WES Evaluation for Nepali Transcripts: ECA Cost, Documents, Time

A WES evaluation for Nepali transcripts means World Education Services verifies your Nepali degree with your university or board and issues a report on its Canadian or US equivalent. For Canada’s Express Entry you need the WES Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which costs C$264 plus 13% HST and delivery, and is valid for five years. WES only accepts transcripts sent directly by your institution in a sealed, stamped envelope or by secure electronic transfer.

Last checked: 17 October 2026. WES fees and timelines change; confirm on wes.org before you pay.

WES evaluation for Nepali transcripts: key facts

Who needs a WES evaluation

Nepali students meet WES in two situations:

• Canada immigration (Express Entry). IRCC’s educational credential assessment page says that if you completed your education outside Canada, you need an ECA. It is required for Federal Skilled Worker principal applicants, and it is how you get Express Entry points for education completed outside Canada, including a spouse’s. You do not need an ECA for a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate. So a Nepali student who later earns a Canadian credential may still want an ECA for a Nepali bachelor’s or master’s to claim it.
• Admission or licensing. Some US and Canadian universities, employers or licensing bodies ask for a WES report. They tell you which type (for example Course-by-Course or Document-by-Document). Always confirm with them first; WES itself advises this.

ECA for Canada: what IRCC requires

• Type: the ECA must be “for immigration purposes”. A WES report for admission is not the same thing.
• Who can issue it: IRCC lists five designated organizations for most applicants: Comparative Education Service (University of Toronto), International Credential Assessment Service of Canada, World Education Services, International Qualifications Assessment Service (Alberta), and International Credential Evaluation Service (BCIT). Architects, doctors and pharmacists may need a designated professional body instead.
• Age of the report: it must be less than 5 years old both when you create your Express Entry profile and when you submit your application. An expired ECA at application leads to refusal.

WES is one of five options. You can compare the others on IRCC’s page; this guide covers WES.

Documents for Nepal: how sending works

WES publishes country-specific document rules in its Required Documents tool. After you create your WES account and get a reference number, select Nepal and your credential in the tool or in My Account under “View Required Documents”. That list is the final word on which documents your university or board must send and which you may upload yourself. We could not confirm the Nepal list on a public WES page today, so check it in your account.

What WES’s help centre does confirm for all countries:

• WES will not request documents for you. You must contact your institution and have it send records directly to WES.
• Sealed envelope. Paper transcripts must come in a sealed envelope with the institution’s name, with a seal, stamp or official’s signature across the back flap. Opened envelopes or broken seals are rejected.
• Electronic route. If your institution is a WES digital partner, it can use secure electronic transmission, which can be faster.
• Academic Records Request Form. Available in My Account after you get your reference number. Give it to your institution with your request.
• Uploads. Some documents, such as degree certificates and translations, can be uploaded by you through My Account, where your country’s rules allow.
• No extra photocopies. Do not send your own photocopies in addition to the sealed documents.
• If the institution won’t send directly, check your country’s document requirements to see whether you are allowed to send the sealed envelope yourself.

For Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University and other Nepali universities, transcripts are issued by the university’s examination office. For +2 (NEB) or SEE records, it is the relevant board. Ask the office early: they may need a WES request form, an application, fees and time to seal and post the envelope.

Step by step: getting your WES ECA from Nepal

1. Confirm what you need. ECA for IRCC (immigration), or a specific report for a university or licensing body.
2. Create a WES account and choose ECA if it is for Canadian immigration.
3. Enter your credentials exactly as they appear on your transcripts and pay the fee.
4. Save your WES reference number. It must appear on the documents your institution sends.
5. Check Required Documents for Nepal in My Account, and download the Academic Records Request Form.
6. Request transcripts from your university’s examination office (and board, if listed) to be sent directly to WES, sealed and stamped across the flap, or electronically if available.
7. Upload what you are allowed to upload, such as your degree certificate, if your country list allows it.
8. Track your file. WES says staff take two to three business days to process documents after arrival. Verification then typically takes about 2 weeks and evaluation about 1 week.
9. Use the ECA in your Express Entry profile while it is less than 5 years old.

Cost and timeline in rupees

At the NRB selling rate, 17 October 2026 (C$1 = Rs 107.55), the WES ECA fee of C$264 is about Rs 28,393. With 13% HST it becomes C$298.32, about Rs 32,084. International courier delivery adds C$97 (about Rs 10,432) per address, and standard delivery without tracking is C$14 (about Rs 1,506). On top of that, budget for your university’s transcript fees and courier cost from Nepal, which WES does not set.

For timing, WES’s current processing times page says verification only starts after WES has all required documents from you and your institution. Getting a sealed envelope from your Nepali university to WES also takes time, so start early. WES says there is no deadline to submit documents, as your account stays open.

Common mistakes

• Ordering the wrong report. An admission report is not an ECA for IRCC.
• Opening the envelope. Even to check it. WES rejects opened envelopes.
• Sending photocopies as well. WES says not to.
• Missing the reference number on the institution’s envelope or form.
• Letting the ECA expire before you submit your Express Entry application.
• Name mismatches. Make sure the name on your WES account matches your transcripts and passport, or explain any difference.

What to do next

If you are studying in Canada or planning to, read our study in Canada from Nepal guide, check how the PGWP field-of-study rules affect your work permit, and look at the 2026 study permit cap. Still choosing a country? Compare study abroad destinations or build your free study plan.

Frequently asked questions

How much does WES cost for Nepali students?
The WES ECA for Canadian immigration is C$264 plus 13% HST and delivery, about Rs 32,084 with HST at the 17 October 2026 NRB rate. US graduate admission reports range from US$118 to US$239.

How long does WES take for Nepal transcripts?
WES says document verification typically takes 2 weeks and the ECA evaluation typically 1 week (up to 2 for complex files), starting only after all required documents arrive.

Can I send my TU transcripts to WES myself?
WES prefers your institution to send them directly. Check the Nepal Required Documents list in your WES account to see whether you may send a sealed envelope yourself.

How long is a WES ECA valid for Express Entry?
Five years from the date of issue, and IRCC says it must be less than 5 years old when you create your profile and when you apply.

Do I need an ECA if I studied in Canada?
Not for your Canadian credential. You only need an ECA for education completed outside Canada, such as a Nepali bachelor’s, if you want points for it.

Related guides

• Canada Study Permit Application from Nepal: 2026 Steps
• Canada GIC for Study Permit from Nepal: 2026 Guide
• Canada Biometrics and Medical Exam in Nepal (2026 Guide)
• GCMS Notes After Canada Study Permit Refusal (Nepal)

Sources

• Express Entry: educational credential assessment – IRCC
• ECA evaluations and fees – WES
• Current processing times – WES
• Graduate admissions evaluations and fees – WES
• How to apply for an ECA – WES
• Sealed envelope – WES Canada Help Centre
• Can WES request my documents from my institution? – WES Canada Help Centre
• How to send your documents in a sealed envelope – WES
• After you submit your documents – WES
• Foreign exchange rates – Nepal Rastra Bank

Last checked: 17 October 2026. NPR figures use the NRB selling rate, 17 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.