Educational Credential Assessment requirements

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

Applicants in certain immigration classes must submit a completed foreign educational credential and an equivalency assessment (Educational Credential Assessment [ECA] report issued by a designated organization or professional body to immigrate to Canada.

Note: Certain immigration programs may have additional ECA-related requirements. Therefore, also consult the program-specific Program Delivery Instructions with regard to ECA requirements.

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Designated assessment organizations and professional bodies

Under R73(1), an “equivalency assessment” (ECA report) includes a determination, issued by an organization or institution designated under R75(4), that establishes whether a foreign diploma, certificate or credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian educational credential.

An ECA report also includes an assessment of the authenticity of the completed foreign diploma, certificate or credential.

Designated assessment organizations

The Minister has designated the following organizations to issue ECA reports:

Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies designated: April 17, 2013

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada designated: April 17, 2013

World Education Services designated: April 17, 2013

International Qualifications Assessment Service designated: August 6, 2015

International Credential Evaluation Service – British Columbia Institute of Technology designated: August 6, 2015

Designated professional bodies

Under R75(4), applicants with work experience in certain occupations may require an ECA report from a professional body.

ECA reports from a designated professional body establish that the education is equivalent to the Canadian educational credential required to practise the occupation in Canada.

Whether an applicant must obtain an ECA report from a professional body depends on the applicant’s primary occupation or intended occupation in Canada, in other words, the occupation that the applicant has work experience in and that their permanent residence application is based on.

If the applicant’s primary occupation is listed below, the applicant must submit an ECA report issued by the corresponding designated professional body:

Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100)

Specialist physicians (NOC 3111) or specialists in surgery (NOC 31101)

General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112 or NOC 31102)

Medical Council of Canada; designated: April 17, 2013

Architects (NOC 2151 or NOC 21200)

Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) designated: May 20, 2024

The applicant must submit an ECA report from the CACB if the applicant’s position or intended position in Canada requires a licence to practise as an architect (for example, uses the title “architect” and is responsible for the design and construction of homes or buildings).

Applicants who are working or intend to work in a position in Canada that does not require a licence (for example, as a project manager at a construction firm) may have their credentials assessed by another designated assessment organization.

Pharmacists (NOC 3131 or NOC 31120)

Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) designated: January 6, 2014

The applicant must submit an ECA report from PEBC if the applicant’s position or intended position in Canada requires a licence to practise as a pharmacist (for example, providing patient care in a community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, long-term care facility or other practice settings).

Applicants who are working or intend to work in a position in Canada that does not require a licence (for example, a position at an organization in the pharmaceutical industry or in government that requires a pharmacy degree but not a licence to practise pharmacy) may have their credentials assessed by another designated assessment organization.

Educational Credential Assessment outcomes and conversion table

If the applicant completed a foreign diploma, certificate or credential, the ECA report must demonstrate an equivalency to a completed Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational credential from a recognized institution. An ECA report with an assessment result showing “from a non-recognized institution” does not demonstrate an equivalency to a Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational credential.

An ECA report stating that the foreign credential is equivalent to a number of years of studyFootnote 1 does not demonstrate an equivalency to a completed Canadian educational credential (for example, “One year of undergraduate study”). In those instances, officers must document in the case notes that the ECA report does not establish equivalency to a completed Canadian educational credential and use this information to assess eligibility.

The assessment result in the ECA report should match one of the outcomes in the ECA conversion table below.

If the assessment result does not match an outcome in the conversion table below, the officer may request more information from the IPG generic mailbox

ECA conversion table

Designated organizations’ ECA outcomes

University-level credential at the doctoral level

  • Doctor of [name of discipline, such as Business Administration, Law or Psychology]
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Doctorate (Ph.D.)
  • Earned doctorate (Ph.D.)
  • Earned doctorate degree
  • Professional doctorate degree

University-level credential at the master’s level

  • Master’s degree
  • Master of [name of discipline]
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master’s degree (taught)
  • Master’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Master’s degree with acceptable qualification for entry into the CACB’s Academic Certification Program
  • Master’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • One-year Master of Business Administration degree
  • One-year master’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • One-year master’s degree
  • Two-year master’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]

Entry-to-practice professional degrees

Medicine

  • First professional degree in medicine (Doctor of Medicine)
  • First professional degree in medicine
  • Doctor of Medicine degree
  • First professional university degree in medicine
  • First professional university degree in medicine, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Veterinary medicine

  • Four to seven years of professional study in veterinary medicine
  • First professional degree in veterinary medicine
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree
  • First professional university degree in veterinary medicine
  • First professional university degree in veterinary medicine, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Dentistry

