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Frequently Asked Questions
Will my international credentials be recognized in Canada?
The answer is yes. However, you need to take the following steps to assure the recognition
of your international academic credentials:
- apply to a reputable evaluation service and receive a formal report of your Canadian equivalency,
- if you have a Canadian equivalency, share your educational attainment when talking to employers, educational institutions and
professional associations,
- mention in your resume and/or in your portfolio that you have
a Canadian academic equivalency from WES,
- when applying for jobs, send a copy of your evaluation report with the cover letter and resume,
- when applying for school admission, share a copy of your report with Canadian institutions of higher education, and furthermore,
where applicable, negotiate credit transfer or advanced standing,
- when applying for accreditation with professional associations, again, share a copy of your report, and
- if you have an equivalent of high school diploma, apprenticeship training programs will
recognize your education from your home country.
Why do I need to arrange for WES to receive the documents directly from my institution?
The goal of WES is to see that you receive appropriate recognition for your international
academic credentials. This recognition will be from employers, educational institutions
and professional associations. WES is serving many of these ends-users, directly or
indirectly, and these end-users place significant value on evaluation reports which are
based on authentic or verified documents. Evaluation reports are only valuable when they
are based on authentic or verified documents. Receiving documents directly from the
institutions is the best way of assuring the authenticity. This is the method preferred
by the institutions we work with. Once WES has received your documents directly, we can
share images of your “verified authentic” document with any institution of your choice.
Why do I need to have my international academic credentials evaluated?
If you have completed your education outside of Canada, you should have your academic
credentials evaluated in order to have them understood and recognized by educational
institutions, employers, professional associations and apprenticeship training programs
in Canada. A WES evaluation report will show Canadian equivalents for your academic
credentials and help you pursue further education, seek employment, receive designations
or license from professional associations and enter apprenticeship training programs in
Canada. A WES evaluation also assures Canadian institutions that the credentials you
have are valid and your documents are authentic.
When should I have my academic credentials evaluated?
You should have your academic credentials evaluated as early as possible so that
you can make the most out of the evaluation. Ideally, you should begin the process
before you come to Canada. If you plan to continue your studies at a Canadian
college or university and have not yet decided where to apply, a WES evaluation
can help you make that decision by showing you how your academic credentials are
viewed in Canada. You can use that information to apply to schools that are appropriate
for your educational background. Likewise, if you are seeking employment, the evaluation
will help you identify positions for which you have the requisite educational background.
Does the Canadian government evaluate academic credentials?
There is no federal government agency in Canada that evaluates academic credentials.
Credential evaluation is a service provided by provincially mandated services such as
WES, some universities, professional associations, and by other independent
organizations. A number of academic institutions and professional associations have
employees who evaluate international academic credentials. Many others require or suggest
that international academic credentials be evaluated by an expert service such as WES.
WES is recognized, and funded in part, by the Government of Ontario.
Who recognizes WES evaluations?
WES evaluations are recognized and accepted by many universities, colleges, professional
associations, government agencies and employers throughout Canada and the United States.
WES is the largest and among the oldest of the evaluation services in North America. Each
year, WES prepares evaluations for approximately 55,000 individuals from all over the
world. WES is a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluations Services of Canada
(www.canalliance.org), a founding
member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (
NACES), a member of Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges of Canada
(ARUCC), and the Canadian Bureau
of International Education (CBIE).
Can I contact WES to receive a list of recognized/accredited academic institutions in the world?
Normally, you need to submit an evaluation application before we can determine whether or
not the academic institution you have attended is a recognized/accredited institution.
WES cannot provide this information without conducting a formal evaluation.
What documents do I need to send for evaluation?
Sending the appropriate documents is extremely important for the WES evaluation process.
Detailed instructions for your particular country of education are given at
http://www.wes.org/ca/required.
Do I need to send original or certified copies of my documents?
In most instances, WES requires to receive your documents directly from the issuing
institution. Please do not send original copies of your documents unless otherwise
requested by WES. Also, WES doesn’t require photocopies to be certified by public
notary. WES does accept photocopies of the translated documents.
I have the original academic documents in my possession; do I still need to arrange for WES to receive them directly from my institution?
WES required documents are country specific. The best course of action is to visit the
Required Documents section of the website, select your country of education and read the
types of documents WES requires and how the documents needed to be received by WES.
In a lot of instances, for both Document-by-Document and Course-by-Course evaluation
reports, WES requires documents to be sent directly by the issuing institutions.
Do I contact my educational institution to arrange the documents to be sent directly to WES? Or will WES do that on my behalf?
Providing complete documentation for all of your educational credentials for your evaluation
report is your responsibility. WES offices are not involved in requesting documents from the
institutions. However, you can find information on WES website, under “Required Documents”,
including Transcript Request Form, to help you get the documents from your institution.
