Express Entry- ECA question

[ALam86]

Good morning. I am attempting to collect all the documentation needed to create an Express Entry profile and have encountered a confounding issue with my ECA.

A little background- I am a nurse practitioner in the U.S. and have been practicing as such for four years. In preparation for this position, I completed an advanced degree at a 'brick-and-mortar' university here. The program was BSN to Doctorate program, meaning that I went straight from my bachelor's degree to a doctorate, bypassing the more conventional master's degree step in between. My degree is Doctorate in Nursing Practice, which is a terminal degree in my field.

In studying the parameters for Express Entry, I have always had a question about whether I would be allowed to claim a doctorate degree, since my degree is technically DNP, instead of PhD or if I might have to select Master's degree for fewer points. I expected WES to clarify the matter on my ECA. What I didn't expect was the actual equivalency statement I got which was... "Completion of advanced study and training in nursing." No mention of a degree level at all even though the credential analysis portion does note that the degree is a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

So now I don't have a clue which education level to select on my Express Entry profile. I had a one-time consultation with an immigration specialist previously and he said he thought it would be the doctorate level but it occurs to me that this degree situation might be unusual. Obviously, I don't want to choose the wrong degree level and risk having my application rejected at some later date but at the same time, these 15-20 points will presumably make a big difference in the likelihood that I get selected. I am near the cutoff we have seen for healthcare draws in 2024.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[scylla]

Good morning. I am attempting to collect all the documentation needed to create an Express Entry profile and have encountered a confounding issue with my ECA.

A little background- I am a nurse practitioner in the U.S. and have been practicing as such for four years. In preparation for this position, I completed an advanced degree at a 'brick-and-mortar' university here. The program was BSN to Doctorate program, meaning that I went straight from my bachelor's degree to a doctorate, bypassing the more conventional master's degree step in between. My degree is Doctorate in Nursing Practice, which is a terminal degree in my field.

In studying the parameters for Express Entry, I have always had a question about whether I would be allowed to claim a doctorate degree, since my degree is technically DNP, instead of PhD or if I might have to select Master's degree for fewer points. I expected WES to clarify the matter on my ECA. What I didn't expect was the actual equivalency statement I got which was... "Completion of advanced study and training in nursing." No mention of a degree level at all even though the credential analysis portion does note that the degree is a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

So now I don't have a clue which education level to select on my Express Entry profile. I had a one-time consultation with an immigration specialist previously and he said he thought it would be the doctorate level but it occurs to me that this degree situation might be unusual. Obviously, I don't want to choose the wrong degree level and risk having my application rejected at some later date but at the same time, these 15-20 points will presumably make a big difference in the likelihood that I get selected. I am near the cutoff we have seen for healthcare draws in 2024.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Try assessing your degree through a different provider. As things stand now, you can't claim points for this on your EE profile. You need to resolve this issue before creating your EE profile.

 

[scylla]

Good morning. I am attempting to collect all the documentation needed to create an Express Entry profile and have encountered a confounding issue with my ECA.

A little background- I am a nurse practitioner in the U.S. and have been practicing as such for four years. In preparation for this position, I completed an advanced degree at a 'brick-and-mortar' university here. The program was BSN to Doctorate program, meaning that I went straight from my bachelor's degree to a doctorate, bypassing the more conventional master's degree step in between. My degree is Doctorate in Nursing Practice, which is a terminal degree in my field.

In studying the parameters for Express Entry, I have always had a question about whether I would be allowed to claim a doctorate degree, since my degree is technically DNP, instead of PhD or if I might have to select Master's degree for fewer points. I expected WES to clarify the matter on my ECA. What I didn't expect was the actual equivalency statement I got which was... "Completion of advanced study and training in nursing." No mention of a degree level at all even though the credential analysis portion does note that the degree is a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

So now I don't have a clue which education level to select on my Express Entry profile. I had a one-time consultation with an immigration specialist previously and he said he thought it would be the doctorate level but it occurs to me that this degree situation might be unusual. Obviously, I don't want to choose the wrong degree level and risk having my application rejected at some later date but at the same time, these 15-20 points will presumably make a big difference in the likelihood that I get selected. I am near the cutoff we have seen for healthcare draws in 2024.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry, one more suggestion. You may want to try getting your bachelor and DNP assessed together and see if that changes the outcome. Either way, you cannot enter the EE pool until you've resolved this.

 

[ALam86]

Try assessing your degree through a different provider. As things stand now, you can't claim points for this on your EE profile. You need to resolve this issue before creating your EE profile.

Good morning. Are you saying that I can't claim ANY educational level for EE with this result from WES? It sounds like I paid them for nothing! Given that, do you have any recommendation on a provider that would be likely to give me a good result?

It almost feels like WES didn't know what to do with this degree and just typed that equivalency statement to fulfill their obligation in the minimal sense of the word. Perhaps I don't understand the process correctly but my belief was that the entire purpose of their ECA service is to provide guidance in determining which box to check for EE.

 

[scylla]

Good morning. Are you saying that I can't claim ANY educational level for EE with this result from WES? It sounds like I paid them for nothing! Given that, do you have any recommendation on a provider that would be likely to give me a good result?

It almost feels like WES didn't know what to do with this degree and just typed that equivalency statement to fulfill their obligation in the minimal sense of the word. Perhaps I don't understand the process correctly but my belief was that the entire purpose of their ECA service is to provide guidance in determining which box to check for EE.

