To fill out the WES application online, go to wes.org, create an account with a valid email, choose the evaluation type that matches what you need the report for, enter your academic history exactly as it appears on your records, pay the fee by credit card, and then arrange for your school to send official documents directly to WES using the reference number the system issues you. The form itself takes under an hour if you have your details ready; the full process from submission to completed report runs about four to eight weeks, mostly depending on how quickly your institution sends records.
Most delays trace back to decisions made before or during the application, not to WES itself. Work through the steps below in order.
Decide What You Need Before You Open the Form
Two choices determine which product you select inside the application, and both are easier to get right before you log in than to change later.
Document-by-Document or Course-by-Course
A Document-by-Document evaluation identifies each credential and states its U.S. or Canadian equivalent. It works for most employment and immigration purposes and for entering a college program as a first-year student.1World Education Services. The Difference Between Document-by-Document and Course-by-Course Credential Evaluation Reports
A Course-by-Course evaluation does the same and also breaks down every course on your transcript, converts credits, and calculates a GPA on a 4.0 scale. Graduate programs and professional licensing boards almost always require this version.1World Education Services. The Difference Between Document-by-Document and Course-by-Course Credential Evaluation Reports Check the admissions or licensing page of whoever will receive the report before you choose.
Basic or ICAP
Each report comes at two service levels. WES Basic includes only the evaluation report. WES ICAP (International Credential Advantage Package) adds secure storage of your verified transcripts for future sending, a digital badge, and discounted duplicate reports later.2World Education Services. Benefits of WES ICAP If you expect to send the report to multiple schools or employers over time, pick ICAP now. Upgrading mid-evaluation costs $53 USD, and upgrading after completion costs $92 USD.3World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees
If You Need the Report for Canadian Immigration
For Express Entry or the Federal Skilled Workers Program, you need a WES Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), not a standard evaluation. WES is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to issue ECAs, and you must include the ECA report and reference number in your Express Entry profile.4Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Educational Credential Assessment An ECA is valid for five years from the date of issue.5World Education Services. Evaluations for Immigration (ECA) Select the ECA product inside the application rather than a standard Document-by-Document or Course-by-Course.
Check Your Country’s Required Documents
Document requirements vary by country, institution, and level of study. Before you contact your school, use the Required Documents tool at apps.wes.org/required-documents. Enter your country of education, credential type and level, and specific institution, and it generates the exact list for your situation, including whether your school must send records by mail, through an electronic platform, or both.6World Education Services. Required Documents Most evaluations require your final degree certificate or diploma plus a complete transcript listing all courses and grades; some countries also require secondary school records.
Have institution names, degree titles, dates of attendance, and graduation dates in front of you when you open the application. The form asks for all of them.
Create Your Account and Enter Personal Information
Start at wes.org and create an account with a valid email. This account becomes your hub for the application, document tracking, and the completed report.
Enter your full legal name, date of birth, and contact details. The name on your application must match the name on your transcripts and other required documents. Mismatches are one of the most frequent causes of processing delays.7World Education Services. Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Your WES Application Pay attention to spelling where your name uses characters that are transliterated differently across records.
If your name has changed since you earned your degree, enter your current legal name. WES will issue the report in that name while noting the name on your academic records. WES itself does not require a marriage certificate or court order to process the evaluation, but if the report is for Canadian immigration, IRCC will separately require name-change documentation as part of the visa or permanent residency application.7World Education Services. Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Your WES Application
Enter Your Education Details
The form includes a searchable database of thousands of institutions. Find and select your specific university or college, which links your application to the evaluation criteria WES has established for that school. Be careful with similar-sounding institutions and programs; an error here means WES evaluates the wrong credential.
If you hold more than one degree, enter each credential separately. WES charges per application, not per credential, so bundling everything into the initial submission is cheaper than adding a credential later. You can add or remove credentials for free as long as evaluators haven’t yet accepted your documents; after acceptance, adding one costs $92 USD / $115 CAD.3World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees8World Education Services. How to Add or Remove a Credential from Your Application
For each credential, specify the degree name, year awarded, and field of study exactly as they appear on your records.
