WES application made easy

Are you processing your WES application?

In the last few months I have been asked so many questions by friends and relatives on how I processed my WES application, I find myself repeating the same answers over and over again to different people . Now writing this post is my own way of giving this answer one last time but with the hope of not having to repeat what I know about this process again. Please read and share, hopefully I will have filled in all the blanks by the time you're done reading this post. The goal: to walk you through the process of applying for your ECA using WES.

Leave your comments and questions in the comment section below.

World Education Services - WES is a body that provides Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) for students and immigrants. The ECA is a method used by a country to compare the academic and professional degrees earned in another country to that of its own. Typically, Employers and Universities around the world use this evaluation to ascertain an equivalent qualification for individuals who intend to transition in to the employment and educational system of their country. You can apply to WES as a first step in your immigration process even before preparing to write your IELTS exams. This is due to the fact that it takes up to 35 days for an application to be processed whereas, you will get your IELTS result 13 days after writing the exam.

I am going to focus on the Nigerian Institution just for illustration, so if you live in Nigeria and intend to use WES for your ECA you're in luck.

STEPS TO OBTAIN ECA FROM WES

Create an account on the official website for WES having in mind your purpose of creating the account (could be immigration) in the first place.

• After that your are required to download a Document 'Checklist Guide' to enable you identify what to send and what not to send to WES for your evaluation.

• Download the Academic Records Request Form as well, complete it and submit to your University where your Academic Transcript will be processed.

• For verification of Secondary School Academic Records you will download and complete an E-Pin/Scratch Card Information Form.

• You need to buy the WAEC scratch as you must provide the PIN code and Serial Number in your form.

• Pay the WES application fee, this entitles you to get a WES Reference Number which must be included in all the packages containing your credentials.

The fees is about $305 Canadian Dollars = $ 231.60 United States Dollar = 83,955.00 Nigerian Naira (be sure to confirm the figures and equivalent in your local currency as at the time of making your payment).

HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT

• If you are a Nigerian this will most likely apply to you. A Domiciliary Account is required to make this payment. The reason i included the US dollars equivalent of the fee is because your Domiciliary Account is going to be opened with US Dollars so you need to know its equivalent.

• Note: you should convert your cash having in mind that there will be banks charges albeit minimal. Your bank should inform you of any additional charges. So lets say you want to pay for the application fee to obtain your reference number which is about $231.60 USD, you can convert the local currency (naira) and round it up to $250 USD to cover everything.

Once your payment is completed your status is updated and you can confirm whether or not payment has been received as in the image above.

• A reference number is generated for you, use this to complete your Academic Records Request Form, submit this form to the department in charge of your transcript as the form must be included in the package to be sent to WES.

• Also take note of the instructions regarding sealing your package and be sure to bring this to the schools notice. The sealing instructions must be complied with strictly.

• On the other hand, you need to send a photocopy of your Degree Certificate on your own via Courier. Include the Scratch Card Information Form and photocopy of WAEC result in your sealed envelope. (also verify if you need your WAEC evaluated as it is not compulsory but may suit your purpose).

• Make sure that the envelope is properly addressed to WES with your wes reference number included at the back.

Upon receipt of your documents, your status gets updated. view image below

Note: for professionals like Lawyers, you need an additional copy of the Academic Records Request Form to be sent to the Nigerian Law School to enable your transcript from the Law School to be sent to WES, same requirement for sealing the package apply.

(As your documents reach them you get status updates)

After Evaluating your credentials, you will be notified that a secondary verification of your documents is required. This is due to incidences of fraud, WES will be in touch with your school directly, if within seven days they do not get a response from the school another request is sent. So ensure that your University does not require additional steps to be taken by you in regards to this.

For instance, the University of Calabar requires you to pay a $100 USD equivalent in Naira by raising a bank draft in favour of the University, only after this is done, will the school (University) send a response to WES.

view image to see what your status will read at this point

How fast you move from here to getting the actual ECA Report depends on other additional steps required by your school.

You can modify your options if need be, to enable WES send additional copies of your ECA Report on your behalf and at your own cost to other bodies, for instance to IRCC and can verify with WES through their official website to know whether or not it is necessary for your secondary school credential to be evaluated.

Other organizations similar to WES: https://www.wes.org/ca/

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) https://www.icascanada.ca/home.aspx

International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) https://www.alberta.ca/iqas-immigration.aspx

Based on questions asked, I have decided to post the link to WES Help Center. To enable you view FAQs this is aid you further in your application, as each applicant is unique and may require additional steps in the application process.

For ease of reference note the customer care number

as well: Telephone: (+1) 212.966.6311 Fax: (+1) 212.739.6100

PS: the information provided is subject to verification and should in no way be relied upon absolutely.

pls share with others.