  • Four to seven years of professional study in dentistry
  • Five or more years of professional university study in dentistry
  • First professional degree in dentistry
  • Doctor of Dental Surgery degree
  • First professional university degree in dentistry
  • First professional university degree in dentistry, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Podiatry

  • Four to five years of professional study in podiatry
  • Five or more years of professional university study in podiatry
  • Doctor of Podiatry degree
  • First professional university degree in podiatric medicine
  • First professional university degree in podiatric medicine, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Optometry

  • Three to six years of professional study in optometry
  • Five or more years of professional university study in optometry
  • Doctor of Optometry degree
  • First professional university degree in optometry
  • First professional university degree in optometry, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Law

  • Bachelor of Laws
  • Juris Doctor
  • First professional university degree in law
  • First professional university degree in law, preceded by [x-year] prerequisite undergraduate study

Chiropractic medicine

  • Five or more years of professional university study in chiropractic medicine
  • Doctor of Chiropractic degree
  • First professional university degree in chiropractic medicine
  • First professional university degree in chiropractic medicine, preceded by prerequisite undergraduate study

Pharmacy

  • Five or more years of professional university study in pharmacy
  • Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree
  • Four-year Bachelor of Science degree with a focus in pharmacy

Two or more post-secondary credentials (three-year or longer post-secondary credential required)

  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus an applied bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus an applied bachelor’s degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a Bachelor of Technology degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a bachelor’s degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a bachelor’s degree (three years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a college certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a college diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a college diploma (three years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a college diploma (two years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a Completion of College-level certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a diploma (three years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a diploma (two years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a dual bachelor’s degree (four years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a four-year advanced diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a four-year bachelor’s degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a four-year bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a four-year bachelor’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a graduate certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a graduate certificate with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a graduate diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a graduate diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a one-year certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a one-year certificate in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a one-year postgraduate certificate in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a one-year post-secondary certificate with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-bachelor’s certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-bachelor’s diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a postgraduate certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a postgraduate diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-secondary certificate with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-undergraduate certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a post-undergraduate diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a secondary school diploma and diploma (two years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year advanced diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year bachelor’s degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year bachelor’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year diploma in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a bachelor’s degree (four years)
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a three-year post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year associate degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year diploma in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year postgraduate diploma, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a two-year post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a university certificate
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus a university diploma
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus an associate degree
  • Three-year or more certificate, diploma or degree plus an Associate of [Arts/Science] degree

Three-year or longer post-secondary credential

  • Applied bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Applied bachelor’s degree
  • Bachelor of Technology degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Bachelor’s degree with acceptable qualification for entry into the CACB’s Academic Certification Program
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Bachelor’s degree (four years)
  • Bachelor's degree (three years)
  • College diploma (three years)
  • Diploma (three years)
  • Four-year advanced diploma
  • Four-year bachelor’s degree
  • Four-year bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Four-year bachelor's degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year advanced diploma
  • Three-year bachelor’s degree
  • Three-year bachelor’s degree with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Three-year bachelor's degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year diploma in [name of discipline]
  • Three-year post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]

Two-year post-secondary credential

  • Associate degree
  • Associate of [Arts/Science] degree
  • College diploma
  • College diploma (two years)
  • Diploma (two years)
  • Post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Secondary school diploma and diploma (two years)
  • Two-year associate degree
  • Two-year diploma in [name of discipline]
  • Two-year diploma
  • Two-year post-secondary diploma with a focus in [area of concentration]

One-year post-secondary credential

  • College certificate
  • Completion of college-level certificate
  • One-year certificate in [name of discipline]
  • One-year certificate
  • One-year post-secondary certificate with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Post-secondary certificate with a focus in [area of concentration]
  • Undergraduate certificate (one year)
  • University certificate
  • University diploma

Secondary school

  • Certificate of high school achievement [plus/including] [specialized/vocational/technical] training in [field]
  • Certificate of high school achievement
  • Grade 12 (high school completion)
  • High school diploma [plus/including] [specialized/vocational/technical] training in [field]
  • High school diploma
  • High school equivalency certificate
  • Secondary school diploma
  • Secondary school graduation

Integrity concerns

ECA reports include the designated organization’s assessment of the authenticity of the applicant’s completed foreign educational credentials. This assessment is not conclusive evidence of the authenticity of the foreign educational credentials. If an officer has concerns about the authenticity of an applicant’s foreign educational credentials, the officer should inform the IPG generic mailbox and await further instructions.

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