If you are a student, working professional, or an individual planning to go to Canada or the USA for study, work, or settlement purposes, you may have encountered the term WES. This document plays a crucial role in your journey. As more people are drawn to countries like the USA and Canada for various reasons, WES is becoming increasingly popular. But what exactly is WES, and do you truly need it to achieve your dreams abroad, or are you pursuing it merely to satisfy your career counselor?
What is WES?
The World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit organization that provides credential evaluation services for professionals and international students seeking to study, immigrate, or work in the United States or Canada. If you are from any country and wish to relocate to the U.S. or Canada for various purposes—such as education, employment, or settlement—the local authorities in these countries require verification that your educational qualifications from your home country are equivalent to North American standards. This verification process is known as credential evaluation, and it is conducted by World Education Services (WES).
How is WES playing a crucial role in your journey abroad?
If you are a working professional or student, then WES somehow provides the perfect transparency to the local authorities of the USA or Canada about how robust your profile is. Let’s understand how WES is important and shape your study abroad journey
- Uniformity – Across the globe, education systems vary greatly. WES provides a clear understanding of where your profile stands so that the university or employer can understand your qualifications in a familiar format.
- Local education system – The bachelor’s degree duration in Canada and the USA is four years, whereas there are some different countries’ education systems, such as India, Australia, and the UK, where the normal duration of a bachelor’s degree is three years, so WES provides a clear assessment of how many credits you have gained in your three-year degree are equivalent to a four-year North American degree.
- Trusted Body – Since WES is a trusted body for credit evaluation, it streamlines the process. WES shares the reports directly with the concerned bodies by minimising fraud and guaranteeing authenticity.
- Expert Licensing – Many regulated professions, such as Teaching, nursing, and engineering in Canada or the USA, ask for a credit evaluation report by WES, which is a common requirement for these professions.
- Local Immigration System – For countries like Canada, WES converts academic profiles or education credentials to points used for immigration scoring, and since it is a point system, a permanent pathway which is known as the Comprehensive Ranking System, WES is a crucial prerequisite for it. Without providing a WES credit evaluation report, you might not only lose points but also become ineligible for the same.
Validity of WES
Although there is no expiration of WES evaluation, which means it is valid indefinitely once it is verified, the time frame for acceptance of the review by particular organisations or institutions, such as employers or colleges/universities, may differ. For instance, WES reports are valid for five years after the date of issuance for immigration reasons with Canada’s IRCC.
Type of Credentials Evaluations by WES
- Document by Document Evaluation
- Course by Course Evaluation
Document by Document Evaluation
This evaluation report demonstrates the value of your international degree or qualification in comparison with the US or Canada. It has been primarily used for immigration or work purposes. It represent
- The name of the degree or diploma you have pursued in your home country
- The name of the institution,
- The year you received the degree
- The equivalency level in the USA or Canada
Course by Course Evaluation
This type of evaluation report demonstrates how each course, grade, and credit of your international education appears in the United States or Canada. The primary purpose of course-by-course evaluation is for university admission or study purposes. It represent
- The name of the degree you pursued
- The institute where you study
- The equivalency to the USA or Canada
- The subjects you have studied
- The GPA you have received
WES Evaluation Fee
The fee for WES depends on the type of evaluation
Evaluation by Course: Between $210 and $248 CAD.
Evaluation of each document separately: About $115 CAD.
When You Do Not Need It?
Though WES is gaining popularity since migration trends are surging, employer requirements or prerequisites by top immigration bodies, etc., there are some ways in which you do not need a WES evaluation.
Own Evaluation
There are many universities in Canada and the USA that either do not ask for WES credit evaluation or do it on their own. In those cases, WES is not required. Some of the examples where WES is not required are
- University of Manitoba
- International Business University
- Vancouver Island University
- Crandall University
Canadian Degree
If your last qualification was obtained in Canadian institutions, then there is no need to provide a WES evaluation.
Other Immigration Programs
There are some provincial nominee programmes that do not require WES or an education credentials assessment if you have attained a job offer letter or work experience.
Other Alternative options
WES is not the only option for education credentials assessment; there are certain other alternatives also available, such as
- ICES (International Credential Evaluation Service)
- IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service)
- CES (Comparative Education Service)
At the end, WES is a well-liked and reliable option for credential validation, although it’s not always required. You might be able to apply other approaches—or forego credential review entirely—depending on your programme, career, and destination abroad.
Before beginning the WES procedure, always conduct a preliminary study and consult official sources. You can save time, money, and effort by doing this.
Check out how you can also study in the USA for free.
