Short answer
For Express Entry, check whether foreign-education evidence is required.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Who decides
IRCC determines the requirement.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Check this before paying
Read the official ECA requirement and designated-body list.
Open the primary source ↗Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
When this applies
An ECA is needed for foreign education as the principal Federal Skilled Worker applicant or to claim foreign-education points. Canadian credentials do not need assessment.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Which document
An ECA for immigration purposes from the appropriate designated body.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Avoid the wrong purchase
Doctors, pharmacists and architects have occupation-specific rules; check the licence conditions and transitional exception. General providers are not guaranteed to produce identical results.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
What this does not do
An ECA does not guarantee a job or professional licence.
Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Your next official step
Check IRCC’s professional-body exceptions before choosing a provider.
Continue to the official guidance ↗Sources: IRCC / Government of Canada
Keep the immigration product and its validity separate
Express Entry requires the immigration-purpose ECA product. A different assessment may be re-issued by its provider in some cases; do not assume it already meets the requirement. The ECA must be less than five years old at both profile completion and application submission.
IRCC’s professional-body rules depend on primary occupation and, for architects and pharmacists, whether a licence is needed. Physicians’ primary-medical-diploma rule differs. The architect exception preserves an otherwise-valid ECA issued by another designated organization before October 31, 2024. These document rules do not determine your programme eligibility.
Sources: Express Entry ECA: product, designation and validity
DiploWay preparation: confirm the purpose before ordering
Write down the intended immigration evidence request, the report’s exact product name and its issuing date. If you already have a report, ask the issuer about re-issue options before buying a duplicate. Do not use this guide to choose a visa category or calculate points.
Related decisions for this process
Explore another use for the same qualification
Sources and scope
- Express Entry ECA: product, designation and validity
IRCC / Government of Canada · checked 2026-10-14 (UTC date)