Certain federal and provincial skilled worker immigration programs mandate an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). For instance, some streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) aimed at skilled immigrants from abroad may require an ECA. Each federal pathway has its own ECA guidelines, so it’s crucial to carefully review the criteria of the program you intend to apply for.

Express Entry

Under the federal Express Entry system, candidates wishing to apply through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) must obtain an ECA before entering the Express Entry pool, unless their education was completed at a Canadian institution.

Candidates applying through the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) or Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are not required to obtain an ECA. However, if they want to receive points for their foreign education under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), an ECA is necessary. Higher CRS scores can significantly enhance an individual’s chances of being selected from the pool.

Additionally, if a candidate’s spouse or common-law partner wishes to claim CRS points for their foreign education, they must also obtain an ECA. While an ECA is not required for accompanying spouses or partners, they won’t earn any points without one.

Both candidates and their spouses/partners (if applicable) must obtain an ECA for each credential they wish to claim points for. For instance, if a candidate has a high school diploma, a bachelor’s degree, and a graduate diploma, securing an ECA for both the bachelor’s and graduate diploma could yield more points under the CRS than just having the bachelor’s degree assessed.