Do I need an Educational Credential Assessment for Express Entry?

If your highest level of education was completed outside Canada, you need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to claim education points in Express Entry. An ECA verifies that your foreign credential is equivalent to a Canadian standard. Without it, you cannot claim education points in the CRS or meet the education eligibility requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

IRCC maintains a list of designated organizations that can perform ECAs — for example, World Education Services (WES) is commonly used and widely accepted. The process involves submitting your transcripts and degree certificates to the designated body, which then issues an assessment comparing your credential to a Canadian level (e.g., a bachelor's degree, college diploma, etc.).

Getting an ECA can take several weeks to months depending on the organization and your country of study, so it is best to start this process early — ideally before you create your Express Entry profile. If you have Canadian education (a Canadian secondary or post-secondary credential), no ECA is needed for that degree or diploma. If you have both Canadian and foreign credentials, you claim points for your highest Canadian credential without an ECA, and the foreign one separately (with an ECA).