Key facts
- What it is
- A report comparing foreign education to a Canadian credential
- Usually needed for
- Foreign education claimed under Express Entry
- Not needed for
- Credentials earned at a Canadian institution
- Issued by
- Organisations designated by IRCC, not by IRCC itself
- Report validity
- Five years from the date it is issued
- What it is not
- Professional licensing or registration to practise
Last verified against official sources: 2026-09-21
Who this applies to
- Express Entry candidates claiming education completed outside Canada
- Federal Skilled Worker applicants, where foreign education is used to meet the education requirement
- Candidates whose accompanying spouse or partner has foreign education they want assessed for spouse points
Who needs an ECA — and who does not
An ECA is about proving what a foreign credential is worth in Canadian terms. It is required when foreign education is being counted, and unnecessary when it is not.
- You generally need one if you are claiming education completed outside Canada in an Express Entry profile.
- You do not need one for a credential completed at a Canadian secondary or post-secondary institution.
- An accompanying spouse or partner only needs one if their foreign education is being claimed for spouse points.
- Canadian Experience Class has no minimum education requirement — but education still affects the CRS score, so an ECA may still be worth obtaining.
Python explanation, not an IRCC rule
Whether an ECA is worth the cost depends on whether the points it unlocks change anything for your profile. That judgement is ours; the requirement itself comes from IRCC.
Organisations designated by IRCC
IRCC designates the organisations whose reports it accepts. Some are general assessment bodies; two are profession-specific and only issue reports for their own regulated occupation. Always confirm the current designated list on the IRCC page linked below before paying anything.
| Organisation | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| World Education Services (WES) | General credentials | Accepts electronic transcripts from many institutions |
| Comparative Education Service (CES), University of Toronto | General credentials | Documents generally sent by the issuing institution |
| International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) | General credentials | Document requirements vary by country of study |
| International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) | General credentials | Provincial service in Alberta, available nationally |
| International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) | General credentials | Provincial service in British Columbia, available nationally |
| Medical Council of Canada | Doctors of medicine only | Profession-specific; not for other credentials |
| Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada | Pharmacists only | Profession-specific; not for other credentials |
No ranking
We do not rank these organisations. Processing experiences differ by country of study, institution and document type, and published timelines change — check each organisation's own current information.
What the report actually says
The report states the Canadian equivalency of the credential — for example, that a foreign degree is comparable to a Canadian bachelor's degree. That equivalency, not the original title of your qualification, is what is entered in an Express Entry profile.
- Equivalency can come out lower than expected. It reflects the assessing body's comparison, not the reputation of your institution.
- If you hold several credentials, more than one may need to be assessed before combined-credential points can be claimed.
- A report issued for immigration purposes is the one Express Entry expects — an assessment issued only for employment or study purposes may not be accepted.
Hypothetical example
Priya holds a three-year bachelor's degree and a two-year master's degree from outside Canada. She has both assessed. The report sets out a Canadian equivalency for each, and she enters the highest one in her profile — with the second still relevant if she wants combined-credential points considered.
Validity, reuse and expiry
- An ECA report for immigration purposes is valid for five years from the date of issue.
- The report must still be valid when the Express Entry profile is submitted and when an application is made.
- A report already obtained for a previous application can usually be reused while it remains valid — the same reference number is entered again.
- Expiry is by date, not by use: retaking nothing changes it, and a fresh assessment is needed once the five years pass.
ECA is not professional licensing
An ECA says what your education compares to. It does not give you the right to work in a regulated occupation in Canada. Nurses, engineers, teachers, accountants, electricians and many other professionals go through a separate provincial or territorial licensing process, run by the regulator for that occupation in that province.
Common mistakes
- Requesting an assessment for employment or study purposes instead of immigration purposes.
- Assuming the equivalency will match the level of the original credential.
- Leaving transcript requests to the institution until late — this is usually the slowest part.
- Letting a report lapse past five years before submitting a profile or application.
- Treating the ECA as proof that you can practise a regulated profession in Canada.
- Name mismatches between the passport, transcripts and the assessment application, left unexplained.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an ECA if I studied in Canada?
No. A credential completed at a Canadian institution does not need an Educational Credential Assessment. An ECA exists to compare education completed outside Canada with a Canadian credential.
How long is an ECA valid?
An ECA report issued for immigration purposes is valid for five years from the date it was issued, and it must still be valid at the time it is used.
Do I need to assess both my bachelor's and my master's?
Not always. The highest credential is what is normally entered. Having more than one assessed matters when you want points that depend on holding two or more credentials, so it is worth deciding before you pay.
Does my spouse need an ECA?
Only if their foreign education is being claimed for spouse points in the Comprehensive Ranking System. If it is not being claimed, no assessment is needed for them.
What to do next
- Confirm whether the education you want to claim was completed outside Canada.
- Decide which credential — or credentials — you actually need assessed.
- Choose an organisation designated by IRCC for your situation.
- Start the transcript request with your institution early; it usually sets the pace.
- Keep the report and its reference number for your Express Entry profile.
Your next steps
Continue in the order most people find useful, rather than a list of unrelated pages.