Planning to work, study, or immigrate to the U.S. with a foreign degree? An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from World Education Services (WES) can be a critical first step to showcase the value of your international education. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through each step of obtaining an ECA through WES – from creating your profile to receiving your report – with tips, common pitfalls to avoid, and handy tools to make the process smoother.
Whether you need an evaluation for a visa application, college admissions, or a new job, this blog-style guide will help you navigate the WES process confidently. Let’s get started!
What is an ECA? An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is an official report that evaluates your foreign education (degrees, diplomas, certificates, transcripts) and certifies what they are equivalent to in another country’s system. In the context of U.S. immigration and employment, an ECA (often just called a credential evaluation) verifies that your overseas degree is comparable to a U.S. degree. For example, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or employers might require proof that your bachelor’s degree abroad is equal to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. In Canadian immigration (Express Entry), an ECA is mandatory to claim education points. Essentially, an ECA bridges the gap between education systems.
Who are WES? World Education Services (WES) is a leading nonprofit organization that provides credential evaluations. They are officially designated by Canada’s IRCC for immigration ECAs and widely accepted in the United States by universities, employers, and licensing boards. A WES credential evaluation report gives a verified summary of your academic achievements and shows their U.S. or Canadian equivalence. This report helps schools, employers, and immigration officials understand your educational background and ensures your credentials are authentic. In other words, WES acts as a trusted translator of your education into terms U.S. institutions recognize.
Why do you need it? If you plan to immigrate to the U.S. for work (e.g., H-1B visa), many petitions require a credential evaluation to prove you meet the degree requirements of the specialty occupation. Universities often ask for WES evaluations for international applicants to ensure your prior education meets admissions standards. Likewise, professional licensing bodies (for fields like engineering, nursing, teaching, etc.) might require a WES report to verify your foreign qualifications. Even some employers request an evaluation during hiring to validate your education. By obtaining an ECA from WES, you essentially convert your foreign academic history into an American equivalent, which can be critical for visa approvals, getting accepted into programs, or landing jobs.
ECA vs. Standard Credential Evaluation: Technically, “ECA” is a term often used for Canadian immigration purposes. For U.S. purposes, you might simply request a Document-by-Document or Course-by-Course evaluation (we’ll explain these types shortly). However, the overall process with WES is similar. The ECA report (for IRCC) or the WES evaluation report (for U.S. use) will state what your credentials are equal to (e.g., “Bachelor’s degree equivalent in the United States”). Both serve the goal of recognizing your foreign credentials in North America.
Validity: A WES evaluation has long-term value. In Canada, an ECA is valid for five years for immigration. In the U.S., there’s no set expiration, but institutions typically accept evaluations that are a few years old. WES also stores your verified documents, especially if you choose the ICAP service, so you can request additional copies or updates in the future if needed.
To begin, go to the official WES website and create an account. You’ll typically find a “Get an Evaluation” or “Apply Now” button on WES’s site (for U.S. evaluations, ensure you’re on the WES USA portal). Fill in the initial registration form with your email address and a secure password, then verify your email. WES will send a confirmation link – click it to activate your new account. This verification is important to ensure you can receive updates about your application.
After verifying your email, continue setting up your profile by entering personal information such as your full name (exactly as it appears on your academic documents and passport), date of birth, and contact details (mailing address and phone). Make sure to double-check spelling and accuracy – these details will appear on your evaluation report, and any discrepancy (like a different name spelling than on your transcripts) could cause confusion or delays. WES will use this information to identify your file and communicate with you, so it must be correct.
Identity Verification: WES may not require an extensive ID verification at the profile creation stage beyond your email, but they will use your name and birth date to match documents. It’s a good idea to have your passport or government ID on hand to ensure consistency in how you enter your name (for example, include all surnames or given names as listed in official records).
Choosing the Right WES Service Region: When creating your profile, WES will ask where your credential evaluation is intended for – U.S. or Canada. Since this guide is for U.S. purposes, make sure you select the WES U.S. option (WES has a separate process for Canada). If you accidentally create a Canada-bound application when you needed a U.S. evaluation (or vice versa), you might have to start over, so be careful here.
Tip: If you plan to apply in both countries, you will need two separate WES applications – one for WES USA and one for WES Canada, as they have slightly different requirements and report formats.
With your account ready, the next step is to enter your academic history. This is a crucial part of the application, as WES will determine what documents you need and how to evaluate your credentials based on the information you provide.
Inside your WES account, begin a New Application for credential evaluation. You’ll be prompted to enter details about your education. Be prepared with information like:
If you have studied at multiple institutions or earned multiple degrees, WES allows you to add all relevant credentials. For instance, if you have both a bachelor’s and a master’s from different universities, you can input both separately.
Be thorough: any credential you want evaluated should be listed here. Once you add a school and degree, the system may automatically show what documents are typically required from that institution (or we will see that in the document stage).