Add Report Recipients (Optional)
During the application you can designate institutions, employers, or licensing boards to receive copies of your report. You automatically receive one copy yourself. Adding recipients at this stage is simpler than ordering a separate copy later, but it isn’t required; you can return to your account at any time and send additional copies.9World Education Services. Get Started with Your WES Credential Evaluation
Pay the Fee and Save Your Reference Number
Payment is by credit card at the end of the online submission. Current evaluation prices, which increased 3 percent on January 1, 2026, are:3World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees
- Course-by-Course (ICAP): $239 USD / $284 CAD
- Course-by-Course (Basic): $186 USD / $242 CAD
- Document-by-Document (ICAP): $171 USD / $175 CAD
- Document-by-Document (Basic): $118 USD / $133 CAD
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA): $264 CAD
Delivery fees are separate and range from $14 for standard untracked mail to $86 USD for international express courier with tracking. A 13 percent Harmonized Sales Tax applies to Canadian-dollar transactions where applicable.3World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees
Once you pay, WES generates a unique reference number for your file. Save it. Write it on the outside of any envelope your school sends and include it in all correspondence. Without the reference number, WES cannot link incoming documents to your application.10World Education Services. Answers to Questions About WES Credential Evaluation Reports
Arrange for Your School to Send Documents
WES requires official academic documents to be sent directly by the issuing institution, not by you.11World Education Services. Understanding Required Documents for Credential Evaluation Contact your school’s registrar or examination authority as early as possible; some institutions take weeks to process these requests.
Electronic Submission
WES partners with thousands of institutions and third-party providers, including Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse, to receive documents through secure electronic channels. Some institutions send documents to WES only electronically; the Required Documents page will tell you if that applies, and WES will not accept paper records from those schools.12World Education Services. How to Send Electronic Academic Records to WES
Physical Mail
When paper documents are required, your institution must place them in a sealed envelope and send them directly. As of 2022, all documents for both U.S. and Canadian evaluation applications go to the WES Global Documentation Centre in Canada:13World Education Services. Important WES Notices
Standard post:
WES Global Documentation Centre (Reference Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _)
PO BOX 2008 STN MAIN
NEWMARKET ON L3Y 0G5
Canada
Courier:
WES Global Documentation Centre (Reference Number _ _ _ _ _ _ _)
14 – 145 Industrial Pkwy South
Aurora ON L4G 3V5
Canada
Documents that arrive without a reference number get stuck in a queue while WES tries to match them manually.
Upload Translations If Your Records Aren’t in English
If your academic documents are not in English, you need professional translations. WES requires them to be exact and word-for-word, not interpretive or summarized. The translator must be a professional affiliated with a certified translation agency, a university, or another professional translation service. WES will not accept handwritten translations, translations of photocopies, translations you did yourself, or incomplete translations.14World Education Services. Translation Requirements for a WES Credential Evaluation Translations can be uploaded directly through your WES account and do not need to arrive in a sealed envelope.
Track Your Application and Timeline
Your WES account shows real-time status updates as documents are received, verified, and evaluated. Processing happens in two stages. First, WES receives, reviews, and accepts your documents, which typically takes about two weeks and can stretch to four. Second, evaluators complete the assessment:15World Education Services. Current Processing Times for WES Credential Evaluations
- Document-by-Document: up to 2 weeks after document acceptance
- Course-by-Course: up to 4 weeks after document acceptance
- ECA for IRCC: up to 2 weeks after document acceptance
These timeframes shift with volume and staffing. In practice, a Course-by-Course evaluation can take up to eight weeks from the moment your documents arrive. WES does not currently offer an expedited or rush processing option, so the only way to speed things up is to make sure your documents arrive complete and correct the first time.
If You Need to Change Something After Submitting
You can add or remove credentials for free before evaluators accept your documents. After acceptance, changes carry fees: $92 USD / $115 CAD to add a credential or upgrade from Document-by-Document to Course-by-Course, $53 USD to upgrade from Basic to ICAP during the evaluation, and $92 USD to upgrade to ICAP after completion.3World Education Services. Credential Evaluations and Fees If any of these are on your horizon, make the change while the application is still open.