CanadaLife in CanadaSeptember 6, 2022by Prominent Overseas CareerYour Detailed Guide to Educational Credentials Assessment (ECA)

Every year, around 300,000 people move to Canada, and approximately 250,000 people become naturalized citizens. It is an appealing possible home for many people searching for a change since it is a secure and inviting place that gives many chances and growth for people from all walks of life.

If you are considering applying for Canada PR, the ECA is the first step (or even a student visa). The evaluation includes a review of your degree, university, accreditation, and other areas of your education. This page discusses the numerous assessment agencies, the process, and how to save money while applying for an evaluation.

 

What exactly is an ECA Report?

A Canadian immigration officer will conduct an Educational Credential Assessment to double-check your foreign education credentials. This might be a high school diploma, a college diploma, or even a course certificate.

The ECA report confirms your academic credentials and converts them to Canadian equivalents. In Canada, for example, a one-year Masters Course is simply considered an extra certification program.

Your ECA report does not include information such as your post-school attendance or other extra-curricular contributions. Assume you are presently enrolled in a course that will be finished before you arrive to Canada. In such scenario, you may be allowed to include it in your ECA report as well.

 

Do You Need an ECA Report?

You do not need an ECA report if you have finished any of your schooling in Canada. However, if you are emigrating to Canada and intend to work, you must get an ECA Report.

While you just need to have your greatest level of education analyzed (for example, if your highest level of education is an undergraduate program), many people choose to have all post-secondary education examined.

People who have all of their post-secondary education evaluated receive the most education points when their Masters is not judged to be the exact equivalent in Canada. In these cases, having all post-secondary education evaluated would make the individual’s educational comparable to having a Bachelors and Certification Program.

If your spouse intends to accompany you to Canada and continue working, they will also require an ECA report. When applying for a program, you can provide your spouse’s ECA report to receive additional Comprehensive Ranking Scores.

 

 

Choosing the Best ECA Organization

The IRCC only accepts ECAs from seven pre-approved organizations. There are organisations that solely cater to persons in the medical field (doctors and pharmacists). Simultaneously, other professionals might choose any of the other firms for their ECA process. The organisations are as follows:

 

Comparative Education Services – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada

World Education Services

International Qualifications Assessment Service

International Credential Evaluation Service

Medical Council of Canada (Doctors only)

Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (Pharmacists only)

 

Your considerations in selecting the perfect company may alter according on how much time you have before completing your ECA report. World Education Services offers the fastest processing time and guarantees that the procedure takes as little time as possible on their end.

For all organizations, the application and regulations for obtaining the Educational Credential Assessment report are nearly same, and it begins with you creating an account on their official website. You must wait until the specified time after delivering the necessary data and paperwork.

The time it takes various organizations to verify your credentials varies depending on how many specialists they have and whether they perform any additional training or activity related to immigration or education. Keep in mind that COVID-19 has modified the processing timelines for each organization, and even the most efficient organization may take longer than expected to respond.

Pricing varies according on the organization. All organizations charge anything between CAD 200 and CAD 220 for their services. If you intend to work for a major firm or in a specialized occupation, your employer may ask you to obtain your Assessment report from a specified agency.

 

Obtaining an ECA Report for Canadian Immigration

When an ECA report was necessary, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began designating organizations for people to utilize in 2013. When it comes to obtaining a report, there are various companies from which to pick nowadays.

You must guarantee that when you file for the ECA report, you choose the report especially for immigration purposes. There are many assessment reports, however only ECA reports provided for immigration reasons will be accepted by the IRCC.

Whatever organization you choose, they will demand sufficient evidence from you, including transcripts and other documents straight from your school, as well as a copy of your degree/diploma/certificate for verification.

The review procedure might last anything from a few weeks and many months. When you know which programs you’re applying to, plan ahead of time to complete your ECA verification so you’re not rushing at the last minute.

 

How to Save Money on Your ECA Report

Because obtaining the Educational Credential Assessment report is fairly costly, there are various strategies you may use to successfully make the charges more pleasant on your pocket.

Choosing an ECA application for IRCC over the normal option results in a lower cost for your report. For immigration purposes, the majority of persons do not require the normal report.

You will simply need the PDF document of the ECA report to apply for your immigration procedure because of COVID-19. You don’t need the physical report documents for the immigration application procedure; therefore use an ordinary courier service to receive them.

Sending merely the PDF document to recipients and/or any other association is more efficient and ideal. Sending a physical copy of your report will not only be pricey, but it may also be unnecessary in most cases. To avoid future expenses, it is advisable to have all of your higher education reviewed at the same time.

Do not request that your company deliver the report directly to IRCC because they do not require original documentation. This is due to the fact that organizations charge per application rather than each degree. It may also save you time in the long run, as each application takes at least a few weeks to process.

 

Canadian Immigration ECA Report

Many continuing Canadian immigration programs, such as Provincial Nominee Programs, regional immigration programs, and even federal programs inside the Express Entry system, need an ECA report.

The Express Entry procedure is the quickest option to complete your Canadian immigration process. Not all students are qualified for this system, but if you want to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker program through Express Entry, you’ll need an ECA report.

If you’re applying for the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Trades program, having an ECA report can help you earn bonus points in the education area.

 

 

When Is the Best Time to Receive Your ECA Report?

When applying for a variety of Canadian immigration programs, the Educational Credential Assessment remains one of the most important papers. It assists Canadian immigration officials in verifying your educational qualifications and their equivalent.

In some circumstances, the report will be necessary when you begin your immigration procedure, while in others, the document may not be required at all, but providing it will be beneficial nonetheless.

You must have your ECA report available before beginning the procedure for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and other particular provincial and federal programs.

There are many of websites online that can show you how many possible points you will be able to gain and equivalent degrees if you need to view your Comprehensive Ranking Score or what the educational equivalent of your present degree would be.

 

Get Your ECA Report to Make a Successful Canadian Move

Once completed, your Educational Credential Assessment is valid for five years. It implies you should start the process of obtaining your report as soon as you decide to move to Canada, without worrying about the report expiring shortly.

If your immigration procedure has taken longer than planned, you might consider renewing the report, which is permissible in some cases. Prepare thoroughly for your future life in Canada by having the ECA report available for your immigration procedure at all times.

You won’t have any problems applying for a program that permits you to work in the nation if you have your ECA. You must confirm that your school/college/educational institution has the capability of sending sealed transcripts and documents to the organization of your choosing, as many underdeveloped nations may lack such capabilities.

Many educational institutions in other nations do not immediately award diplomas or degrees to graduates. For the Educational Credential Assessment, you can choose between a temporary or provincial degree.

Students and working people alike must plan and prepare their migration to Canada while keeping ECA in mind. There may be many obstacles on your route to migrating to Canada, but with the correct analytics and knowledge to back you up, any requirement to relocate to Canada will become simple.

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