Highest Credential First (General Rule): For immigration-focused ECAs, WES often only needs your highest completed credential. For example, if you have a master’s degree, you usually do not need to send your bachelor’s as well. The idea is that a higher degree supersedes the lower ones for evaluation purposes. However, there are exceptions. Notably, if your master’s is from certain countries (like India), WES may require your bachelor’s documents too for verification. Specifically, if you earned a master’s or postgraduate diploma in India, you must also provide your bachelor’s degree documentation unless your highest degree is an M.Phil, M.Tech, M.Ed, M.Eng, or PhD (in those cases WES will accept just the highest degree). Always check the WES Required Documents tool for each credential to know what’s needed.
If you’re seeking a course-by-course evaluation for education or licensing purposes (rather than an IRCC ECA), you might want to include all post-secondary education to get a complete report of courses and grades.
For example, a U.S. university might require a breakdown of your undergraduate coursework. In that case, even if you have a higher degree, include the undergraduate degree as well so it can be evaluated with course details.
Double-Check Details: Common mistakes at this stage include selecting the wrong institution (some schools have similar names) or entering a slightly incorrect degree name. Make sure the information matches your documents. If your transcript says “B.Tech” and you choose “Bachelor of Engineering,” that’s usually fine as they are equivalent, but be consistent if possible. Avoid typos in your registration number or roll number (if asked) and in dates. Incorrect info here could lead WES to request clarification later, delaying your report.
Once all entries are added, WES will generate a list of required documents for each credential. Take note of this list (you can also access it later in your account). It will specify exactly what you need to submit for each school/degree – for example, “Transcript issued by [University Name] in a sealed envelope” or perhaps “Degree certificate photocopy” depending on the country.
After entering your education details and intended recipients, you will proceed to select an evaluation package and make the payment. This step will confirm your order and generate your all-important WES Reference Number.
Select Your Evaluation Package: WES offers different types of evaluation reports. For U.S. purposes, the two main types are:
Within each type, you can choose WES Basic vs. WES ICAP:
For example, as of early 2025, a Document-by-Document evaluation costs roughly $115 USD (Basic) or $166 USD (ICAP), and a Course-by-Course evaluation is about $182 USD (Basic) or $233 USD (ICAP). Prices do update periodically (WES announced a small increase in 2025 due to inflation), so check the latest fees. The system will show you the exact cost before you pay. Note: If you’re doing an IRCC ECA for Canada, that is essentially a Document-by-Document evaluation under the WES Canada process, also priced similarly (around $258 CAD as of recent data).
Complete the Payment: Once you’ve chosen the report type, you’ll move to the payment page. WES accepts major credit/debit cards and sometimes online payment services or bank transfers (such as Convera/Western Union) for international applicants. Enter your payment information on the secure portal and submit. Make sure the name on the card matches or you’ve cleared it with your bank for an international charge if you’re abroad, to avoid the payment failing.
After payment is processed, WES will confirm your order. At this point, your unique WES Reference Number is generated. This is a 7-digit number (e.g., WES Reference No. 1234567) that links all your documents to your application. It will be displayed on screen and emailed to you in the confirmation message. Save this number immediately!
Why is the Reference Number important? You must include your WES reference number on all documents you send to WES or on any correspondence. Think of it as your file ID. When your university sends your transcript or if you have to mail anything, this number should be written on the envelope (and in the forms, if applicable) so that when WES receives mail, they know it’s for your evaluation. Without the reference, your documents might sit unassigned or get delayed.
WES will also summarize next steps, which usually include instructions like: “Now arrange for your documents to be sent. See your Required Documents list for details.” You can always log back in to your account and see your reference number and status, but it’s good to have it noted down somewhere safe.
Tip: If you realize after payment that you made a mistake (wrong credential info or want to add a degree), you might have options to correct it. Minor typos can be fixed by contacting WES support. Adding a new credential after submission might require an extra fee or a formal “upgrade” request. So it’s best to get everything right before hitting pay. We’ll cover a final review checklist in a later section.
Payment confirmation page showing a WES Reference Number assigned to the new application
Now comes the part that often takes the most time: sending your academic documents to WES. WES needs official records to verify your education – usually transcripts and degree certificates, depending on the country. Here’s a step-by-step rundown:
After payment, your WES account will show a Required Documents list for each credential. This is tailored to the country and level of your education. For example, if your degree is from India, WES typically requires:
You will likely need to get in touch with the Registrar’s Office or Records Office of the university/college you attended. Inform them that you need to send your academic records to WES for an evaluation. Many institutions are familiar with WES and have standard procedures to help alumni send transcripts for this purpose.
