Educational Credential Assessment requirements

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.

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 study^{Footnote 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.