How to Get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Last Updated on August 29, 2016

When it comes to completeness checks, the applicants would need to note that they would need to have submitted applications in accordance with the requirements specified in section R10 and in the application kit. Only then would the officers consider these applications as being complete and eligible for processing.

The Form and the Content of the Application
- Under these Regulations, the applicants would need to:
  - Make the applications in writing using the form provided by the Department (if any)
  - Sign the applications
  - Include all information and documents required by these Regulations as well as any other evidence required by the Act
  - Ensure that the application accompanies the evidence of payment of the applicable fee if the Regulations specifically mention this and,
  - Identify the principal applicant and the accompanying spouse or common-law partner clearly (in case there is an accompanying spouse or common-law partner)
- This is in accordance with the provisions specified in paragraphs 28 (b), 28 (c), 28 (d) and 139 (1) (b)
The Required Information
- Unless specified otherwise by these Regulations, the application would need to:
  - Contain the name, date of birth, address, nationality and the immigration status of the applicant and of all the family members of the applicant, regardless of whether they are accompanying the principal applicant or not
  - Contain a statement detailing whether the applicant or any of the family members is the spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner of another person
  - Indicate whether the applicants are applying for a visa, a permit or an authorisation
  - Indicate the class prescribed by these Regulations for which the applicant is making the application
    - Situations could arise where the applicant is represented in connection with the application
      - In this scenario, the application would need to include details such as the name, the postal address, the telephone number, the fax number and the electronic mail address (if any) of any person or entity (or a person acting on its behalf) who is representing the applicant
    - Situations could arise where the applicant is represented in connection with the application by a person referred to in any of the paragraphs 91 (2) (a) to 91 (2) (c) of the Act
      - In this scenario, the application would need to include the name or the body of which the person is a member and their membership identification number
    - In some cases, the applicant might have received advice for consideration in connection with the application, by a person referred to in any of the paragraphs 91 (2) (a) to 91 (2) (c) of the Act
      - In this scenario, the application would need to include the following details:
        
        The application would need to include details such as the name, the postal address, the telephone number, the fax number and the electronic mail address (if any) of any person or entity (or a person acting on its behalf) who is representing the applicant and,
        
        The application would need to include the name or the body of which the person is a member and their membership identification number
    - In some cases, the applicant might have received advice for consideration in connection with the application, by a person referred to in subsection 91 (4) of the Act
      - In this scenario, the application would need to include details such as the name, the postal address, the telephone number, the fax number and the electronic mail address (if any) of any person or entity (or a person acting on its behalf) who is representing the applicant with reference to that entity or person and,
  - Include a declaration that the information provided is both complete and accurate
The Application of Family Members
- The authorities consider the application as an application made for the principal applicant and the accompanying family members of the principal applicant
The Sponsorship Application
- Foreign nationals have the ability to make applications as members of the family class
- However, the application would need to be preceded or accompanied by a sponsorship application as specified in the provisions of paragraph 130 (1) (c)
Multiple Applications
- The authorities do not permit the filing of a sponsorship application by a sponsor in respect of a person if the sponsor has already filed another sponsorship application in respect of that same individual and where the authorities have not made a final decision in respect of that other application
The Invalid Sponsorship Application
- Situations could arise where sponsors make sponsorship applications that are not in accordance with the provisions specified in subsection (1)
- The authorities do not consider such applications as applications filed in the prescribed manner for the purposes of subsection 63 (1) of the Act

Choose a Designated Organisation

The applicants would need to check the websites of various Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) designated Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) organisations. Alternatively, they would need to contact these organisations directly. This would enable them to identify the organisations that best suit their needs.

In particular, the applicants would need to find out:

The documents they require
The amount of money that the assessment would cost (as costs could vary from one organisation to the other) and,
The amount of time that an assessment will take

Once the Applicant Has Selected a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Designated Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Organisation

Once the applicant selects a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) designated Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) organisation, the applicant would need to:

Gather all the documents they require
Ensure that they ask their schools for multiple copies of their diplomas, certificates, degrees, transcripts etc.
Adhere to the instructions given for submitting the documents and,
Pay the appropriate fees

Note:

The authorities have given the applicants the ability to decide which completed foreign credentials they choose to give for assessment to the designated organisation
For meeting the minimum education requirements expected of immigrant investors, the applicant’s Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report would need to indicate that the applicant’s foreign education credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian post-secondary credential of at least one year
The applicant would also need to ensure that the outcome stated in the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report corresponds to one of the acceptable assessment outcomes prior to applying

What the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Report Typically Means

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) designated Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) organisation would be responsible for providing the applicant with an original Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report. The report would inform the applicant about:

The validity of the applicant’s foreign credentials and,
Whether the applicant’s foreign credentials are equal to a completed Canadian post-secondary education credential of at least one year

In addition, the applicant would need to check whether the outcome specified on the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report corresponds to one of the equivalents of a Canadian one-year post-secondary educational credential specified below.

The Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report assessment outcomes could include:

College certificate
Completion of college-level certificate
University certificate
University diploma
One-year certificate in [name of discipline]
College diploma
College diploma (two years)
Diploma (two years)
Two-year diploma in [name of discipline]
Secondary school diploma and diploma (two years)
Associate degree
Associate of [Arts/Science] degree
College diploma (three years)
Diploma (three years)
Three-year diploma in [name of discipline]
Bachelor’s degree
Applied Bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degree (three years)
Three-year Bachelor’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
Bachelor’s degree (four years)
Four-year Bachelor’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
Post-Bachelor’s certificate
Post-Bachelor’s diploma
Graduate certificate
Postgraduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma
Two-year postgraduate diploma, specializing in [name of discipline]
One-year postgraduate certificate in [name of discipline]
Study towards a Master’s degree
Master’s degree
Master’s degree (Taught)
Master of [name of discipline]
Master’s degree, specializing in [name of discipline]
Earned Doctorate degree
Earned Doctorate (Ph.D.)
Professional Doctorate degree
Doctor of [name of discipline, such as Business Administration, Law, Psychology]

In case the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report shows that the applicant’s completed foreign credential is equal to a completed Canadian post-secondary of at least one year, then the applicant can apply under the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program.

The Guidelines for Submitting the Report

The applicants would need to submit their original Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports along with their applications. In addition, they would need to avoid asking the assessment organisations to send their Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports directly to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

The applicants would need to ensure that they include copies of their diplomas, certificates, degrees, transcripts etc. In addition, they would need to retain copies of the report for their records as well as for future use.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would need to verify all the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports it receives. In particular, it will verify all the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports submitted along with applications with the organisation that produced the report.