Ask them about their process:
If possible, request electronic delivery. WES accepts electronic documents from certain platforms (like Parchment, TrueCopy, Digitary, etc.) or directly from institutions that partner with WES. Electronic submission can significantly cut down on mailing time. Check WES’s site or ask your university if they can send secure digital transcripts to WES. If they can, WES will provide instructions (usually an email address or a code to use for sending).
If electronic is not available or your school only sends physical copies, request them to prepare official transcripts in a sealed envelope. The envelope should be stamped or signed across the flap by the institution – this seal is what makes it official and indicates it hasn’t been tampered with.
If your university is mailing the documents on your behalf, provide them with your WES Reference Number and WES mailing address (which is typically a P.O. Box address in the U.S. or Canada, provided in your account). The reference number should ideally be included on the transcript or cover sheet, and on the outside of the envelope (many universities will print it on the mailing envelope if you tell them). This way, when WES receives it, they immediately know it’s for your file.
If the university hands you the sealed envelope to mail:
Use a reliable courier or postal service to send the sealed envelopes to WES. WES has specific addresses depending on the service: for U.S. evaluations, there’s a WES address in the U.S. (in New York), and for Canada ECAs, a Toronto address. Make sure you use the correct one as listed in your WES account’s instructions. It’s highly recommended to use tracking when mailing documents. This way, you can see when it’s delivered to WES (although note that once delivered, it might still take WES some days to mark them as received in your account).
If you have multiple schools sending documents, each should ideally send their packet separately (that is the norm). Do not combine records from two different institutions in one envelope – WES won’t accept that since the seal would be broken for one of them. Each institution’s registrar should send its own records.
Translations: If your documents (transcripts or degree certificates) are not in English (or French, for Canada process), WES will require word-for-word translations. Usually, the issuing institution or a certified translator must provide these. Some universities issue transcripts in English directly upon request – which is ideal. But if you have transcripts in another language, get them translated by a certified translator. The translator should ideally put the translated pages in a sealed envelope as well, or include a signed statement of accuracy. Make sure the translation is precise and matches the original text; errors in translation can lead to WES putting your file on hold. You will typically send both the original-language document and the translation to WES.
Even a small mistake in the WES process can cause delays or frustration. Here are some real-life examples of errors applicants make, and tips on how you can avoid them:
Bottom line: Pay attention to the details at each step. WES has specific rules to maintain the integrity of the evaluation. If you follow instructions carefully – filling forms correctly, sending proper documents, and heeding any emails from WES – you’ll avoid most common pitfalls. And if you do slip up, don’t panic: WES will usually allow you to correct the issue (though it will delay the timeline). You can always reach out to their support for guidance if you’re unsure what to do after a mistake.
One of the most frequent questions is, “How long will this take?” The timeline for a WES credential evaluation can vary, but here’s a breakdown of what to expect:
Evaluation Processing Time: WES quotes their standard processing time as about 7 business days for a credential evaluation after they have received and accepted all required documents and payment.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have your report in 7 days of creating your account – it means once your transcripts and everything are in order, the actual evaluation (the analysis of your credentials and preparation of your report) takes roughly a week or so.
In reality, the end-to-end process often takes a bit longer because you need to factor in:
So from start (application) to finish (report in hand), it could be as quick as 2-3 weeks in a best-case scenario (fast document submission, no issues, electronic delivery) or more commonly around 4-8 weeks. Some people have experienced delays stretching to a couple of months if there were problems or high seasonal demand (e.g., just before university application deadlines or immigration quota deadlines, WES might have a higher workload).
Checking Current Times: WES maintains a “Current Processing Times” page on their website where they sometimes post updates on expected timeframes. They might also display an estimated completion date in your account once your docs are in order. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your account status rather than just the calendar.
Pricing Recap: As described earlier, WES fees depend on the type of evaluation:
These are base fees per WES’s schedule. If you’re in Canada, the fees are similar in CAD but with slight differences (e.g., ~$240 CAD for an ECA). Always refer to the WES fee schedule for the most up-to-date prices, as they occasionally adjust them.
Additional Fees to Consider:
Choosing Delivery Method: During the application (before payment), you will be asked how you want the report delivered. For U.S. immigration purposes, if the report is for USCIS or an employer, you usually just need it delivered to yourself (then you would include it in your visa petition or show it to the employer). If it’s for education, you might have it sent directly to the university admissions office (make sure you have the correct address or electronic delivery code for the school). Some universities prefer electronic delivery via WES’s system (WES can send to many institutions directly in electronic form if they are registered recipients).
Example: You apply for WES Course-by-Course ICAP ($205). You plan to apply to two universities. You select those two universities as recipients in your application. WES might charge ~$30 each extra to send to them. You also choose courier for your copy ($41 for overnight in U.S.). So your total might be $205 + $41 + $30 + $30 = $306. It can add up, but consider it an investment in your future opportunities. (If budget is a concern, you could stick to standard mail for your copy and only send to one recipient for now, adding others later as needed.)
