Who needs an ECA?
If education was completed outside Canada, an ECA is generally required to be eligible as the principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or to claim Express Entry points for foreign education. An accompanying spouse can also claim education points with a valid ECA.
Choose an IRCC-designated organization
Most applicants use one of the multipurpose organizations designated by IRCC:
- Comparative Education Service
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
- World Education Services
- International Qualifications Assessment Service
- International Credential Evaluation Service
Architects, doctors and pharmacists may need the professional body designated for their occupation. Always choose based on IRCC’s current instructions.
Process for a Pakistani credential
- Select an IRCC-designated organization.
- Choose an assessment for immigration purposes.
- Read that organization’s current Pakistan document requirements.
- Arrange documents through the university, examining body or other authority exactly as instructed.
- Pay the organization’s assessment and delivery fees.
- Wait for the report and check the Canadian equivalency.
- Enter the report result and reference number in the Express Entry profile.
A degree title, duration or HEC recognition does not by itself determine the Canadian equivalency. Enter only the result issued by the designated assessment organization.
Which credentials should be assessed?
IRCC says that in most cases the highest completed credential is sufficient. To claim “two or more certificates, diplomas or degrees,” each credential used for that category needs a valid assessment, and at least one must represent a program of three years or longer.
How long is an ECA valid?
The ECA must be less than five years old when the Express Entry profile is completed and when the permanent residence application is submitted. An expired report can cause refusal, so check the date before entering the pool and again before applying.
What the ECA does not do
- It does not guarantee Express Entry eligibility or an invitation.
- It does not guarantee a Canadian job.
- It does not license someone to work in a regulated occupation.
- It does not replace a professional licensing assessment.
Using the result in the CRS calculator
Select the Canadian equivalency exactly as the ECA reports it. If two credentials are being claimed, ensure both have the required assessment and that one meets the three-year program rule. The education result can affect core points and skill-transferability points.
Official source
Check IRCC’s current Educational Credential Assessment instructions and follow the selected organization’s document rules.