Depending on the program you're applying for, there are specific documents you must submit when you are applying for Canada Immigration Programs. The majority of federal economic immigration streams, including the Express Entry System, do, however, require the Educational Credential Assessment, or ECA, as a common document.
What is an ECA Report?
An Educational Credential Assessment, or ECA report for Canada Immigration, compares your degree, diploma, or certificate against Canadian educational standards.
Educational Credentials Assessment
A report called an Educational Credential Assessment, or ECA evaluates your degree, diploma, or certificate in relation to educational standards in Canada. To get the most CRS scores possible after entering the pool, you might want to have all of your credentials evaluated.
They can also apply for an ECA if they are travelling with you and are your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner. Even though submitting to Express Entry is optional, if your spouse or partner has an ECA, you could be able to claim more CRS scores for their educational expenses.
Free Canada Immigration Assessment Form
Only ECAs from specific companies are accepted by IRCC:
- World Education Services
- Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- International Qualifications Assessment Service
- International Credential Evaluation Service
- Medical Council of Canada (the professional body for doctors)
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (the professional body for Pharmacists)
With the exception of doctors and pharmacists, we often advise our clients to use World Education Services (WES) for their ECA because they offer the fastest processing time. In order for the Medical Council of Canada to review your main medical diploma, you must be a doctor. You must obtain your ECA from the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada if you are a pharmacist and need a license to practice. Any group you select must wait until they have the required paperwork from you or your school before they can start the review process. Your official transcripts as well as typically a copy of your diploma or degree are required.
Additionally, the examination procedure itself can take several weeks or months. Making progress on your ECA is typically one of the first phases in your Express Entry Canada immigration program because, if you're applying as a skilled worker, you need one to be qualified to submit to the Express Entry pool.
What are the steps to the ECA report process?
Here is our quick, three-step assessment procedure:
- Deliver your application.
- Send your paperwork in.
- They compile your report, check your credentials, and send it to the people you specify.
Who can apply for ECA?
If you received your education outside of Canada, you must undergo an evaluation in order to qualify as the primary applicant for the Federal Skilled Workers Program (Express Entry) or to accrue points for your education.
Also read:
💡 How to Create a Canadian Express Entry Profile?
💡 Program for Federally Skilled Workers
💡 Migrate to Canada through Express Entry and Calculate Your CRS Points
If you're moving to Canada with your spouse or common-law partner, you can also receive points for your education.
A Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate does not require examination.
Your report must demonstrate that your foreign credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) is equivalent to a Canadian secondary school (high school) or post-secondary certification in order to receive points.
The credentials that should be evaluated
For your highest degree of schooling, you often only require an assessment.
For instance, you only require an evaluation for a Master's degree if you already hold one. For a Bachelor's degree, you are not required to have one.
What circumstances call for two- or more credential assessments?
It takes an assessment for each credential in order to receive points for having two or more.
A minimum of 1 credential must be for 3 years or more of study in order to receive full points for more than 1.
Points are assigned independently of how you finish your credentials.
How soon should you have your secondary education assessed?
You could have your secondary credential evaluated to see if it is comparable to a Canadian credential if your post-secondary credential is not. You would receive credit for finishing secondary school if you did this.
How do you submit your ECA report?
Your document must:
Be provided for immigration reasons by a group or organization that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has designated released on or after the day the organization or professional body we identified was established.
When you submit your Express Entry profile;
Apply for permanent residency; and
Not be older than 5 years old
Never request that your report be sent to us by the designated organization or the professional body.
Once you receive your report, enter the outcomes and the reference number into your Express Entry profile while keeping your original documents safe.
Using multiple credentials: What to do
If you have more than one credential, you will receive all the points:
Each certificate must have a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), and at least one of them must be for a program lasting three years or more.
There is no effect on points based on how you finish your credentials.
How to list more than one educational qualification in your profile
The following actions:
1. Go to your profile and fill out the Study and Languages form. In the Education History box, start by entering your first credential.
2. Then, use the highest degree, diploma, or certificate as your highest credential.
3. After you click Save and Add, the fields you just filled out will go blank and your credential will show up in the table of Education History below the Save and Add button. For all of your additional academic certificates, repeat steps 1 through 3.
Multiple educational credentials in the same field cannot be submitted.
How can Aptech Visa help?
Aptech Visa specializes in Temporary Visas, Dependent Visas to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as Canada PR, Australia PR, and New Zealand PR. We have ten years of experience with the ECA Report Process and Canada PR Applications.
Aptech Visa also provides its clients with specialized services like:
Profile Evaluation: Expert advice based on a comprehensive analysis of the client profile to ascertain your eligibility for permanent residence in Canada.
Review: Detailed, flawless documentation that is dependent on the type of visa and is written to adhere to strict formats.
A committed consultant who will help clients every step of the way is a dedicated case officer.
Application for a Visa: Aptech Visa ensures that the visa applications satisfy all requirements set out by relevant government agencies and immigration authorities.
For those preparing for important examinations like the IELTS, French, TOEFL, and PTE, free online courses are available to assist them to increase their language proficiency.
In addition to validated documentation, advice is given to applicants attending visa interviews.
Following the receipt of their visas, clients of Aptech Visa are assisted in settling in and having a comfortable stay in their new country.
You can also read the latest Canada Immigration News and Draw Updates here. If you are interested in studying in Canada then for more info, please visit here
Also read:
💡 Express Entry rules will change starting in 2023 in Canada
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