Note on Delivery Times: Courier deliveries are trackable and usually arrive in a few days. Standard mail can take a couple of weeks domestically and even longer internationally. Also, if you’re outside the U.S., your country’s customs might hold a courier envelope briefly (especially in places where international packages are scanned). Generally, though, courier is much faster and safer.
Expedited Processing: Unlike some testing services, WES does not really offer an “expedite my evaluation” option. You can’t pay extra to have your documents reviewed faster – their process line is mostly first-come, first-served. The only speeding up you control is how fast you get documents to them and choosing fast delivery. So beware of any third-party that claims they can expedite WES; it’s usually not possible beyond what WES itself can do under standard procedure.
Before you hit that final Submit (or pay) button in your WES application, it’s wise to do one more thorough review to avoid any errors. Here’s a quick final checklist of things to verify:
Once everything looks good, go ahead and submit your application and make the payment. After submitting, you won’t be able to edit the education info directly in the portal. If you spot a mistake afterward, you’ll need to contact WES Customer Service to see if they can adjust it, or in some cases you might need to pay for an addition or correction. That’s why that final review is important – it can save you time and money.
After payment, remember to note your WES Reference Number as discussed. You should also receive a confirmation email from WES summarizing your order. Save that for your records.
Lastly, prepare a plan to get your documents sent if you haven’t already initiated that. Some applicants actually request transcripts before even creating the WES application to save time (which can be okay, but risky if you don’t have the reference number yet – better to at least wait for the number and then have the university include it).
Now your part of the application (the online portion) is done, and it’s largely a waiting game while documents make their way to WES and the evaluation is completed.
After submitting everything, you’ll likely be eager to know what’s happening with your evaluation. WES provides ways to track your application status online. Here’s how to stay updated and what to expect when the evaluation is finished:
WES Account Status Updates: Log in to your WES account regularly. On your dashboard or the specific application page, you’ll see status updates for each credential’s document and for the overall evaluation. Common status messages include:
WES will also send you email notifications at key points, especially if there’s a problem or when the report is completed. So check the email you used for registration (and the spam folder just in case). If you see an on-hold message and didn’t get an email, contact WES or check their help center for the meaning of the status.
Customer Support and Follow-Up: If a document is taking too long or you think something should have arrived, you can reach out to WES customer support. They have a contact form and sometimes phone numbers (though reaching a live person can be challenging due to high volume). Provide your reference number in any communication. WES support can often clarify what exactly is needed if the message was unclear. For example, if you see “Document not accepted: please resubmit” but aren’t sure why, asking them may reveal it was not legible or not properly sealed, etc., so you know what to tell your university to fix.
Receiving the ECA Report: Once the status says “Completed,” congrats! WES has finished your ECA/credential evaluation. Now, how do you get the results?
Using the Report: Now you can use the WES ECA report for its intended purpose. For immigration, you’d include it in your application or give the reference number (USCIS might want the original report in the petition). For employment, you can show the evaluating company or even attach it to your resume or LinkedIn (WES provides a digital badge for ICAP evaluations which can be shared to verify your credentials). For education, your university will receive it directly if you sent it to them – you might not need to do anything further except maybe confirm they got it.
Storage and Future Use: If you opted for ICAP, WES will keep your verified transcripts on file. This means if in a year you apply to another university or need to send the report elsewhere, you can order an additional copy without having your school resend transcripts. If you didn’t use ICAP, WES still keeps your data, but transcripts might not be stored long-term. In any case, your WES login will remain active, and you can always log back in to order new copies of the report for new recipients (for a fee) or to upgrade your report if needed. Keep your WES reference number and login credentials noted for the future.
Validity Note: If you did an IRCC ECA (for Canada) but in the future need a WES evaluation for the U.S., you will have to go through a slightly separate process (WES cannot directly transfer an ECA into a course-by-course, for example, without a new application, though some documents may be reused). And vice versa. So while your WES report is valid indefinitely for its intended purpose, it’s tied to that country’s format.
Tracking Summary: To recap, you track via your WES Account primarily. Use email updates as secondary. Be proactive if delays occur beyond the normal timeframe. And once you have that report in hand, you’ve successfully translated your foreign credentials into the U.S. context – congratulations!
Going through WES for the first time can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are resources and tools to help you even before you apply (and during, if needed). Here are some additional tips:
In conclusion, obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment from WES is a multi-step process, but by understanding each step and preparing carefully, you can navigate it successfully. This investment of time and effort will pay off when your foreign degree is recognized in the U.S., opening doors for immigration opportunities, educational advancement, or career growth. Use the tools and tips provided, stay organized, and soon you’ll have your WES report in hand – a key asset in your journey to the United States!
Good luck with your WES application and your plans beyond, and welcome to the next step in your international adventure!