WES: New requirements for Canada’s ECA

As per the new guideline by World Education Services [WES], “In most cases, you only need to submit your highest credential for an ECA”. The latest WES guideline can expedite the procurement of the Educational Credential Assessment [ECA] required by applicants pursuing Canadian immigration.

 

Setting the standard of excellence in the field of international mobility, WES evaluations are widely recognized by various business, educational, and governmental institutions across Canada and the US.

 

WES Canada has recently updated its mailing address.

 

WES is one of the organizations designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC] for providing ECA reports for Canadian immigration hopefuls. An ECA will be required for many immigration pathways – including Express Entry – that lead to Canada.

 

In the context of Express Entry, an ECA will generally be required for establishing the eligibility of an individual for the Federal Skilled Worker Program [FSWP] or for claiming points for foreign education on the Comprehensive Ranking System [CRS] while in the Express Entry pool.   It is the highest-ranked Express Entry profiles that are issued Invitations to Apply [ITAs] by IRCC.

 

A credential evaluation is a comparison of the academic accomplishments of the applicant as against the standards in the US or Canada. Basically, an ECA assists immigration authorities, employers, licensing boards, etc. better understand the educational background of the applicant.

 

While identifying and describing their educational credentials, an ECA from WES also includes an evaluation of the genuineness of the documents.

 

According to WES, “As of November 2020, WES applicants only need to submit only their highest completed credential for an Educational Credential Assessment. If you send additional credentials to WES, it will delay the completion of your report.”

 

Hence, those with a doctorate will not be required to send in their master’s degree to WES for their ECA. Similarly, those with a master’s degree will not have to send in their bachelor’s degree.

 

However, certain exceptions apply to the new WES guideline.

 

Exceptions to the rule – A.     Indian credentials B.     Francophone credentials
A. Credentials to be sent in by those having attended school in India   If submitting a postgraduate diploma or master’s degree to WES, the documents for bachelor’s degree will have to be included as well. WES will not complete an evaluation if the documents are not included.   4 exceptions – Master of Technology Master of Philosophy Master of Engineering Master of Education Exceptions apply to those with any of the above-mentioned degrees.   Those with a Doctor of Philosophy [PhD] degree do not have to submit their master’s or bachelor’s degree for evaluation.
B. Credentials to be sent in by those having attended school in a Francophone Country
Highest credential	No need to send
DEUG, DUT, or Licence	Diplôme du Bac or BEP
Maîtrise, Master, Diplôme d’Ingénieur, Diplôme de Grandes Ecoles, DEA, Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Médecine, or Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Pharmacie	DEUG, DUT, or Licence
Diplôme de Docteur	Maîtrise, Master, Diplôme d’Ingénieur, Diplôme de Grandes Ecoles, DEA, Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Médecine, or Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Pharmacie

 

As per WES, “credential requirements are not the same for every applicant or every institution”. In certain cases, additional documents might be required after the submission of the application and the commencement of the review process by WES.

 

Ensure that you send in only the required documentation. Do keep in mind that sending any additional documents that have not been specifically requested might lead to a delay in the completion of an ECA report.

 

If you are looking to Work, Study, Invest, Visit, or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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