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Learn how to choose a credential assessment service in Canada for immigration, employment, education or professional licensing.
July 14, 2026
Your international education represents years of hard work, but Canadian employers, educational institutions and professional regulators may not immediately understand how your credentials compare with Canadian standards. A credential assessment can help explain the Canadian equivalency of a degree, diploma or certificate completed outside Canada. Depending on your goal, you may need an assessment for immigration, employment, further education or professional licensing.
Choosing the right service matters because not every assessment report can be used for every purpose. Before applying, you should understand why you need the assessment, what type of report is required and which organizations are accepted by the institution receiving it.
A credential assessment reviews education completed outside Canada and provides information about how it compares with the Canadian education system.
Depending on the report, it may identify:
Credential assessments are commonly used for immigration, employment, admission to educational institutions and professional licensing.
However, these purposes are not interchangeable. An assessment created for immigration may not provide the information required by a university or licensing regulator. Similarly, an assessment used for employment may not be accepted as an Educational Credential Assessment for immigration.
An Educational Credential Assessment, commonly called an ECA, is a credential assessment used for Canadian immigration.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, an ECA verifies that a foreign degree, diploma or certificate is valid and identifies its Canadian equivalency.
You may need an ECA if you completed your education outside Canada and want to:
For Express Entry, your ECA must be less than five years old when you create your profile and submit your permanent residence application. In most Express Entry cases, you only need to assess your highest completed credential. However, you may need more than one credential assessed if you want to claim points for having two or more postsecondary credentials. An ECA is different from a credential assessment requested for employment, education or licensing. Before starting an application, confirm exactly which report you need.
IRCC designates several organizations to provide ECAs for immigration. Four organizations that many internationally educated professionals may encounter are WES, IQAS, ICAS and CES. Each provides credential assessment services, but available reports and application requirements depend on how the assessment will be used.
World Education Services provides credential evaluations for immigration, employment, education and professional licensing.
Depending on the receiving organization’s requirements, applicants may need a document-by-document or course-by-course evaluation. A document-by-document report generally identifies the credentials completed and their Canadian equivalency. A course-by-course report may also include subjects, credits, grade equivalents and a calculated grade-point average.
WES also offers a free degree equivalency tool that can provide a preliminary indication of how certain international credentials may compare in Canada. This tool is for general information and does not replace an official credential evaluation.
The International Qualifications Assessment Service, commonly called IQAS, is a Government of Alberta credential assessment service.
IQAS provides ECAs for immigration as well as assessments for employment, education and certain professional licensing purposes. Although it is operated by the Government of Alberta, its immigration ECA can be used for eligible federal immigration programs. Document requirements can vary according to the applicant’s country of education and the credential being assessed.
The International Credential Assessment Service of Canada, commonly called ICAS, assesses secondary, postsecondary and technical education completed outside Canada.
ICAS provides reports for immigration, employment, education and other approved purposes. Applicants using ICAS for immigration must select its Canadian Immigration Assessment Package rather than a general assessment report. ICAS also provides more detailed assessment options when a receiving educational institution requires course, credit or grade information.
The Comparative Education Service, commonly called CES, operates through the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
CES provides ECAs for immigration programs as well as assessments for employment, education, general purposes and certain licensing pathways. Established in 1967, CES describes itself as Canada’s only university-based academic credential evaluation service. Applicants should review the assessment type and document requirements associated with their particular career, education or immigration goal.
These organizations use established assessment processes to help Canadian institutions understand international education. Rather than trying to identify one universally “best” service, choose an organization whose report is accepted for your intended purpose.
Start by determining whether your assessment is for immigration, employment, education or professional licensing. For immigration, you must apply for an ECA specifically intended for immigration purposes. A general credential assessment may not be accepted by IRCC. For education, a college or university may require a detailed course-by-course assessment. An employer may only need a report showing the Canadian equivalency of your highest credential.
Contact the organization that will receive your report before you apply. Ask whether it accepts assessments from WES, IQAS, ICAS, CES or another recognized provider. You should also confirm the exact report type required.
This is particularly important when applying to a Canadian college, university or professional regulator. Selecting an accepted provider at the beginning can help you avoid paying for another assessment later.
If you plan to work in a regulated profession, contact the regulator in the province or territory where you intend to work.
The Government of Canada explains that foreign credential recognition may include verifying your education, skills and professional experience. You may also need to complete examinations, supervised practice, language testing or other licensing requirements before you can work in the profession.
A general credential assessment does not provide a professional licence.
Requirements can be different for internationally trained:
Credential assessment services may ask for:
Requirements may vary by country, credential and assessment type. Review the provider’s country-specific instructions before arranging document delivery. It is also helpful to contact your former educational institution early. Obtaining and sending official records internationally can add time to the process.
The assessment fee may be only one part of your total credential recognition expenses.
You may also need to pay for:
Creating a complete career budget can help you prepare not only for your assessment but also for the licensing, training or examination costs that may come next.
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A Windmill loan may be used for eligible career expenses such as:
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