World Education Services (WES) has good news for applicants who are pursuing immigration to Canada: Our new guidelines can expedite your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

WES is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to provide ECAs. An ECA is necessary for many immigration pathways into Canada, including Express Entry.

Get Your ECA

WES Educational Credential Assessments

Here is the new guideline that you should know:

•       In most cases, you only need to submit your highest credential for an ECA. 

Keep reading for more details to learn more about this new guideline. Plus, learn a few exceptions to the rule.

What Credentials Do I Need to Send WES for My ECA?

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.

Below, we have summarized the overall requirements to help you get started.

What is your highest degree?

• If you have a doctorate, then you do not need to submit your bachelor’s degree or master’s degree for evaluation.
• If you have a master’s degree, then you do not need to submit your bachelor’s degree for evaluation.
• If you have a bachelor’s degree, then you do not need to submit your secondary school records for evaluation.

There are two potential outliers to the guidelines above:

•   Indian credentials
•   Francophone credentials

You can learn more about these country-specific guidelines below.

An ECA report will not contain the following:

• Any records obtained before secondary school (for example: primary school records)
• Non-academic credentials (for example: a certificate of competence in Microsoft Office)
• Professional or career training qualifications (for example: your company’s Manager Level III)
• Credentials obtained in Canada

Please note: It’s best to confirm that you are submitting the correct credentials for your exact situation. Before proceeding, we recommend that you review your specific Required Documents.

What Credentials Do I Need to Send If I Attended School in India?

What is your highest degree?

• If you are submitting a master’s degree or postgraduate diploma for evaluation, you must also provide your bachelor’s degree documents. WES cannot complete an evaluation without these documents.
  • Please note: There are currently four exceptions. Those exceptions apply to people with a Master of Education, Master of Engineering, Master of Philosophy, or Master of Technology degree.
  • For more information, please review your Required Documents.
• If you have a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, you do not need to submit your bachelor’s degree or master’s degree for evaluation.

What Credentials Do I Need If I Attended School in a Francophone Country?

What is your highest degree?

•   If your DEUG, DUT, or Licence is your highest credential, then you do not need to submit your Diplôme du Bac or BEP.
•   If your 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 is your highest credential, then you do not need to submit your DEUG, DUT, or Licence.
•   If your Diplôme de Docteur is your highest credential, then you do not need to submit your 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.

Do I Need to Send Translations of My Documents? 

World Education Services previously required you to send all Canadian immigration documents in English or French. If your official academic documents were in a language other than English or French, then you needed to send a translation to WES.

However, we now accept some documents that are not in English and French. To learn if your documents need to be translated, please review all of the notes that are included about your Required Documents. 

Learn More

Does WES Offer Translation Services?

Important Notices 

Credential requirements are not the same for every applicant or every institution. Before getting started, please review your country-specific Required Documents.

Additionally, WES might request additional documents after you have submitted your application and the review process has started. It is at the discretion of your evaluator if additional documentation is needed to complete your report.

However, please note that sending any additional documents that are not requested can delay the completion of your report.

Read Next

Understanding Required Documents

How to Upload Documents to WES