Correct. You cannot claim any education points without WES or other ECA results that confirm you have this level of education.

The purpose of ECA is NOT to provide guidance. It is to specifically assess your education against Canadian standards to determine equivalency. You cannot submit an EE profile without ECA results. Additionally, the option you select in your EE profile MUST match the ECA results, otherwise you are committing misrepresentation. Suggest you research the EE program in more detail to understand requirements correctly.

I'm not familiar enough with the other providers to suggest which one you should use instead. Suggest posting to the EE section of the forum vs here.

 

[Naturgrl]

What US school did you attend? Right now, you are not eligible for EE if you have no ECA for any post secondary education.

 

[ALam86]

What US school did you attend? Right now, you are not eligible for EE if you have no ECA for any post secondary education.

Hi, my Doctorate in Nursing Practice is from East Carolina University. I also have an APRN certificate from University of Pennsylvania in critical care nursing. This is like a two-year post-graduate certification program, not actually an additional degree.

 

[Naturgrl]

Hi, my Doctorate in Nursing Practice is from East Carolina University. I also have an APRN certificate from University of Pennsylvania in critical care nursing. This is like a two-year post-graduate certification program, not actually an additional degree.

What advice has NNAS given as you cannot work as a nurse in Canada, and need to be licensed. They would know about the ECA process.

 

[scylla]

Hi, my Doctorate in Nursing Practice is from East Carolina University. I also have an APRN certificate from University of Pennsylvania in critical care nursing. This is like a two-year post-graduate certification program, not actually an additional degree.

Ultimately Express Entry is a non starter for you until you have an ECA that evaluates your education as equivalent to an actual Canadian diploma or degree. I would focus on resolving that first. As things stand now, you can't even enter the Express Entry pool.

 

[ALam86]

What advice has NNAS given as you cannot work as a nurse in Canada, and need to be licensed. They would know about the ECA process.

I have already completed the process to be an RN through NSCN. This problem did not come up. I do not have my license yet but only because I haven't yet paid the fee. That process is complete and I have been working with them to get my NP license.

 

[Naturgrl]

I have already completed the process to be an RN through NSCN. This problem did not come up. I do not have my license yet but only because I haven't yet paid the fee. That process is complete and I have been working with them to get my NP license.

Contact NSCN and ask about what organization to use for ECA. If not eligible for EE, then you will need to look at non EE streams in NS and see if eligible.

 

[ALam86]

Ultimately Express Entry is a non starter for you until you have an ECA that evaluates your education as equivalent to an actual Canadian diploma or degree. I would focus on resolving that first. As things stand now, you can't even enter the Express Entry pool.

I agree that resolving this needs to a top priority. The result from WES is still baffling to me. It seems ridiculous that they could promote their ECA product specifically to meet IRCC requirements (which they do on the website) and then provide a result that is incompatible with that process. I know you recommended obtaining an ECA from a different provider but it seems to me that a different service might 'evaluate' it in exactly the same way. I don't know that this will accomplish anything but I have already sent an email to WES and hope to talk to them about providing something more definitive. As I said in my original post, I was fully expecting a result that would not allow me to claim a doctoral level of education (even though that's what it is in my profession) because it wasn't a PhD and because of the relative newness of this kind of degree. But I wasn't expecting them to be unwilling to make any comparison beyond a vague statement of my course of study.

 

[ALam86]

Contact NSCN and ask about what organization to use for ECA. If not eligible for EE, then you will need to look at non EE streams in NS and see if eligible.

That's a good idea. I will do that. I still have several options that I see. First, if nothing else, I can get my bachelor's degree validated so that I can at least get an EE profile (which would quite likely be below the CRS points I need). Then, my understanding is that I can contact individual provinces in hopes of getting nomination points through PNP. We are also looking at other programs that don't rely on EE, as you suggested. Still, this feels like a setback.

 

[scylla]

I agree that resolving this needs to a top priority. The result from WES is still baffling to me. It seems ridiculous that they could promote their ECA product specifically to meet IRCC requirements (which they do on the website) and then provide a result that is incompatible with that process. I know you recommended obtaining an ECA from a different provider but it seems to me that a different service might 'evaluate' it in exactly the same way. I don't know that this will accomplish anything but I have already sent an email to WES and hope to talk to them about providing something more definitive. As I said in my original post, I was fully expecting a result that would not allow me to claim a doctoral level of education (even though that's what it is in my profession) because it wasn't a PhD and because of the relative newness of this kind of degree. But I wasn't expecting them to be unwilling to make any comparison beyond a vague statement of my course of study.

The statement you received back actually isn't vague. It means that WES assessed your education and determined it was additional training / education that is not the equivalent of a Canadian diploma or degree. This may very well be because of the newness of the program. I do think it may have helped to have them assess both your bachelor and this additional education. Anyway, at this point I guess you can wait and see what they say.

 

[scylla]

That's a good idea. I will do that. I still have several options that I see. First, if nothing else, I can get my bachelor's degree validated so that I can at least get an EE profile (which would quite likely be below the CRS points I need). Then, my understanding is that I can contact individual provinces in hopes of getting nomination points through PNP. We are also looking at other programs that don't rely on EE, as you suggested. Still, this feels like a setback.

You are right, it is a set back for you. Make sure you have all of the other requirements ready to go like the right English language test. Good luck.