A degree from your home country does not speak for itself abroad. An employer in Toronto or an immigration officer in Berlin has no easy way of knowing whether a Bachelor of Science from your university is equivalent to their own. Credential evaluation fills that gap: an official body compares your qualification with the local system and issues a statement that employers, regulators and immigration authorities accept.
Almost every skilled migration route requires one, and it is often the slowest step in the whole process. Each country uses different bodies and different names. This guide explains which evaluation you need, roughly what it costs and how to stop it holding you up.
Read also: Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2026: How LMIA Jobs Really Work
Three different purposes
Before you pay anyone, be clear about why you need the evaluation, because the three purposes are served by different bodies.
- Immigration. A general statement of what your degree is equivalent to, used to claim points or meet a visa requirement
- Professional licensing. A detailed assessment by the regulator of a profession such as nursing, medicine, engineering, teaching or law. A general evaluation is not enough to practise a regulated profession
- Further study or employment. A comparison used by universities and employers, sometimes optional
A common and expensive mistake is to buy a general evaluation when the regulator of your profession requires its own.
Which body, by country
| Country | Main body or bodies | What it is called |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | WES, ICAS, IQAS, Comparative Education Service, ICES. Doctors use the Medical Council of Canada and pharmacists use the Pharmacy Examining Board | Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) |
| United Kingdom | UK ENIC | Statement of Comparability |
| Germany | anabin database and the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) | Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) |
| Australia | An assessing authority for each occupation, such as VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, the Australian Computer Society or ANMAC | Skills assessment |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) | International Qualification Assessment |
| Ireland | NARIC Ireland, run by Quality and Qualifications Ireland | Comparability statement |
| United States | Private evaluators that belong to NACES, such as WES and ECE | Credential evaluation |
Canada: the Educational Credential Assessment
For Express Entry you need an ECA from an organisation designated by the immigration department. It confirms that your foreign degree is valid and equal to a completed Canadian credential, and you cannot claim education points without it. Reports are valid for five years for immigration purposes.
World Education Services (WES) is the most widely used. The process is:
- Create an account, choose “ECA for IRCC” and pay the fee
- Receive a reference number
- Ask your university to send your academic transcript directly to the evaluator, quoting that number. WES does not accept transcripts sent by the applicant
- Upload a copy of your degree certificate
- Wait for verification and the completed report, which is sent to you and stored electronically for the immigration department
The stated processing time begins only when all documents have been received and accepted. For graduates of many African universities, the wait for the university to issue and send the transcript is far longer than the evaluation itself. Several universities now send transcripts electronically through approved digital platforms, which is much faster, so ask your registry which methods it supports.
If you have more than one degree, have all of them assessed. Two post-secondary credentials earn more points than one.
United Kingdom: UK ENIC
UK ENIC is the national agency for recognising international qualifications. Its Statement of Comparability says what UK level your qualification corresponds to. The current fee is £69.60, which includes an electronic statement, and it normally takes about 15 working days once UK ENIC has all your documents and payment.
For visas, UK ENIC provides a separate Visas and Nationality service. It confirms that a degree is at the required level and was taught in English, and it is the document you use to meet the English language requirement of the Skilled Worker visa with your degree instead of sitting a test. Make sure you order the correct product, because the ordinary Statement of Comparability does not confirm English proficiency.
Germany: anabin and the ZAB
Germany has a free public database, anabin, that rates foreign universities and lists foreign degree types.
- If your institution is rated H+ and your degree type is listed as equivalent or comparable to a German degree, printouts of those two entries are usually sufficient for a visa such as the EU Blue Card
- If your university or degree is missing, or the rating is unclear, you apply to the ZAB for an individual Statement of Comparability. The fee is about €200 and it takes several weeks to a few months
Regulated professions in Germany, including medicine, nursing, teaching and law, follow a different procedure called professional recognition, handled by the competent authority in each federal state. The government’s “Recognition in Germany” portal has a tool that identifies the right authority for your profession and location.
Australia: skills assessment
Australia does not use a single evaluation body. Each occupation on the skilled lists has a designated assessing authority, which judges both your qualification and your work experience against the standard for that occupation.
