ECA Full Form: How to Get Educational Credential Assessment?

Do you know what an ECA full form is? An ECA is an Educational Credential Assessment that establishes your educational worth. It verifies your diploma, foreign degree, and certificate and see if it’s on par with the Canadian level. This is necessary to filter out workers not qualified enough for the job. Hence, when you are applying for a job in Canada, one of the eligibility requirements asked is an ECA. 


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ECA Full Form Canada

You need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if you are immigrating to Canada for work or study purposes. Basically for immigration purposes, ECA is required. This official assessment will verify that your credentials meet the educational requirements of the Canadian level. 

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ECA Certificate

An ECA certificate will verify that your foreign degree, diploma or certificate is on par with the Canadian one and hence, once you get the certificate or report, you must include it in your Express Entry profile. Along with the ECA report, you also need to enter the reference number in the Express Entry profile. 

The ECA report might come in handy when you are searching for a job. When looking for a job, you need to consider if you are eligible for it or not. So, by getting an educational credential assessment certificate, you will know whether you qualify for the job or not. 

One thing to keep in mind here is that an ECA does not guarantee you a job. Nor does it guarantee that you will be licensed to practice in a regulated profession. So, you should understand that the meaning and work of an ECA is only to get your credentials assessed. 

How to get Educational Credential Assessment?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) authorizes certain organizations and professional bodies to assess educational credentials. Thus, when you are looking to get an ECA, you must contact an organization authorized by IRCC only. 

In the ECA report, you will see what your educational background is equivalent to in Canada. 

According to the organization or the professional body you choose to get an ECA from, the processing time and the cost of the ECA will vary. Also, the designated professional body/ organization will let you know how to submit the essential documents so you could get them assessed. 

Designated Organizations

The organizations designated by the IRCC are:-

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

Designated Professional Bodies

IRCC has designated these professional bodies to evaluate ECA reports of those immigrating to Canada. 

In case of a primary medical diploma, the individual must get an Educational Credential Assessment from the Medical Council of Canada if their education is:-

  • Specialist in surgery (NOC code 31101)
  • General practitioner or family physician (NOC code 31102)
  • Specialist in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC code 31100)

For Pharmacists, if the individual’s NOC code is 31120 and they need to get a license so that they can practice in Canada, the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada will provide an ECA. 

In case your job position does not require you to have a license, you can get your ECA report from some other designated organization. 

Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is ECA for Canada?

Ans. Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is used by the immigration authorities to assess whether your educational qualifications are equal to the Canadian level or not. You need an ECA report if you are planning to immigrate to Canada. 

2. What is the full form of ECA Canada?

Ans. Canada ECA full form is Educational Credential Assessment. Individuals immigrating to Canada need an ECA report. 

3. Can I get PR without ECA?

Ans. If you have received education outside of Canada, you need to get an ECA report. One of the main eligibility criteria of getting Canada PR is to have an ECA report. 

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Niyati Chaurasia

Niyati Chaurasia

Niyati’s specialty lies in Canadian immigration matters along with crafting helpful, user-oriented content.

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