Instructions for performing Educational Credential Assessment (getting WES)

When you apply for immigration, you will need to convert the degrees you have achieved in Vietnam according to international standards and certifications, called Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Therefore, you will need to submit your translated Vietnamese degrees to an international intermediary agency, to be checked and certified according to Canadian standards. One of the popular intermediary agencies used by everyone is WES (World Education Services). To ensure transparency, the submission of your degrees must be done according to the correct procedure. 

The article below will guide you through the specific steps to follow this WES process. At the same time, we will also share TTN immigration's experiences specifically for Vietnamese people so that your International Qualification Assessment can be carried out smoothly and on time.

Before registering for WES Degree Evaluation service, you need to note the following:

When should I start doing WES?

• You will need to submit an International Credential Assessment when you apply for provincial nomination or permanent residence. However, before this step, you will usually have to open an “Expression of Interest” letter/document, which requires you to declare relevant information about your qualifications. Therefore, you need to ensure that you have this assessment before opening an EOI to ensure that your declaration is accurate. 
• Submitting a letter of intent to settle in a province is usually done after 6 months of continuous work in Canada, so you need to complete the process and have the assessment in hand before this time. 
• The assessment can be completed in as little as 2 months from the start, but can also be a hassle that can take months, so it is best to start early while you are still in Vietnam or as soon as you arrive in Canada. Each assessment is valid for up to 5 years, so you don’t have to worry about it expiring quickly if you do it early.

Contact the school and determine how transcripts and degrees will be sent to WES

• According to the official WES guidelines for 2025, you will need to submit the following documents to WES:
  • Transcript (translated or untranslated) properly sealed by the school and sent directly from your school or from you to WES.
  • The translated transcripts, diplomas and translations of diplomas will be uploaded to your account on the WES website.
• Contact the school to select the appropriate submission process.
  • Option 1: You should contact and ask if your school has a partnership with WES (Digital Partnership with WES). If so, you can ask the school to send you your original transcript online (with or without English translation). Usually, WES can receive it immediately after your school sends it. 
  • Option 2: If your school cannot send online, you can have your school mail your transcripts to WES. The transcripts are placed in an envelope. The envelope flap is properly sealed by: Seal the envelope, sign (by the person in charge of providing the transcript) and stamp the school seal on the right side of the envelope.. The school will then send it directly to WES by post or express delivery. The shipping cost will be according to the school's regulations.
  • Option 3: You ask the school to provide you with the original transcript which is placed in an envelope. The envelope flap is properly sealed by: Seal the envelope, sign (by the person in charge of providing the transcript) and stamp the school seal on the right side of the envelope.. Then, you take it to the post office or express delivery to send it directly.
• Important Note:
  • The file number must always be noted on all documents inside and on the return address of the envelope. WES REFERENCE NUMBER (This number is your WES profile number, provided immediately after you complete the International Credential Evaluation service registration and online payment on the WES website)
  • You need to contact the school to find out if they can provide you with a transcript and how they will send it. There are some schools that have had a long time since your graduation date, or have had many changes, so asking for a transcript will have some issues to resolve. Therefore, you need to find out before registering for a WES account and getting a Reference number. Registering an account costs about $300, so you need to understand the process and make sure you can do it before opening an account and paying the WES fee. And of course, contacting the school will be much more convenient and proactive when you are still in Vietnam.

3 steps to register for WES Degree Evaluation service:

Step 1- Create an account

Log in to the website https://www.wes.org/ . Click on one of the two buttons “Get an evaluation”. And select “Canada”

Next, select “ECA Application for IRCC” and click “Start Application”

After filling in the email as required, you will receive a verification code sent to your email. Enter the code, you will be taken to the account creation page. Here, you will provide all the necessary personal information.

• Note: “Do you have a WES Reference Number?” Normally select “NO” because you have not created a WES account yet.

Step 2: Provide degree information

Once you have created your account, you will be redirected to the “Your Education” to provide information about the qualification you want to assess. There are two important notes:

• You should only submit your highest academic degree. If the higher degrees are equivalent, they can be submitted simultaneously.
• You only submit the required documents, do not submit excess documents because it will affect your evaluation time.

Chọn “Add Credential”

• At Name of Institution : Your school name is usually saved in this section. So you just need to type the keyword in Vietnamese, without accents and find your school name in the displayed list.

• At Name of Diploma and Field of Study : you will fill in in English, word for word exactly as the name appears on the English translation of the degree. Similarly, the year of award, the year of commencement and the year of completion of the course are exactly as the information on your original degree.

• Next, you provide the address to receive the evaluation results, which consists of 2 parts:
  • Your mailing address
  • IRCC (auto-filled)

• Finally, you proceed to pay by Credit/Debit Card. The total cost is about $300 including the assessment fee ($256), mailing fee and tax.

• The progress will always be updated in the “My Account” section such as: WES has received your documents, your school's documents, the assessment is being conducted...
• Typically, after receiving your transcripts from the school and uploading the required files, you will receive your evaluation within about 4 weeks. It may be sooner or later.
• Once completed, your certificate will be sent to IRCC, and you will receive an update in your account as shown below. The original will then be mailed back to you and you can scan it and submit it to your immigration application.

Step 3: Contact the school to send the transcript to WES

Contact the school and choose how to send your transcripts to WES (mentioned at the beginning of this article)

The envelope containing the transcript must always be sealed by Seal the envelope, sign (by the person in charge of providing the transcript) and stamp the school seal on the right side of the envelope.. Otherwise WES will not accept.

Transcript envelopes can be sent to one of the following two addresses:

• Postal Mail:
  • WES Reference No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    WES Global Documentation Centre
    PO Box 2008 Stn Main
    Newmarket, ON L3Y 0G5
    Canada
• By Courier
  • WES Reference No. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    WES Global Documentation Centre
    14-145 Industrial Pkwy South
    Aurora, ON L4G 3V5
    Canada