- Engineers Australia for engineers
- Australian Computer Society for ICT occupations
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) for nurses
- Trades Recognition Australia for many trades
- CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ or the Institute of Public Accountants for accountants
- VETASSESS for a wide range of professional and general occupations
Fees range from a few hundred to more than a thousand Australian dollars, and requirements are detailed. Some authorities need a competency report or a technical interview. A positive skills assessment is compulsory for the points-tested visas and for many employer-sponsored applications.
New Zealand, Ireland and the United States
- New Zealand. The NZQA International Qualification Assessment states the level of your qualification on the New Zealand framework. Many qualifications from a published list of recognised institutions are exempt. For the Accredited Employer Work Visa, an assessment is usually needed for overseas qualifications below bachelor’s level
- Ireland. NARIC Ireland offers a free online database of foreign qualifications with downloadable comparability statements. It is advisory, and regulated professions apply to their own professional body
- United States. There is no government evaluation body. Employers, universities and state licensing boards accept reports from private evaluators that are members of NACES. For work visas, the petitioning employer’s attorney normally arranges the evaluation. Always ask which evaluator the receiving institution accepts before paying
Regulated professions need more
If your profession is regulated, the general evaluation is only a starting point, and sometimes it is not needed at all. You will deal with the regulator directly:
| Profession | Examples of regulators |
|---|---|
| Nursing | Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK), provincial colleges via NNAS (Canada), AHPRA (Australia) |
| Medicine | General Medical Council (UK), Medical Council of Canada, Australian Medical Council |
| Engineering | Engineering Council (UK), provincial engineering regulators (Canada), Engineers Australia |
| Teaching | Teaching Regulation Agency (England), provincial teacher colleges (Canada), state teacher registration boards (Australia) |
| Pharmacy | General Pharmaceutical Council (UK), Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada |
Documents you will usually need
- Degree certificate, or a statement of result if the certificate has not been issued
- Full academic transcript showing every course and grade
- Proof of identity, normally your passport
- Evidence of a name change, such as a marriage certificate, if the name on your degree differs from your passport
- Certified translations of anything not in the language the evaluator works in
- For some bodies, a letter from the university confirming the language of instruction
How to avoid delays
- Start with the transcript. Request it from your university before you do anything else, and find out exactly how the university sends documents abroad.
- Match your names. Differences in spelling or order between your degree, transcript and passport cause more hold-ups than anything else. Get an affidavit or official correction early.
- Follow the evaluator’s sending instructions exactly. If it says the institution must send documents directly, anything you send yourself will be rejected.
- Pay for tracked delivery where paper documents are unavoidable.
- Clear any outstanding fees or library records at your university, since these often block the release of transcripts.
- Check the body is the right one for your purpose and profession before you pay. Fees are not refunded if you choose the wrong service.
- Apply months before you need the result. Language test results expire, so time the two together.
A word on agents and fake evaluations
You do not need an agent to apply for a credential evaluation. Every body listed here accepts applications directly from individuals online. Be particularly careful with anyone offering to “arrange” a transcript or a favourable evaluation. Evaluators verify documents directly with the issuing university, and a forged document leads to cancellation of the report, a report to the immigration authorities and, in most destination countries, a ban for misrepresentation that lasts for years.
Related guides
- How to Write a CV and Cover Letter for Jobs Abroad: Country-by-Country Rules and Examples
- How to Work as a Nurse in Canada With a Foreign Qualification: Registration, Exams and Immigration
- Ausbildung in Germany for Foreigners: Paid Vocational Training, Visa Rules and How to Apply in 2026
Official sources
- Government of Canada: Educational Credential Assessment
- UK ENIC
- anabin (Germany)
- Recognition in Germany
- Australian Department of Home Affairs: skills assessment
- New Zealand Qualifications Authority
- NACES member evaluators (United States)
Fees and processing times were checked in October 2026 and change regularly. Confirm current charges and requirements on the website of the evaluation body before you apply. This article is general information and not immigration advice.
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