What is an ECA?
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is carried out by an approved Canadian organisation, confirming which Canadian level your education from outside Canada is equivalent to.
Which streams need it?
- Alberta’s Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (FGES): your degree must be completed outside Canada within the last 10 years, equivalent to a Canadian degree, with an ECA.
- Some other economic streams also use an ECA to assess education.
Preparing your ECA
- Check the organisation is designated for your stream.
- Transcripts are usually sent by your university directly to the assessing organisation.
- Allow processing time so it doesn’t delay your EOI or application.
How it fits with FGES
FGES is specifically for graduates of universities outside Canada, so the ECA is a core document proving your education — prepared alongside your language results, business plan and designated agency recommendation.