Interim Pathway for Caregivers: Get your education assessed

Getting your education assessed

If you don’t have a Canadian high school diploma or higher, you must get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an approved organization.

An ECA is used to check that your completed foreign educational credential is valid and equal to a completed Canadian high school diploma or higher. This can be a degree, diploma, certificate or other proof of your education.

How to get an ECA

Choose a designated organization

You can get your assessment from any of these organizations:

• Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada
• World Education Services
• International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
• International Credential Evaluation Service

Check the websites of the approved organizations or contact them directly to find out:

• what documents you need
• how much it will cost
• how long an assessment will take

Apply for your assessment

Make sure you:

• gather all the documents the organization needs to assess your education
• ask your school for multiple copies of your degrees, diplomas, transcripts, etc.
• follow any instructions given to submit the documents, and
• pay the fees

What your report means

Once you get your education assessed, the organization will give you an ECA report that will tell you if your foreign credentials are equal to a completed Canadian high school diploma or higher.

If your report shows that your completed foreign credential is equal to a Canadian high school diploma or higher, you can apply through the Interim Pathway for Caregivers.

What to include in your application

In your application, include:

• an original ECA report, and
• copies of your degrees, diplomas, transcripts or other proof of your completed foreign credential

Make sure to keep a copy of the report for your records and future use.

Your ECA report must:

• be issued on or after the date the organization was approved by us
• be less than 5 years old on the date that we get your application, and
• show that your completed foreign credential is equal to a completed Canadian high school diploma or higher

We’ll check any ECA report submitted with an application with the organization that produced the report.

If you can’t get your ECA before you apply

If you can’t get an ECA before the Interim Pathway for Caregivers closes, you must provide proof that you’ve applied to get one. Send us your ECA as soon as you get it.

Do not request that your ECA report be sent to us directly by the assessment organization.

If you don’t submit an ECA or proof that you’ve applied to get one, your application won’t be processed and will be sent back to you.