An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is a report that verifies your foreign degree, diploma or certificate is valid and equal to a Canadian one. For Express Entry it must be an ECA for immigration purposes, issued by an organization IRCC has designated, and it must be less than 5 years old both when you complete your profile and when you submit your application.
Who needs an ECA
According to IRCC, if you completed your education outside Canada you need an ECA to:
- be eligible as the principal applicant for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW requires education, and foreign education must be assessed), or
- earn CRS points for education you got outside Canada.
You can also earn points for your spouse or common-law partner's foreign education if they're coming with you, which also requires an assessment. You don't need an ECA for a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate. The Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program have no education requirement, but candidates in those programs still need an ECA to get CRS points for foreign education.
To earn points, the report must show that your completed foreign credential is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary credential.
IRCC-designated organizations
Most people must use one of these organizations, listed here exactly as IRCC names them:
| Organization | Date designated |
|---|---|
| Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies | April 17, 2013 |
| International Credential Assessment Service of Canada | April 17, 2013 |
| World Education Services | April 17, 2013 |
| International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) | August 6, 2015 |
| International Credential Evaluation Service – British Columbia Institute of Technology | August 6, 2015 |
Designated professional bodies
If your primary occupation is architect, doctor or pharmacist, IRCC says you must use the professional body for that occupation:
| Primary occupation | Professional body | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Architect (NOC 21200) | Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) — designated May 20, 2024 | If you need a licence to practise |
| Specialists and family physicians (NOC 31100, 31101, 31102) | Medical Council of Canada — designated April 17, 2013 | Assessment of your primary medical diploma |
| Pharmacist (NOC 31120) | Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada — designated January 6, 2014 | If you need a licence to practise |
If your role in those fields doesn't need a licence, IRCC says one of the other designated organizations can assess your credentials. For architects, IRCC also says an ECA issued by another designated organization before October 31, 2024 is still accepted if it is valid. Processing times and costs vary by organization, so check each one directly.
How long an ECA is valid
Your ECA must be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application. IRCC's advice:
- Not yet invited: make sure the ECA stays valid for the rest of the time you'll be in the pool.
- Invited to apply: make sure it will still be valid when you plan to apply.
- About to expire: contact the organization that issued it — it may be re-issued, depending on the type of ECA and the organization.
IRCC states that if you apply with an expired ECA, your application will be refused. An expired ECA is also listed as a common reason a profile becomes ineligible while in the pool.
Which credentials to assess
- In most cases you only need an assessment of your highest level of education (for example, a master's but not the bachelor's before it).
- To get points for two or more credentials, each one needs its own assessment, and for full points at least one must be for a program of 3 or more years. The order you completed them in doesn't matter.
- If your post-secondary credential isn't equal to a Canadian one, you could have your secondary credential assessed to get points for completing secondary school.
You enter the ECA result and reference number in your Express Entry profile and upload copies if you're invited. See how education affects your score in the CRS calculator and, for FSW's 67-point grid, the FSW points calculator.
An ECA doesn't guarantee a job in your field or a licence in a regulated profession — licensing is handled by the province or territory where you plan to settle.
Sources: IRCC — Educational credential assessment, IRCC — Federal Skilled Worker Program, IRCC — Create your profile and enter the pool. Confirm current details on canada.ca.