Part of: Express Entry guides
A WES ECA is an Educational Credential Assessment from World Education Services, one of the organizations Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) designates to assess education from outside Canada. MAK Canadian Immigration Services is an ECA Referral Partner with WES for IRCC immigration purposes. Our clients apply directly to World Education Services (WES) to receive their Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for the Express Entry Program and other immigration streams.
ECA Referral Partner
MAK Canadian Immigration Services is an ECA Referral Partner with WES for IRCC immigration purposes.
You apply to WES and pay WES yourself. WES alone assesses your education and writes the report. MAK is not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada.
What is a WES ECA?
It is a report from World Education Services that IRCC uses to check a degree, diploma or certificate earned outside Canada. IRCC says an ECA is used to verify that your foreign credential is valid and equal to a Canadian one.
WES is one of five organizations on IRCC’s list for most applicants, and IRCC shows it as designated on 17 April 2013. IRCC has a different rule if your primary occupation is architect, doctor or pharmacist: you must use the designated professional body for your occupation, so check IRCC’s ECA page before you order a WES report. WES calls the product “Evaluations for Immigration (ECA)”. You do not need an assessment for a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate.
Who needs an ECA for Express Entry?
You need one if you are the principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and you studied outside Canada, or if you want points for education you got outside Canada. Both rules are on IRCC’s ECA page.
IRCC also says you must include your ECA report and its reference number in your Express Entry profile. To see what your education may be worth, use our CRS calculator, and read the Federal Skilled Worker eligibility guide for the program rules.
How do I apply for a WES ECA?
You apply on the WES website, send your documents the way WES asks, and WES verifies them and writes the report. WES describes it as a three-step process: submit your application, submit your documents, then WES verifies your credentials, creates your report and delivers it to your recipients.
- Start the application for immigration. Choose the WES evaluation for immigration (the ECA), not another WES report.
- Keep your WES reference number. WES gives you one when you submit, and asks you to put it on all documents, envelopes and letters.
- Send documents the way WES requires for your country. WES says you must follow the document requirements for your country or territory of education. Its general guidance is that official academic documents are sent to WES by the school that issued them.
- Add your recipients. MAK clients can add our office; the next section shows how.
- Wait for verification and the report. WES says your payment and your documents must both be received before it can complete the evaluation.
How do I add MAK as a recipient of my WES ECA?
In your WES ECA application, choose “Mak Canadian Immigration Services” from the list of recipients. WES then delivers your completed evaluation to our office online, so your RCIC can read it when preparing your Express Entry profile.
WES confirmed to MAK in writing in October 2026 that our office is on the pre-approved list of recipients in its ECA application for IRCC, under that exact name. WES sets any fee for extra recipients, so check the amount shown in your own application before you pay.
How long does a WES ECA take, and what does it cost?
WES lists a fee of $264 CAD for an immigration evaluation and typical times of about two weeks to verify documents plus about one week to evaluate. These are WES’s own figures, read on 12 November 2026, and WES says all fees are subject to change.
| Item | What WES says (read 12 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Evaluation fee | $264 CAD. WES lists delivery and optional services as separate fees. |
| Verifying your documents | Typically 2 weeks |
| Evaluation | Typically 1 week; complex evaluations may take up to 2 weeks |
| When the clock starts | WES says your evaluation begins after your documents have been accepted. If WES asks your school to confirm a document, the evaluation is on hold until the school replies. |
| How long the ECA lasts | Five years from the date of issue |
How long is a WES ECA valid?
Five years. WES says a WES ECA is valid for five years from the date of issue, and IRCC says your ECA must be less than 5 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application.
Check the issue date on an older report before you rely on it. If it will pass five years before you apply, plan a new assessment early.
What goes wrong most often with a WES ECA?
Starting too late, sending documents the wrong way, and ordering the wrong report. Usman Khalil, RCIC R709592, says these are the three problems our RCICs see most often.
- Starting too late. The assessment is not ready when the client wants to enter the Express Entry pool.
- Documents sent the wrong way. Transcripts or degrees reach WES in a way WES does not accept, and the file stalls.
- The wrong report ordered. The client orders a WES report that is not the one for immigration.
Usman’s advice to a new Express Entry client is to take the English test first. Because a late start is one of the common problems above, we suggest starting the ECA early as well. Our PTE Core guide covers the test side.
Does MAK’s referral partnership change my assessment?
No. WES verifies your documents and decides what your education is equal to, and you apply to WES and pay WES directly. The partnership means our office is a listed recipient, so your completed report can reach your RCIC.
If your degree is from Pakistan, our guide to an ECA for a Pakistani degree lists the designated organizations.
Book a consultation with MAK Canadian Immigration Services, in Mississauga, in Scarborough or online. Call +1 647 832 8531 or +1 905 518 4539. Every case depends on its own facts, and no consultant can guarantee an outcome.
- Express Entry: how the system works and who can apply
- PTE Core for Canada: scores, CLB levels and where IRCC accepts the test
- CLB calculator: turn a test score into a CLB level
- CRS calculator: estimate your Express Entry score
- WES ECA (this guide): how to apply and add MAK as a recipient
Last checked against official sources: 12 November 2026 (IRCC’s Educational credential assessment page for Express Entry, and WES’s ECA, required documents, current processing and fee pages). WES fees and times are WES’s own and can change, so check the WES website before you pay. This page is general information, not advice for your case. MAK is not affiliated with IRCC or the Government of Canada. IRCC makes all final decisions.
