A member asked whether the co-applicant on an Express Entry file needs their own WES assessment, and whether Canadian employers or colleges would demand the WES report later. The thread separated three distinct uses of a credential assessment:
- For the Express Entry application: spouse ECA is optional but earns points. An ECA for the accompanying spouse is not mandatory, but without it you can't claim the spouse-education CRS points. You can skip it and simply lose those points — a deliberate trade-off, not an error.
- For working in Canada: employers don't ask for it. A member noted they had never seen a workplace request an ECA or education evaluation — the WES report is an immigration document, not a job credential.
- For studying later: each institution decides, and it's a different WES category anyway. If the co-applicant later applies to a certificate or other program, admission requirements are set by each university/department. Some may want a credential evaluation — but WES evaluations for admissions are a different category from the immigration ECA, so the immigration report doesn't automatically carry over. Contact the department to confirm what it needs.
- Which credentials to assess: a follow-up question (assess Masters only, or Bachelors too?) went unanswered in the thread; IRCC's general rule is that the ECA must cover the credential you claim points for.