Foreign Credential Recognition in Canada

Foreign credential recognition in Canada has two separate steps. For Express Entry points, a designated organization such as WES, CES, ICAS, IQAS or ICES issues an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). To work in a regulated profession or trade, the regulator in your province or territory must also recognize your credentials.

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Last verified: November 2026

What is an ECA, and what does it count for?

If you studied outside Canada, your foreign educational credentials generally must be assessed before they can be counted toward Canadian immigration points or recognized for employment in regulated professions. This process is often called foreign credential recognition (FCR). For Express Entry, the specific document you need is an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

An ECA is an official comparison of your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate to the Canadian education standard. Express Entry uses that equivalency, not your original foreign credential name, to award education points.

Without a valid ECA for your foreign education:

Your foreign degree generally cannot be counted for education points in Express Entry
You may miss the CRS points that a foreign credential could otherwise contribute. Education points vary by your level of study and whether you have a spouse.
Your education cannot be combined with language or Canadian work experience in the Skill Transferability factors, where education can add up to 50 of the 100 points available

An ECA is separate from professional licensing. Getting an ECA for Express Entry does not automatically mean your credentials are accepted by a provincial or territorial regulator for a regulated profession. A regulator decides, separately, whether you may legally practise.

The rule

If all your education is foreign and you want education points in Express Entry, you must have an ECA from a designated organization.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

Which organizations can issue an ECA?

IRCC designates specific organizations authorized to conduct ECAs for immigration purposes. IRCC lists five general designated organizations plus profession-specific bodies for certain regulated occupations. You must use a designated organization, because an ECA from a non-designated body is generally not accepted for Express Entry.

Confirm the current designated list, exact fees and timelines on canada.ca and the organization’s own site before you order.

The designated organizations
Organization	Credentials assessed and notes
World Education Services (WES)	Designated organization (April 17, 2013), accepted for Express Entry
Comparative Education Service (CES): University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies	Designated organization (April 17, 2013), accepted for Express Entry
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)	Designated organization (April 17, 2013), accepted for Express Entry
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)	Designated organization (August 6, 2015), accepted for Express Entry
International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES): BCIT	Designated organization (August 6, 2015), accepted for Express Entry
Medical Council of Canada (MCC)	Profession-specific body: ECA for the primary medical diploma where your primary occupation is NOC 31100, 31101 or 31102 (specialist or family physician)
Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC)	Profession-specific body: ECA where your primary occupation is pharmacist (NOC 31120) and you need a licence to practise
Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB)	Profession-specific body designated May 20, 2024: ECA where your primary occupation is architect (NOC 21200) and you need a licence to practise

What does an ECA cost, and how long is it valid?

Fee: set by each organization, WES included. Check its site for the current amount before you order.
Processing time: IRCC says processing times and costs vary by organization, so check current processing times on the organization’s site (wes.org for WES).
Transcripts: each organization sets its own document rules (some ask for records sent by the school).
Validity: IRCC’s rule is the same for every designated organization. Your ECA must be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application. IRCC refuses an application made with an expired ECA.

Is your occupation regulated?

Roughly speaking, regulated occupations need a licence from a provincial or territorial regulator before you can legally do that work, while unregulated occupations do not. The same job title can be regulated in one province and handled differently in another, so confirm with the regulator in the province where you plan to live.

Regulated professions: Require a provincial or territorial licence or registration before you can legally work in that role in Canada. Your foreign credentials must be assessed by the relevant regulatory body, not just IRCC or an ECA organization. Examples: medicine, law, pharmacy, nursing, engineering (P.Eng.), architecture, dentistry. Often also, for example, physiotherapy, social work, early childhood education (in many provinces) and teaching.
Unregulated professions: Do not require a government licence to work in Canada. Employers may have their own credential requirements, but there is no mandatory licensing process. Many occupations are unregulated, for example software developers, marketing, management consultants, writers, designers, business analysts and customer service.
Compulsory trades: Some trades are compulsory in a province or territory (you need a certificate to work). The Foreign Credential Recognition Tool for your province or territory shows which.

Which body licenses each regulated field?

