The Educational Credential Assessment Project –
Fact Sheet
Engineers Canada is working to become designated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to
assess engineering education credentials for immigration purposes.
OPPORTUNITY
The government sees value in Engineers Canada, as the national engineering body, becoming the sole
assessor of foreign engineering educational credentials. This is good for the engineering profession and
its applicants. The new role enhances Engineers Canada's existing resources that provide international
engineering graduates with the tools they need to become successful members of the Canadian
workforce. It will help these newcomers on their path to licensure and potential employment in their
fields of expertise.
BACKGROUND
• The government of Canada requires some economic class applicants to submit an Educational
Credential Assessment (ECA) of their foreign educational credentials for immigration purposes.
• An ECA is used to verify that a foreign degree, diploma, certificate or other proof of credential, is
valid and academically equal to a credential completed in Canada.
• Only ECAs completed by CIC-designated organizations are accepted as confirmation of equivalency
of a foreign degree for immigration purposes.
• Currently, three organizations are CIC-designated to conduct ECAs for most foreign educational
credentials, including engineering: Comparative Education Service (U of T), International Credential
Assessment Service of Canada, and World Education Services, all non-engineering organizations.
• National professional bodies for doctors and pharmacists are designated agencies for assessing
education credentials within their professions.
• The government of Canada will launch the Express Entry program in January 2015 to connect
Canadian employers with a pool of candidates and will give CIC the flexibility to select candidates
that are most likely to succeed in Canada, rather than those who are first in line. Candidates must
meet the criteria set out in the following immigration programs in order to enter the Express Entry
pool:
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Canadian Experience Class;
Federal Skilled Trades Program; and
a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
Individuals who express interest and meet the criteria for one of the four federal programs will be
admitted to the Express Entry pool and be ranked against other candidates.
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ISSUES
• While an applicant may be advised that their degree is assessed as equivalent to a Canadian degree,
the assessments currently conducted are not recognized by the provincial and territorial engineering
regulators. Applicants must have their academics assessed a second time for licensure purposes.
• Of the individuals who immigrate to Canada claiming to have engineering credentials, only a portion
of them are international engineering graduates who apply for licensure in Canada.
• Currently, not all engineering regulatory bodies will accept an academic assessment performed by
another engineering regulatory body.
BENEFITS
Benefits for the Public:
The public can continue to feel confident that professional engineers in Canada, regardless of where
they received their education, have the right education and skills to practice engineering with
competence and integrity.
Benefits for the Engineering Regulatory Bodies:
Engineers Canada, acting as the clearinghouse, would:
• Manage the logistics of documentation and payments.
• Eliminate duplicate transcript authentication, source verification, translation and assessments.
• Co-ordinate with the federal government and the engineering regulatory bodies regarding
applicants.
• Assessment will continue to be held to the high standards of the Qualification Board and
engineering regulatory bodies' guidelines.
Benefits for Applicants:
Aligning steps in the licensure process with the immigration process will:
• Manage applicants' expectations prior to their arrival.
• Allow applicants the opportunity to learn more about licensure in Canada.
• Link immigration and licensure, thereby eliminating the applicant's duplication of efforts for the
gathering of academic documents.
Conducting this project on behalf of the engineering profession would ensure that foreign credential
recognition is timely and consistent as required for immigration and licensure in Canada.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Engineers Canada becomes the designated agency for assessing engineering education credentials for
immigration purposes.
All of our processes will be in keeping with the Framework for Regulation Element Fairness in
Registration Practices.
The results of the educational credential assessments are accepted by most engineering regulatory
bodies as sufficient for the purpose of licensure. Applicants will be clearly advised which jurisdictions will
accept the assessment.
– The Educational Credential Assessment Project –
Frequently Asked Questions
Note: Please refer to the Educational Credential Assessment Fact Sheet for further information on the project's background, issues, benefits and success criteria.
1. Why is Engineers Canada working to become a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)-designated agency for assessing engineering education credentials?
Becoming a CIC -designated agency will allow Engineers Canada to reach potential applicants while they are still in their home country. An educational credential assessment links immigration and the professional assessment for engineering licensure, thereby eliminating the applicant's duplication of efforts for the gathering of academic documents. This will benefit the applicant, regulator and the engineering profession.
