Non-urgent government operations are closed December 24 to January 1, reopening January 2. See the list of services available during this time.
Processing time
ECA assessments take about 25 business days
Employment and Education assessments take about 20 business days
All processing times start once an application is at the “In line for processing status” in the IQAS portal. Read more about processing time.
These types of assessments cannot be used for immigration purposes. Find out how to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for Canadian immigration purposes.
Introduction
The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) is an Alberta government service. It completes assessments and issues certificates that compare educational credentials from other countries to educational standards in Canada.
In Canada, some occupations are regulated and have legal requirements. To work in these occupations, you must register with the appropriate professional regulatory organization.
Read more about foreign qualification recognition.
Who can apply
You can get an assessment if you have a formal academic or technical degree, diploma or certificate earned outside Canada.
IQAS does not assess:
- anything below secondary or high school level – for example, primary or elementary level
- non-academic credentials – for example, Microsoft Excel training
- professional qualifications – for example, chartered accountant designation
- vocational or trades training – for example, diesel mechanics program
- credentials obtained in Canada
Why get an assessment
You can use an IQAS assessment to support your:
- job application
- professional licensure application
- post-secondary education application
IQAS fees
All IQAS fees are non-refundable. Refund requests for fees will not be considered once an application has been submitted to IQAS. The fee covers the cost of processing your application and is required whether an assessment certificate is issued or not.
There is no guarantee you will be issued an assessment certificate, or that a specific educational credential will have the desired outcome. IQAS does not provide preliminary statements about institutions, programs and credential assessment outcomes. All individuals seeking an assessment must go through the IQAS application process prior to a decision.
There are some educational institutions that are not recognized/accepted by IQAS. While completing the application in the IQAS application portal, you may see a warning regarding institution’s recognition or acceptance after selecting your institution from the lookup list. You are advised to carefully consider whether you wish to proceed with your application when a warning is displayed.