Documentation and Verification process in Canadian immigration

The correct documents, with absolutely no errors is the first step towards applying for immigration to Canada. It is not a secret that applying to immigrate to any county is a time consuming process. The correct procedure of documentation can take some time and is an important aspect of immigration. The documentation process includes collecting all the important documents namely birth certificate, educational certificates, marriage certificate, passport and other relevant documents. After collecting all the documents, each document has to be properly checked for errors. In case of any errors, the documents will not be accepted, thus, obstructing the process for Canada immigration.

In the first stage of applying for Express Entry, the Canada immigration application management system, you are required to submit,

• a passport or travel document
• language test results
• proof of Canadian education or an educational credential assessment report for immigration purposes
• provincial nomination, in case you have one
• written job offer from an employer in Canada (if you have one), proof of work experience, certificate of qualification in a trade
• occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one)
• proof of funds
• Documents for your application for permanent residence

If you are invited to apply for the permanent residency, you will be expected to upload,

• police certificates
• medical exams
• proof of funds
• birth certificate
• marriage certificate
• divorce certificate and legal separation agreement ( if you’ve declared your marital status as “divorced”)
• death certificate ( if you’ve declared your marital status as “widowed”)
• adoption certificate ( when a dependent child is listed as “adopted”)

In case the applicant is submitting the application under different business immigration programs, other documents would be needed based on the specific Canadian immigration program.

Once all the errors in the documents needed for Canadian immigration are checked, the documents have to be sent to third parties for verification and evaluation. The documents might be sent to organisations like World Education Services (WES), Comparative Education Service (CES), International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS), International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES), International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS). KPMG and MNP for independent net-worth verification, which can be further time taking.

Education Credential Evaluation

World Education Services (WES) – WES assesses more than 200,000 credentials per year, auto-authenticates and defines foreign education in Canadian terms. WES is the most famous designated organization, authorized by IRCC to provide Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) reports.
The application procedure of WES includes;

• Complete the online application form
• Review the document requirements for your country of education.
• Download and print an Academic Records Request Form and if necessary a Doctoral Degree Conferral Request Form and send them to your educational institute in order for them to send the transcript directly to WES.

Comparative Education Service (CES) – Based in Toronto, it was designated by IRCC on April 17, 2013 to provide ECA reports.
The steps to obtain an ECA report from CES are;

• Find your country of education on the link provided by CES and determine what documents from which department or agency in your country of education are required by CES for your ECA report.
• Download and fill out the Educational Credential Assessment application form. All transcripts, certificates, verification reports should be mailed directly to CES by the educational or other institution in the country where you were educated.
• Include your fee payment with the package and mail the package to CES.

International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) – International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) is the Alberta government’s ECA service, designated and approved by IRCC in August 2015.
The steps to apply for an ECA using IQAS are;

• Make sure you’re eligible to apply
• Get your ECA Checklist
• Include the correct documents namely, photocopies of your completed diploma or degree certificate, copy of your photo ID, completed IQAS application form, academic transcripts sent directly from the degree-granting institution, your diploma or degree from
  
• Use the IQAS Request of Academic Records form to request the transcripts
• Complete the application online and receive your completed application by email
• Send the entire package to the address above.

International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) – This service is provided by the British Columbia Institute of Technology. ICES was designated in August 2015.
Following are the steps for using ICES for your ECA;

• Include your documents – your diploma and transcripts which should be sent directly to ICES by your educational institution, photocopies of your ID, photocopies of your academic records, photocopies of translations of these documents
• Complete the application form, print off and sign it
• Pay the fees
• Mail or email the application to ICES

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) – Based in Guelph, Ontario, ICAS has been providing credential assessment services since 1993. It is also designated by the IRCC.
Following are the 5 steps to obtain ECA report from ICAS;

• Review your documentation requirements
• Complete the ICAS online application form
• Print the confirmation email, which you will receive, along with the
• Document Submission form. The email will also contain an Official Records Request Form which you must print and send to your educational institution
• Mail or courier your photocopied documents and Document Submission Form to ICAS in Guelph.
• Submit the Official Records Request Form to your educational institution. You are required to send a separate form for each qualification and each institution.

Networth verification

MNP – MNP is one of the largest full-service chartered accountancy and business advisory firms in Canada. MNP is currently ranked as one of the largest professional service firms in Canada.
MNP offers accounting and business consulting services including assurance and accounting, consulting, corporate finance, enterprise risk, insolvency, investigative and forensic services, succession, tax, training and valuation.

KPMG – KPMG International Limited is an Anglo-Dutch multinational professional services network. It is organised into the following three service lines including Audit, Advisory, and Tax.

Only once the process of documentation and verification has been completed, the application can be sent for the further process.