What do I do first, submit an application to WES or arrange for the documents to be sent directly from my institution?
It is recommended that you submit your WES application first so that when WES receives your
documents, WES staff can match your documents with your file or with your WES reference
number.
What if my documents are not in English or French?
If your documents are not in English or French, you must submit precise word-for-word English
or French translations together with your foreign language documents. COSTI Languages Bureau
and WES have a joint translation and credential evaluation services respectively: WES-COSTI
Joint Online Application
(http://www.wes.org/ca/apply/wescosti.asp). Translations prepared by the school or university
that you attended or by authorized translators in your home country are acceptable.
When WES requires documents to come directly from the issuing institution, we recommend
that, first, you begin by submitting WES application form with translations of your documents
while we wait to receive the documents directly.
What academic documents and credentials should I submit for evaluation?
You will have to decide whether to evaluate all of your academic credentials beginning
with the secondary school or high school diploma, or whether you want to evaluate only
one of your academic credentials, for example your Bachelor degree. It is recommended
that you evaluate all your formal academic credentials, as WES fees are per person and
the fee covers all your degrees and diplomas.
How does WES review documents?
All documents are reviewed by WES Evaluation Department. If WES determines that a credential
requires additional information or verification, WES will contact the applicant and the
institution respectively. At instances, you may need to contact your institution to obtain the
necessary documents or attested documents. For more details, please read
Understanding the WES Document Requirements and
The WES Evaluation Process.
What does a WES evaluation report contain?
A WES evaluation compares your academic credentials with their Canadian educational
equivalents. The evaluation is advisory and it is designed to help academic institutions,
professional associations and employers in Canada understand the education you have
received from outside Canada.
WES offers two types of evaluations:
- A Document-by-Document
evaluation contains a description of your academic credentials, including
name, year awarded, name of institution attended, and major field of study.
It also provides Canadian equivalent for each credential.
Sample
- A Comprehensive Course-by-Course
evaluation contains all of the information in a Document-by-Document evaluation and
in addition, provides a breakdown of all post-secondary study, listing courses taken
and providing Canadian credit and grade equivalents, and grade point average (GPA).
Sample
Which evaluation report should I choose?
Normally, a Document-by-Document evaluation report is sufficient for employment,
immigration and entry to apprenticeship training programs. Universities, colleges
and professional associations require the comprehensive Course-by-Course evaluation
report as it contains the detailed information that they need. It is always a good
idea to check with the university, colleges, professional association, who will use
your evaluation report, if they have specific requirements. Numbers of professional
associations require only WES Document-by-Document report.
What is the cost of a WES evaluation report?
A Document-by-Document evaluation report costs $115 and a detailed Course-by-Course
evaluation report costs $200 for all formal academic credentials submitted. If you
require additional services, such as rush service, express delivery or registered mail,
extra charges apply.
How long does it take to receive a WES evaluation report?
WES standard service is fast and it takes only 7 business days. Rush services of 3-days
and same-day are available for added fee. There is no delay in receiving your report when
you submit complete and accurate documentation for your academic credentials. We recommend
that you start the process as early as possible and submit documents required as per the
guidelines provided on the application form and on the website to ensure the timely completion
of your evaluation report.
How do I confirm whether WES has received my hard copy application form?
If you have provided WES a valid email address, you will receive an automatic confirmation
and a reference number via email. The progress of your file is also available at
(https://www.wes.org/ca/appstatus/). Simply
login using your date of birth and reference number.
How do I know what is happening with my file?
To receive the most up-to-date information about your file, you can visit WES online
applicant status page (https://www.wes.org/ca/appstatus/).
To access your file, you will need to enter your date of birth in the format of mm/dd/yyyy and
your WES reference number. You will also receive notifications from WES via mail and/or email on if we
required more information.
How long does WES keep file open?
Files that are incomplete are placed on hold and kept open until all the necessary documents,
information or verification are received. Completed evaluations are archived and kept indefinitely.
How can I obtain additional reports of an evaluation that has already been completed?
You can order additional evaluation reports at any time by clicking here.
My address has changed; what should I do?
If your address changes before your evaluation is completed, please contact WES in
writing immediately with your updated information. We recommend faxing the updated
information to 416-972-9004.
My name has changed; what should I do?
If your name has changed and the name that appears on your academic credentials is
different from your current name, you must submit an official document (marriage certificate
or other document) that proves your legal change of name. We recommend faxing the updated
information and supporting documents to 416-972-9004.
What do I do if I have questions or disagree with aspects of my evaluation report?
If you have any questions or disagree with any aspects of your evaluation report,
please put them in writing and fax (416-972-9004) to the attention of WES Evaluation
Department. You will receive a written reply from WES for your concerns.
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