The Federal Skilled Worker Program, now processed via Express Entry, requires the main applicants to assess their educational credentials prior to expressing interest for permanent residence.
What does the credential assessment mean?
This is an evaluation done by one of the four designated institutions by Citizenship and Immigration Canada for the purpose of comparing the studies of an applicant to the Canadian standards. This document is only meant for immigration purposes and it is mandatory.
What are the designated institutions?
There are four in total:
- Comparative Education Service; (CES)
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada; (ICAS)
- World Education Services; (WES)
- Medical Council of Canada (for doctors only) (MCC)
How long does the evaluation take?
This depends on the centre. CES estimates that current assessment processing time for regular assessments is approximately 11 weeks, with the option to pay for an urgent service (5 business days). WES prepares your credential assessment in seven business days, upon receipt and approval of all documents and payment in full. In the case of doctors, MCC take between 75 and 105 days to issue the report. ICAS – some 3 months. Since it is a new process for everyone, it is possible that this changes in the next weeks.
How much does it cost?
This again depends on the designated institution and the chosen service.
- CES charges some $226 for the regular services, $508.5 for the rush service
- ICAS – some $200
- WES – some $180 + additional charges for rush service
- MCC – some $485
All institutions charge additionally for mailing the results, the fee depending on the address where you want your documents sent (it could vary from $25 to an address in Canada to $100 to an address outside Canada).
What documents are required?
The application procedures vary based on the centre, however generally it is required to send some forms, the payment, simple copies of the diplomas and transcripts, with translations done by a certified translator. No originals are necessary, however it is the educational institution that needs to send a confirmation of your studies and your transcripts directly to them.
The outcome
You should receive the reports by mail. Once you do so, you can submit your immigration request. Generally you should receive 2 copies, one for you and one for the Canadian Government.
We hope this information is useful to you and we are here for you should you need help with the process, translations services, or just an address in Canada where to receive your documents. To gain time, you can mail us the full application and once we get your results, we can send the file to the Canadian government.
Just as a reminder, there are only 300 places available for each profession this year.
We invite you to see our YouTube video on this subject.
