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Part of International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)

IQAS assessment for immigration

To immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, you will need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for the education you received outside of Canada.

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IQAS for immigration

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.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

The International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) is an Alberta government service and is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to complete an ECA for immigration purposes. IQAS evaluates formal academic/technical education from recognized institutions and issues ECA certificates that compare educational credentials from other countries to educational standards in Canada.

An ECA issued by IQAS:

  • is valid for Express Entry for 5 years. When your ECA expires, you must re-apply.
  • does not mean that your credentials are recognized for licensure 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.
  • can be used along with your resumé to apply for jobs once you are approved to immigrate to Canada
  • does not guarantee a job or successful immigration application

To learn more about an ECA for immigration to Canada, visit IRCC’s website: Educational credential assessment (ECA) for Express Entry: What it is.

IQAS cannot provide information on eligibility for IRCC points or IRCC application requirements and decisions.

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

IQAS fees

All IQAS fees are non-refundable. Refund requests for fees will not be considered once an application is 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 an 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.

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