WES ECA Canada 2026: Fees, 5-Year Validity, CRS Points, and Who Must Use WES

WES ECA Canada 2026: Fees, 5-Year Validity, CRS Points, and Who Must Use WES

As of September 25, 2026.

If you studied outside Canada and you want Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for that education, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wants an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration purposes. World Education Services (WES) is one of five designated organizations. It is not the only one, and it is not the same thing as an ECA. WES lists its ECA for IRCC at C$264, before delivery and 13% HST, and IRCC accepts the report while it is less than 5 years old. This guide uses the official educational credential assessment page.

TL;DR

An ECA for immigration is required to be eligible as a Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) principal applicant, or to claim CRS points for foreign education | The report must be less than 5 years old when you create the Express Entry profile and when you apply | Most people may use WES or four other designated organizations | Architects, some physicians, and some pharmacists must use a designated professional body instead | IRCC does not set ECA fees: WES charges C$264 before delivery and 13% HST, and the other four designated organizations list base fees of C$200 to C$260 | WES says document verification typically takes 2 weeks and the evaluation about 1 week once all documents arrive

What is an ECA, and why do you need one?

Short answer: An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is a report that says whether your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. You need an ECA for immigration purposes if you completed your education outside Canada and you want to (1) be eligible as the principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or (2) earn CRS points for that foreign education. You can also claim points for a spouse or common-law partner's foreign education if they come with you. You do not need an ECA for a Canadian credential.

IRCC says the report does not guarantee a job in your field or a licence in a regulated occupation. If you plan to work in a regulated job, you still get licensed in the province where you settle. Put the ECA report and reference number in your Express Entry profile. Keep the original. Be ready to upload copies if you get an invitation to apply. Those rules are on the ECA page.

Is WES the same as an ECA?

Short answer: No. An ECA is the type of report IRCC requires. WES is one organization designated to issue that report. People search "WES" and "ECA" as if they were interchangeable because WES is widely used. They are not the same. Order the product labelled for IRCC or for immigration. A course-by-course report for university admission is a different product.

IRCC accepts an ECA from any designated organization or, for some occupations, from a designated professional body. Processing times and costs vary by organization. IRCC does not set WES's price list. Check the organization you choose before you pay.

Who can issue your ECA?

Short answer: Most applicants must use one of five designated organizations. Architects, some doctors, and some pharmacists must use a designated professional body when the licence rules below apply. IRCC designated WES on 17 April 2013. The full list is in the table on the ECA page. Occupations below use National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes.

NOC 21200 architects who already had a valid ECA from another designated organization before 31 October 2024 can still use that report if it remains valid. If you do not need an architect or pharmacist licence (for example a construction project manager, or a pharmacy role that is not patient-facing), a regular designated organization can assess you. Confirm licence rules with the provincial regulator.

How long is an ECA valid for IRCC?

Short answer: Less than 5 years old at two moments: when you complete your Express Entry profile, and when you submit the permanent residence application. If you have an invitation, make sure the ECA will still be valid on the day you apply. If you are still in the pool, make sure it stays valid for the rest of your time in the pool. An expired ECA means IRCC will refuse the application.

If the assessment will expire before you can apply, contact the organization that issued it. They may re-issue it, depending on the type of ECA and the organization. That is IRCC's language, not a WES-only rule. At WES, you renew by ordering a "Duplicate IRCC" copy from your WES account, which WES says extends the expiry date by another five years. WES's fee page lists duplicate reports at C$35 to C$58 before delivery, and your account shows the exact price. CES lists a C$189 online renewal for an expired or expiring ECA. ICES (BCIT) lists a C$50 renewal, available only once the 5-year period has expired, and ICAS takes renewal requests for expired assessments. For IQAS, ask the organization before your report expires.

How many CRS education points does each level earn?

Short answer: Points come from the Canadian equivalency on the report, not from the name on your diploma. Without a spouse, a doctoral degree is 150 CRS points, a master's or professional degree is 135, two or more credentials (one of them three or more years) is 128, a three-year or longer bachelor's is 120, a two-year program is 98, and a one-year program is 90. With a spouse the same rows are 140, 126, 119, 112, 91, and 84. Full rows sit on the ECA page and the CRS criteria.

