WES Blog

By Matthias Pries, Impact Investing Manager    “Sometimes you have to be together in a physical space with folks to forge trust and build genuine relationships and connection.” Betty Francisco, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative This idea captures the inspiration for World Education Services’ inaugural investee partner gathering. In late October, ahead of the SOCAP23 […]

Tips for Completing Your WES Application  A credential evaluation report is an important part of your immigration journey. It helps higher education institutions and employers understand the value of your academic qualifications. The goal of this blog post is to help you complete the credential evaluation process with relative ease.  Keep reading for helpful tips […]

Reflections by the WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s Lauren Crain, director of U.S. grantmaking and strategy, and Shevani Khatri, U.S. program associate  For immigrants and refugees to experience communities as welcoming, inclusive access to economic opportunity is critical. However, in rural communities, there are major gaps in awareness of how and why it is important to […]

Lorinda Grogg has worked at WES for more than 20 years. In her role, she works with and provides support to institutional partners, as well as many WES applicants undergoing the evaluation process. In this piece, she discusses one of the key benefits of a WES credential evaluation: its lifetime value.   I was recently contacted […]

Hina Gul obtained a WES credential evaluation to support her goal of immigrating to Canada. We spoke to Hina about her educational and career plans, and discussed how a credential evaluation will help her begin a new life in Canada.   Teaching to Transform Lives  Meet Hina Gul, a high school teacher in Pakistan. She shares […]

Have you signed into My Account and seen the following status update?   “On Hold: We are waiting for your institution(s) to verify your documents.”   Once WES has received all required documents from an applicant and their institution(s), WES will begin document verification. When this process begins, we will update the applicant’s WES account with the […]

A credential evaluation verifies an individual’s academic credentials, making their educational background and achievements more accessible to institutions and organizations. Institutions such as colleges, universities, employers, and licensing boards commonly review credential evaluation reports as part of their screening process. For these reasons, a credential evaluation is a valuable tool for international students and professionals […]

As a former international student from Thailand, Pat Chaisang’s wish is to support other international students as they begin to pursue fulfilling careers in Canada. This desire ultimately led her to found Isempower – an all-in-one technology platform that helps international students bridge the gap between education and employment.  According to Isempower, 70 percent of […]

Refugees arrive in the United States with tremendous skills, but too often face a tangle of barriers that make it hard for them to get good jobs and other critical supports. And too often, traditional resettlement approaches inadvertently create additional challenges. For example, resettlement agencies are typically focused on ensuring that refugees achieve “rapid economic […]

Canada faced a nursing shortage before the onset of COVID-19, and the pandemic exacerbated the crisis. The Government of Canada projects that there will be 155,400 open nursing positions by 2031.  Recruiting and licensing internationally educated nurses (IENs) have become one way to address this challenge.   This article discusses how to navigate nurse licensing requirements […]

In May, WES Global Talent Bridge’s Katherine Gebremedhin and Mikaela Santos traveled to Reno and Las Vegas to partner with the Nevada Governor’s Office for New Americans (ONA). Together, they hosted the Northern and Southern Nevada Foreign Education Credentials Workshops, an in-depth training on credential evaluation and recognition. These workshops represented the culmination of the […]

Many immigration pathways into Canada, including Express Entry, require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).   WES is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to provide ECAs. This blog post reviews some common questions about requirements for receiving an ECA.   What credentials do I need to send to WES to obtain an ECA?  In most […]

In Toronto, the escalating housing crisis and gaps in federal funding have led to the city’s shelters reaching and even exceeding capacity. As a result, many recent refugees and asylum seekers have had to sleep on the city streets. While the allocation of federal and city funding is being figured out, there is an urgent […]

Ruth Demeke, Senior Coordinator of Client Relations at WES, arrived as a newcomer in Canada about 30 years ago and can testify to the work and services offered by settlement agencies. Today, Ruth delivers information sessions about WES and credential evaluations at some of the same agencies she and her family utilized when they first […]

Ellen Makawa is dedicated to her career in public health. Motivated by a desire to continue her education and work in the field, she received a WES credential evaluation. Now she is prepared to take on opportunities—and continue making a difference in global public health. We spoke with her to find out what motivated Ellen […]

In early August, the 2022-2023 Skilled Immigrant Integration Program (SIIP) cohort held its final quarterly call, culminating the successful launch of a new iteration of the program’s structure. The 16 participating communities[1] collaborated in sub-cohorts that centered on four thematic focus areas: Advancing and Retaining Internationally Skilled Employees, Creating Career Navigation Tools and Resources, Developing […]

“Food is a powerful connector across communities, to lands, as well as to one’s own health, expression, home, lineages, and identity. But the food industry is also built on systemic extraction, appropriation, and exploitation, particularly impacting poor and working-class people of color and immigrants,” says Diana Wu, director of Oakland Bloom, a non-profit in Oakland, […]

by Smitha Das, Joi Edwards, Katheryn Witt   Rethinking Who’s at the Table Philanthropy has the power and the resources to help build an economy where all people—no matter their race or class—can thrive. Power, ownership, and choice over where and how capital is used—to build a representative economy—should be shared. If we want investments to […]

The United States and Canada are among the most popular destinations for international students. Both countries offer world-class universities, diverse learning environments, and career opportunities for graduates.  Business education is a popular option for students, with the Master of Business Administration appealing to business professionals seeking opportunities to learn and grow.   Why Do Students Choose […]

Your educational background will be one of your greatest strengths when relocating from Nigeria to the United States to study or work. If you hold educational credentials from an institution in Nigeria, obtaining a WES credential evaluation will be an invaluable tool when you’re applying for work or admission to an academic program in the […]