy degree. IRCC's current rules turn on the applicant's primary occupation and the applicable licensing conditions.
- A professional-body ECA is not the same as a professional licence. You still need to satisfy the provincial or territorial regulator's licensing requirements to practise a regulated profession.
4. Which credentials should you have assessed?
For one foreign credential, IRCC says that in most cases you only need an assessment of your highest level of education. There are important exceptions when you want points for two or more credentials or when your post-secondary credential is not equivalent to a Canadian credential.
| Situation | What IRCC says to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| You have one highest completed foreign post-secondary credential | In most cases, assess the highest credential. | A higher ECA result generally determines the education level entered in Express Entry. |
| You want CRS points for two or more post-secondary credentials | Get a valid ECA for each credential you want counted. | At least one of the credentials must represent a program of 3 or more years for the two-or-more-credentials category. |
| Your foreign post-secondary credential is not equal to a Canadian credential | You may have your secondary education assessed. | A valid secondary-school equivalency can support secondary-education points where the rules allow them. |
| Your spouse or common-law partner has foreign education | The spouse must have the required ECA for the foreign credential if claiming spouse education points. | Spouse education is a separate CRS factor worth up to 10 points. |
Mandatory Action Checklist
5. WES ECA in 2026: current fee, timing and document workflow
WES is one of the five IRCC-designated multipurpose organizations. WES currently lists C$264 for an immigration ECA. The listed base price does not include delivery fees, additional fees or applicable 13% HST. WES says processing begins after required official documents have been received and accepted, and its current processing page describes approximately two weeks for document verification followed by approximately one week for evaluation in the standard flow, with longer periods possible for complex evaluations.
| WES item | Current information | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration ECA fee | C$264 | Excludes delivery, additional fees and applicable 13% HST. |
| Document verification | Typically 2 weeks on WES's current processing page | This is after WES receives the required documents; verification issues can add time. |
| Evaluation stage | Typically 1 week in the standard flow shown by WES | Complex evaluations may take longer. |
| Standard delivery | C$14 | WES lists this as an additional delivery option on its current fee page. |
| Canada next-day courier | C$29 | Available as an additional delivery option where applicable. |
Recommended Step-by-Step Timeline & Workflow
- Create and complete the WES application and select the Canadian immigration ECA report.
- Review the country-specific document requirements shown for your education history.
- Arrange for required official documents to be sent or electronically delivered by the institution or other source accepted by WES.
- Track the application in your WES account. WES can place an evaluation on hold when document verification is required.
- When the ECA is complete, enter the result and WES reference number in your Express Entry profile and retain the report.
6. Express Entry CRS education points in 2026
The ECA does not itself award CRS points. Instead, IRCC uses the Canadian equivalency stated in the report to determine the education level entered in the Express Entry profile. The current CRS education factor provides up to 150 points without a spouse or common-law partner and up to 140 points with one.
| Canadian education level for CRS | With spouse/common-law partner | Without spouse/common-law partner | Spouse education factor, if applicable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than secondary school | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 | 2 |
| One-year post-secondary program | 84 | 90 | 6 |
| Two-year post-secondary program | 91 | 98 | 7 |
| Bachelor's degree or a 3+ year post-secondary program | 112 | 120 | 8 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas or degrees, with at least one credential from a 3+ year program | 119 | 128 | 9 |
| Master's degree or qualifying professional degree | 126 | 135 | 10 |
| Doctoral-level university degree (PhD) | 140 | 150 | 10 |
Important Guidelines & Notes
- CRS education points are only one part of the total CRS score. Language, age, Canadian work experience, skill transferability, spouse factors and additional points can materially change the total.
- If a spouse or common-law partner is not accompanying you, or is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, IRCC says you are scored for core factors as if you do not have a spouse or partner.
- A job offer no longer adds CRS points. IRCC removed job-offer points from the CRS effective March 25, 2025, although a valid job offer can still matter for eligibility under certain programs or streams.
7. Common foreign-degree equivalency scenarios
There is no universal conversion formula that turns a foreign degree title into a Canadian credential level. The designated organization reviews the credential and supporting records and issues the Canadian equivalency shown on the ECA report. Use the report's stated result rather than assuming that a program title, country or number of years alone guarantees a particular CRS category.
Scenario Examples
8. ECA validity, profile entry and application timing
For Express Entry, IRCC requires the ECA to be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your permanent-residence application. If the ECA is already expired when you apply, IRCC says the application will be refused. If the report will expire while you remain in the pool, contact the issuing organization about its renewal or re-issue process.
Recommended Step-by-Step Timeline & Workflow
- Before creating an Express Entry profile: make sure the ECA is less than 5 years old.
- When entering your profile: enter the assessment result and ECA reference number exactly as shown on the report.
- While waiting in the pool: monitor the expiry date because IRCC expects the ECA to remain valid for the relevant period.
- When submitting the permanent-residence application: the ECA must still be less than 5 years old.
- After expiry: ask the issuing organization whether it can renew or re-issue the report; procedures and fees are provider-specific.
9. ECA versus professional recognition and licensing
An ECA answers an immigration question about the Canadian comparability of foreign education. It does not by itself establish that you can practise a regulated profession, that an employer must accept your credential, or that a college or university must admit you.
| Purpose | What you need | What the result does |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry education points | IRCC-accepted immigration ECA | Provides the Canadian equivalency used for the education factor. |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program eligibility | Immigration-purpose ECA where foreign education is being used to meet the education requirement | Supports eligibility under the FSW education requirement; other FSW criteria still apply. |
| Professional licensing | ECA where required plus the applicable provincial or territorial regulator's process | Determines whether you satisfy the regulator's separate requirements. An ECA alone is not a licence. |
| Employment | Whatever credential evidence or evaluation the employer requests | Employer requirements can differ from IRCC requirements. |
| Canadian academic admission | Requirements set by the institution or program | The institution decides admission and may use its own assessment process. |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Official Government Sources & Authorities
- IRCC - Educational Credential Assessment
- IRCC - Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria
- IRCC - Check your score
- WES - Educational Credential Assessment for Canada
- WES - Current processing times
- WES - Add or remove a credential from an application
- University of Toronto CES - Educational Credential Assessment
- BCIT ICES
- Alberta - International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
- PEBC - General information and ECA reports
- PEBC - Applying for document evaluation
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