Licensing bodies by field
Field	The licensing path
Medicine (MD)	Medical Council of Canada (MCC) credential verification and exams, then a licence from the provincial or territorial college. The college sets what further training it requires.
Nursing (RN, LPN)	National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) preliminary assessment, then provincial nursing regulatory body registration. Requirements vary by province.
Engineering (P.Eng.)	The provincial or territorial engineering regulator assesses your academic background and experience and may require technical exams, a law-and-ethics exam, or a period of supervised Canadian work experience. Only a licensed P.Eng. may take responsibility for engineering work and use the title. An immigration ECA does not grant the P.Eng. licence.
Law	Each province has its own law society. Internationally trained lawyers typically must complete the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) process before applying for provincial bar admission.
Pharmacy	Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) evaluating examination, then provincial licensing.
Dentistry	National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB) assessment and examinations, then provincial licensing. For graduates of programs not recognized in Canada, the NDEB runs an equivalency process.
Teaching	Each province or territory certifies its own teachers. The Foreign Credential Recognition Tool names the body.
Trades (Red Seal)	The Red Seal is an interprovincial standard endorsed on a provincial or territorial certificate. Tradespeople trained abroad start with the apprenticeship authority of the province or territory, which runs trade certification and the Red Seal exams.

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What do people ask?

What is foreign credential recognition in Canada?

Foreign credential recognition is the process that checks whether education, skills and work experience from another country meet the standard for a profession or trade in the province or territory where you will work. The regulator for that occupation runs it, separately from the ECA that Express Entry uses for points. The federal Foreign Credential Recognition Tool shows whether your occupation is regulated, and the Licensing Bodies by Field section above names the regulators.

What is the Foreign Credential Recognition Program?

It is a federal program run by Employment and Social Development Canada that helps skilled newcomers join the Canadian labour market. It works to simplify credential recognition, provides loans and support services, and helps newcomers gain first Canadian work experience in their field. Its Foreign Credential Recognition Loans go up to $30,000 for costs such as licensing exams and training. The Regulated Professions section above explains the licensing step those loans help pay for.

What is foreign credential evaluation?

Foreign credential evaluation, called an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration, compares your foreign degree or diploma to a Canadian one. A designated organization reviews your transcripts and issues a report, such as "comparable to a completed Canadian bachelor's degree." A regulator may ask for a more detailed report than Express Entry needs, so check with it before you order. The CRS Calculator shows how the assessed level changes your score.

How much does foreign credential evaluation cost?

Each designated organization, WES included, sets its own fee, and this guide does not list them because they change. IRCC says costs may vary by organization. Confirm the current price on each organization's own site before you order. The designated organizations table above lists every general assessor IRCC accepts.

Which ECA organization should I choose: WES or IQAS?

Either works for points: IRCC accepts a report from any of the five general designated organizations equally. The choice usually comes down to cost and processing time, which IRCC says vary by organization, and whether your regulator asks for a more detailed report. If your primary occupation has its own designated body, as physicians, pharmacists and architects do, you must use it instead (for pharmacists and architects, when you need a licence to practise). The designated organizations table above compares all of them.

Does an ECA mean my credentials are accepted for employment in Canada?

Not for regulated jobs. An ECA tells IRCC your education level for points, while a provincial or territorial regulator decides whether you may practise a regulated profession such as nursing, engineering or law. Unregulated occupations need no licence, though employers can set their own requirements. The Licensing Bodies by Field section above shows the path for each profession, and the Engineer Immigration guide covers the P.Eng. route.

How long is an ECA valid for Express Entry?

IRCC sets one rule for every designated organization: your ECA must be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application. If it will expire before you can apply, IRCC says to contact the organization that issued it, which may re-issue it; an application made with an expired ECA is refused. The CRS Calculator shows what the education points are worth.

Do I need an ECA for Express Entry?

You need an ECA if you want CRS points for education earned outside Canada, and to be eligible as the principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program with education from outside Canada. If all your education is foreign and you want education points, you must have an ECA from a designated organization. Canadian credentials need no ECA, and if you have both, the ECA covers the foreign part. The Express Entry page and the CRS Calculator explain how education points are counted.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.