A WES evaluation from the UAE works differently from UAE attestation. World Education Services checks records sent by your university, sealed or digitally, and tells Canada or the US what your degree equals there. MOFA stamps are not what WES looks for. You apply online and follow the checklist for the country where you studied.
What is a WES evaluation?
WES is a credential evaluation service. Its report states the Canadian or US equivalent of a degree, diploma or certificate earned elsewhere. People in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah usually need it for one of two reasons:
- Canada: an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for immigration. IRCC says that if you completed your education outside Canada, you need an ECA to be eligible as a principal applicant under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or to get points for that education. WES is one of the organisations IRCC designates.
- The US: an evaluation for a university, an employer or a licensing board, usually as a document-by-document or a course-by-course report.
How is WES different from UAE attestation?
People often assume a degree that is fully attested for a UAE job is ready for WES. It is not the same process.
| UAE attestation | WES evaluation | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Makes a foreign document legally valid in the UAE | Says what your qualification equals in Canada or the US |
| Who acts | Notary, foreign ministry, UAE embassy, then MOFA | WES, using records it receives |
| What it checks | That signatures and seals are genuine | Authenticity and academic level, course by course if asked |
| How documents arrive | You or an agent submit the original | Usually from the institution, sealed or digital |
| Result | Stamps on your document | A report sent to you and your chosen recipients |
| Validity | MOFA says attestation has no expiry date | A WES ECA is valid for five years |
So your attested degree from a UAE job file is useful to have, but WES will still want the records its checklist names, from the source it names. For the UAE side, see degree certificate attestation.
What does WES need from you?
WES says you must follow the document requirements for your country or territory of education. The checklist changes with the country and the credential, and it is built on the WES website when you choose your purpose, for example "ECA application for IRCC", and your qualification. Some points apply across the board:
- Records from the institution. WES asks your institution to send academic records directly. Paper transcripts must arrive in a sealed envelope with the institution's name, and an official seal, stamp or signature across the back flap. WES will not accept them if the envelope has been opened.
- Digital delivery. Some institutions send documents to WES electronically. If yours has no approved method, WES suggests it submits a Digital Partnership Form.
- Highest credential for an ECA. WES says ECA applicants generally submit only their highest earned credential, with some exceptions, and should not send extra documents unless asked.
- Your reference number must appear on all documents and correspondence.
- Translations. For a Canadian evaluation, documents not issued in English or French must be translated. WES does not offer translation.
WES may also send copies of your documents back to the issuing institution to confirm them. Your evaluation is placed on hold until the institution replies.
How do you send documents to WES from the UAE?
- Open a WES account and choose the right purpose: ECA for IRCC for Canadian immigration, or the US report your school or employer asked for.
- Read your country checklist. If you studied in India, the UK or the Philippines, it is the checklist for that country, not the UAE.
- Contact your university's registrar. Ask it to send transcripts to WES directly, sealed or digitally, quoting your WES reference number. Ask how the registrar wants the request made.
- Send anything you are allowed to send yourself by trackable courier from the UAE, with your reference number on every page. WES starts work after the courier confirms delivery and the documents are accepted.
- Pay by card or another method WES offers. WES says payment must be received before an evaluation can be completed.
- Track your file online and wait for the report to reach you and the recipients you chose.
WES lists its current processing times and fees on its own website. We do not quote them here because they change.
Canada or the US: which report?
For Canada, IRCC needs an ECA issued for immigration purposes. IRCC says the ECA must be less than five years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and when you apply, and that you should keep your original documents ready in case you are invited to apply. A Canadian degree needs no assessment.
For the US, the receiving school or board tells you which report to order. WES describes a document-by-document report as identifying each credential with its US equivalent. A course-by-course report adds every course with US credit and grade equivalents and a GPA. If the instructions are unclear, ask before you pay.
Common problems from the UAE
- Opened envelope. If your university gives you a sealed transcript, do not open it, even to check it.
- Wrong country checklist. The checklist follows the country where you studied, not where you live.
- Name differences. Your passport, degree and transcript should match. See our guide on original or copy for attestation for what offices usually accept.
- Mixing WES and UAE recognition. WES does not give UAE recognition. For a UAE job or golden visa you still need attestation and, where asked, degree recognition in the UAE.
Do you need both WES and UAE attestation?
Often yes, for different files. If you live in the UAE on a work visa and plan to apply for Canadian permanent residence, you may need both. The attested degree serves the UAE file. The WES report serves the Canadian file. If you are also moving documents the other way, a Canada degree attestation or USA degree attestation covers degrees from those countries for use in the UAE, and transcript attestation covers mark sheets.
How we help
We are a private attestation service in Dubai. We are not WES and cannot order a WES report for you. What we do is the UAE side and the paperwork around it: attestation and translation of your degree and transcript for UAE use, help writing a clear request to your university's registrar, and courier from the UAE. Send a photo of your documents on WhatsApp and tell us whether WES is for Canada or the US. You get the steps and the total price before any work starts.
