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IQAS ECA uploads: degree and transcript in one file, and which reference number to use

Canada • Express Entry • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • Degree certificate + transcripts

    Scan both into a single file for the IQAS upload — the portal only accepts one document per credential.

  • Sealed university transcripts

    Sent separately to IQAS; label them with your numeric file number.

Step-by-Step

An applicant getting an Educational Credential Assessment from IQAS (the Alberta assessment body) hit the portal's quirk: after uploading the degree certificate, the upload slot closes and there's no way to attach transcripts or other documents separately. The thread's answers:

  1. Combine documents into one file. The workaround members confirmed: scan the degree certificate and the transcripts together into a single PDF and upload that as the one document. This is how applicants get both credentials in front of the assessor despite the single-slot portal.

  2. Yes, both degree and transcript are needed. The follow-up exchange confirmed the assessment expects the transcript alongside the degree, not the degree alone — hence the combined-file approach rather than skipping the transcript.

  3. Label physical transcripts with the file number (all-numeric). For the sealed transcripts sent to IQAS, the applicant asked whether to reference the file number or application number; the answer: use the file number, which is the fully numerical identifier.


Unanswered in the thread: whether applicants can themselves mail university-sealed transcript envelopes (vs. the university sending directly), and how to answer the payment-page question about originals being sent directly to IQAS — no guidance is drawn on those here; confirm against current IQAS instructions.

Note: portal behaviour and document rules are as of this thread and may have changed — always cross-check the current IQAS document checklist.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Merge your degree certificate and transcripts into one PDF before uploading — the IQAS portal allows only a single document per credential.
  • Tip: When sending sealed transcripts, quote your IQAS file number — it's the all-numeric identifier, not the application number.

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