Understanding WES Required Documents

If you are seeking education or employment opportunities in the United States or Canada, then you will want an accurate record of your existing academic credentials.

(Academic credentials are qualifications or titles that you earned at an educational institution. Examples include: a bachelor’s degree, a certificate of accountancy, a diploma in business.)

WES provides credential evaluations that verify the authenticity of your documents. Your equivalency report will help you achieve your migration goals.

If you would like to order a credential evaluation from WES, then please note that your documents must be:

• Issued by recognized educational institutions
• Issued in or translated into English
• Signed and sealed, or sent digitally, by the appropriate authorized authority

Read on to learn more about each of these important steps that will help you secure your credential evaluation.

Preparing Your Sealed Documents

Watch the following video for a detailed explanation of the sealed envelope requirement:

You can use the Academic Records Request Form—which is available in multiple languages—when contacting your educational institution to release your academic documents. Although this form is optional, it provides clear instructions for your institution regarding how to prepare and submit your documents to WES.

Submitting Your Documents

Instructions about which documents to submit to WES, and how to submit them, will vary depending on the country or territory in which you studied. It is important to carefully follow the provided instructions to make sure your evaluation is completed on time.

Ready to submit your documents? Here are some important guidelines:

• Unless specifically stated on the Required Documents page or requested by WES, do not submit original documents. They cannot be returned to you.
• Do not submit your required documents via email. WES generally does not accept documents sent via email or email attachment. (WES has agreements with a limited number of institutions to accept emailed documents from official institutional email accounts. You can learn more about document submission via email in this blog post.)
• You can send your required documents by postal mail or courier service. However, a growing number of institutions have digital partnerships with WES. This means that they can send your documents to us electronically. If you’d like to encourage your institution to start a digital partnership with WES, and send your documents to us as quickly as possible, please have them Contact Us.
• If the document requirements for your country indicate that you can submit a photocopy, then you may send the copy via fax. Please make sure to put your name and WES reference number on the cover sheet and each page.

Send a Fax

WES in the United States: 212-739-6100
WES in Canada: 416-972-9004

You can also upload photocopies of your documents to your account. This option will become available after you submit your application.

Final Tips

WES recommends requesting credentials from the academic institution(s) you attended and submitting your application as early as possible to avoid any delay. In fact, we encourage you to begin gathering your required documents before you submit your application. You should submit your WES application and required documents several months in advance of any school or immigration deadline you may have. Do not wait until the last minute to begin the credential evaluation process!

Keep in mind that WES cannot complete your credential evaluation until receiving and processing all of your required documents. WES may also submit documents for verification to the institution(s) that issued them. If the institution(s) charge a fee in exchange for information, it is your responsibility as the applicant to pay the institution directly.

If you have additional questions about WES credential evaluations and the required documents, then please visit our Help Center.

Ready to apply for a credential evaluation? Get started!

WES Advisor is an initiative of World Education Services, a non-profit organization with over 45 years of experience in international education. We provide advice and resources for international students and skilled immigrants to help them make informed decisions about education, employment, immigration, and integration opportunities in the U.S. and Canada.