In most cases you assess only your highest completed credential. To claim points for two or more credentials, you need an ECA for each one, and at least one credential must be three or more years. If a post-secondary credential is not equal to a Canadian credential, you can assess secondary school instead and claim high-school points.

Do you need an ECA for a Canadian job?

Short answer: Not for IRCC job-offer purposes in the way people mean it. An ECA is an immigration document. Employers and regulators can ask for other assessments. IRCC is explicit: the report may help when you look for work, but it does not guarantee a job or a licence. Use Job Bank and provincial regulators for hiring and licensing. Use the ECA for Express Entry.

How much does a WES ECA cost, and how long does it take?

Short answer: WES lists its Educational Credential Assessment for IRCC at C$264. That covers an electronic report, an official paper report and IRCC access to the report. Delivery and 13% HST are extra: standard delivery is C$14, next-day courier within Canada C$29 and international courier C$97 per address. WES says document verification typically takes 2 weeks and the evaluation typically 1 week (up to 2 weeks if it is complex), counted only after all required documents arrive. IRCC does not set these fees. Its ECA page says processing times and costs vary by organization. The table shows what each designated organization published on September 25, 2026.

Prices and times change. Confirm them on the organization's own page when you pay: WES, CES, ICAS, IQAS and ICES. Architects, physicians and pharmacists who must use a professional body pay that body's fee instead.

What you can lock in from IRCC is the product type (immigration ECA), the 5-year validity clock, and which body you are allowed to use. Start the file early. Document shipping from some countries, including Iran, still adds weeks before the organization even starts the assessment.

What mistakes cost people a second ECA?

Short answer: Ordering the wrong WES product, letting the 5-year clock run out in the pool, and assuming a master's title always maps to master's CRS points. IRCC scores the Canadian equivalency string on the report. If that string is a postgraduate diploma rather than a master's, you get diploma points.

Iranian applicants should plan for extra time on official transcripts and degree confirmation. South Asian three-year bachelor's degrees sometimes come back as a three-year bachelor's (still 120 CRS without a spouse) rather than a four-year degree. That is not a refusal. It is the equivalency. Read the report before you enter it in the profile. You cannot put two credentials in the same Express Entry education field. Add each one with Save and add.

How should you enter the ECA in Express Entry?

Short answer: Enter the results and the reference number in the profile. Keep originals. Upload copies if invited. For more than one credential, fill Education history for the highest credential first, save and add, then repeat. IRCC's steps are on the same ECA page.

Then score yourself in the CRS calculator. If the equivalency is not what you expected, fix the profile before an invitation locks the numbers in. Not sure which program your education fits? The free assessment checks your options before you pay for an ECA.

What questions do people ask about WES and ECA?

Short answer: Validity, cost, and whether WES is mandatory are the queries that send traffic to this page. WES is not mandatory unless your occupation requires a professional body and WES is not that body.

How long is a WES report valid for Canada PR?

For IRCC, any designated ECA, including WES, must be under 5 years old at profile creation and at application.

Is WES required for Express Entry?

No. Any of the five designated organizations can issue the ECA for most occupations. Some architects, physicians, and pharmacists must use the professional body instead.

Can I use an expired ECA if I already have an invitation?

No. IRCC will refuse an application filed with an expired ECA. Ask the issuing organization about re-issue before you submit.

How much is a WES evaluation for Canada?

C$264 for the ECA for IRCC, plus delivery (from C$14) and 13% HST, on WES's fee page checked September 25, 2026. A WES document-by-document or course-by-course report for school or licensing is a different product. IRCC needs the ECA for immigration purposes.

How do I renew a WES ECA report?

Log in to your WES account and order a "Duplicate IRCC" copy. WES says the extra copy extends the expiry date by another five years.

A Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can read the equivalency against the CRS table before you submit. Book a consultation if the report is not the credential you thought you had.

Sources

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Educational credential assessment
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, CRS criteria
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Federal Skilled Worker Program
• World Education Services, ECA evaluations and fees and current processing times
• University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, CES fees and forms and processing times
• ICAS, Immigration to Canada FAQ
• Government of Alberta, IQAS assessment for immigration: how to apply
• BCIT, ICES service fees and processing times