2. What is the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)?
As of May 2013, CIC requires all applicants to have educational credentials assessed to determine their comparability to Canadian educational credentials. As part of their application to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, applicants must show that they have had their educational credentials assessed by a CIC-designated organization.
An ECA is used to verify that a foreign degree, diploma, certificate or other proof of credentials, is valid and academically equal to a credential completed in Canada.
3. Who will need the ECA?
Individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program with a foreign educational credential.
4. What is the value to the engineering regulatory bodies?
The engineering regulatory bodies will be assured that the ECAs will be conducted by the engineering profession and conform to the high standards of the Canadian Engineering Qualification Board and engineering regulatory bodies' guidelines. Engineers Canada will also coordinate with the federal government and the engineering regulatory bodies regarding applicants, and manage the logistics of documentation and payments.
5. What is the value to international engineering graduates?
The ECA project will align the steps in the licensure process with the immigration process. In turn this will manage international engineering graduates' expectations prior to their arrival in Canada; offer them the opportunity to learn more about engineering licensure in Canada; ensure that their foreign credential recognition is timely and consistent as required for immigration and engineering licensure in
October 27, 2014
Canada; and eliminate duplicate transcript authentication, source verification, translation and assessments.
6. What are the benefits to the public?
The public can continue to feel confident that professional engineers in Canada, regardless of where they received their education, have the right education and skills to practise engineering with competence and integrity.
7. Is the FSWP/ECA process the only way international engineering graduates can immigrate to Canada?
8. No. There are different programs that allow you to immigrate to Canada permanently. Visit the CIC website to find out what immigration programs you can apply for.
9. How will international engineering graduates know if their credentials are considered valid if they do not have an ECA?
If an international engineering graduate does not have an ECA, it is the responsibility of the engineering regulatory body to ensure the applicant for licensure has the necessary credentials and qualifications. The engineering regulatory bodies assess the applicant to ensure they have the right education and skills to practise engineering with competence and integrity.
10. Who is conducting the ECAs?
ECAs will be conducted by the engineering profession and will ensure they conform to the high standards of the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board and engineering regulatory bodies' guidelines.
11. Can I apply to both Engineers Canada and an engineering regulatory body?
The intention of the ECA project is to streamline this process for international engineering graduates applying to immigrate under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. A solution is being designed and the entire process will be clearly outlined in the Engineers Canada proposal to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
12. Do international engineering graduates have to go through Engineers Canada if they have already had their academics assessed by an engineering regulatory body?
Yes. The ECA is required for international engineering graduates applying to immigrate under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The government needs the information in their system. International engineering graduates will need to apply and pay a small administration fee. Educational credentials will not be reassessed, and the same disclaimer statements will apply.
13. What will Engineers Canada do if the ECA applicant needs to write confirmatory or technical exams to meet the academic requirement for licensure?
Engineers Canada will advise the ECA applicant in a follow-up report that they should consider applying for licensure and indicate the engineering regulatory bodies that permit them to write the exams in their home country. Engineers Canada will ask the applicant to advise us when the applicant meets this requirement. Engineers Canada will then update the applicant's ECA file and advise the federal government.
14. Is this the same as Express Entry?
October 27, 2014
No. Express Entry is a new federal government program to be launched in January 2015 that will connect Canadian employers with a pool of candidates and will give CIC the flexibility to select candidates that are most likely to succeed in Canada, rather than those who are first in line. Candidates must meet the criteria set out in the following immigration programs in order to enter the Express Entry pool:
• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Canadian Experience Class;
• Federal Skilled Trades Program; and
• a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
Individuals who express interest and meet the criteria for one of the four federal programs will be admitted to the Express Entry pool and be ranked against other candidates.
15. Who has Engineers Canada consulted with on this initiative?
Engineers Canada has consulted with CIC-designated agencies and the provincial and territorial engineering regulators at various levels. Engineers Canada will continue to consult and brief its engineering regulatory bodies as the process model is developed.
To learn more about the Educational Credential Assessment Project, contact Doris Yee, Practice Lead, Special Projects, at doris.yee @ engineerscanada.ca