How to get your credentials evaluated (ECA) by WES in 2023?

Since April 17, 2013, the Canadian immigration authorities have designated WES (World Education Services) as the recognized organization to provide evaluations of foreign credentials (ECA) and the preparation of ECA reports.

With a validity of 5 years, a credential evaluation involves comparing your academic achievements to the standards in place in the United States and Canada. This report helps organizations such as schools, employers, professional licensing bodies, and immigration authorities better understand your academic background.

A report prepared by WES:

• Determines and describes your degrees
• Verifies the authenticity of your degrees
• May include a calculation of your cumulative grade point average
• Includes an evaluation of the authenticity of your documents
• Meeting the requirements for IRCC’s (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) evaluation of foreign credentials
• Getting your education recognized to pursue your goals in Canada
• Keeping your report and academic certificates for future use

The evaluation process is straightforward, and the duration varies depending on the ease of communication with the university that issued your degree.

Based on general observation, many candidates prefer to complete the evaluation of their credentials with WES because their instructions are clear, and they typically process the ECA report faster than any other organization.

Please note that candidates holding a medical degree and a pharmacy degree must submit their ECA report to the Medical Council of Canada and the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada, respectively.

There are three simple steps to follow if you want to complete your ECA report through WES.

1. WES account creation.

To begin, you need to create an account on the World Education Services (WES) website.

Go to the WES website, where you will be required to create your account in order to submit your application. During the profile creation process, WES will ask for standard information such as your contact details and name. Once this section is completed, you will need to list your educational background.

If your highest diploma is equivalent to a high school diploma (Baccalauréat in French, not Canadian), WES will ask for your high school transcripts. For a diploma equivalent to two years of post-secondary education (Bac+2), the same applies (note that Canada does not recognize the DEUG or L2 level).

On the other hand, if you have obtained a doctorate, master’s degree, or even a bachelor’s degree, you do not need to bother with providing details of your secondary education. Although you have the option to have all your diplomas evaluated, it is not necessary to go back that far if you have a higher qualification.

Enter the names of your institutions (university, high school, school…) in French, as well as the name of the degree. You will have suggestions appearing as soon as you start typing text: check what it looks like, but don’t hesitate to add something new as well. They don’t have a list of all institutions in the world! As for the « major » discipline of your studies, see what comes up and choose, or add it yourself.

Finally, note that all the information can be modified.

Once that’s done, you move on to billing. You will be asked if you want to track the delivery of your results in paper format. Don’t choose it, considering the exorbitant price for simple tracking ($85). Pay by card, just like on any online shopping site, it’s secure. You can fill in the first two steps and wait before paying.

WES will only provide you with your application number after payment, and you will need this famous number because it must appear on all envelopes and forms. However, you can simulate the payment using Western Union, and then WES will provide you with your reference number.

2. Retrieve your transcripts.

Once you have completed the first step, you will be directed to a page describing the documents you need to provide. Don’t panic, it’s in English!

Transcripts are crucial for WES as they help verify the duration of your studies indicated by your diplomas. They also allow WES to check if the subjects covered are approximately equivalent to those in a Canadian equivalent. The second important element is that transcripts must be certified by the issuing institutions. It is essential that your transcripts are sent in a sealed envelope, which can only be provided by the institution (or possibly the education board).

This is where it gets a bit more complicated as you need to contact your educational institutions, locate the registrar’s office and/or the department responsible for issuing transcripts, and persuade them to allocate some of their time to assist you. They may need to fill out a form, which is optional but highly recommended by WES.

From there, you have two options:

1. The school agrees to send the documents to WES on your behalf. In this case, you fill out your part of the form, send it via email, and the registrar’s office takes care of the rest. There is an explanatory page following the form, but it is in English. Don’t hesitate to provide detailed information: you will need the transcript(s), the completed form, all enclosed in a sealed envelope (with a stamp and signature across the flap on the back), with your WES reference number indicated above the address.
2. The school refuses, and it will be up to you to handle it. The initial steps are similar: fill out the form, obtain the transcripts, and seal them in an envelope. The only difference is that instead of mailing this envelope to Toronto, your school or university will mail it to you… in another envelope! Yes, that’s right. Otherwise, you won’t be able to forward it to WES.

3. ECA Result

Once all your documents have been sent, all you have to do is wait! You can check the status of your application through your account on the website, which will indicate whether the documents have been received or not. From that point, the processing time is typically around 20 days. Keep an eye on it because depending on your educational background, WES may request additional documents. Once WES has assessed the value of your credentials in relation to the Canadian system, they will send you the results in paper format.

So, when you create your Express Entry profile, the immigration services will ask for your level of education, which you will need to substantiate with your WES reference number. Keep the paper version of the evaluation safe, as you may need to scan and upload it to your profile. It can also help you in finding employment once you are in Canada.