About the WES Gateway Program

The WES Gateway Program supports the educational and career advancement of refugees and other forcibly displaced individuals who cannot obtain official academic documents from their country of education.

The Program provides credential evaluation to eligible individuals who have been forcibly displaced and cannot obtain official academic documents. A credential evaluation compares an individual’s academic accomplishments to the education standards in Canada or the USA. The WES Gateway evaluation reports enable academic institutions, employers, and licensing bodies to make informed decisions about admissions, employment, and licensure.  

WES works with designated partners to identify individuals who are eligible for the Gateway Program. The program is available to individuals who were educated in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Venezuela and who also meet our program requirements.

To learn more about the program’s impact, read stories from individuals who have used a WES Gateway Program credential evaluation report to pursue their academic and professional goals. For more information and full program eligibility criteria, read our frequently asked questions.

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A Proven Approach to Providing Displaced Individuals with Tools to Succeed

In 2015, WES began investigating best practices for credential assessment and recognition among refugees and other displaced people. We conducted extensive literature reviews and interviewed relevant experts at institutions in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe. We published our findings and recommended best practices in 2016.

Later that year, we launched a pilot project in Canada to test our assessment methodologies for displaced individuals with partial documentary evidence of their academic achievement. Based on the success of the pilot, we publicly introduced the WES Gateway Program in Canada in 2018 and in the U.S. in 2019.

To evaluate credentials for WES Gateway Program participants, WES draws on more than 50 years of expertise in credential evaluation and international education systems as well as sample documents from our database of more than 23,000 different academic credentials. 

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Eligibility Criteria

The WES Gateway Program is accessible to displaced individuals who meet the following criteria: 

    • are unable to obtain official academic documents directly from the authorized institution
    • were educated in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Syria, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Venezuela
    • completed high school or have complete or partial college or university education
    • have copies of their diploma and/or transcript
    • are currently lining in Canada or the U.S.   

Note: Whenever possible, WES recommends that applicants use its standard evaluation process which relies on official documents that are issued and sent directly to WES by the authorized institution where applicants studied. This recommendation follows internationally recognized best practices. If applicants are able to submit standard country-specific required documents, they should start the application here. 

How to Access to the Program

WES works with partner organizations across Canada to refer individuals to the WES Gateway Program. These referral organizations confirm the eligibility of prospective applicants, submit documents for evaluation, and provide additional information. Please note, referral partner organizations may have additional criteria when determining which individuals are eligible for their services, including Gateway referrals.

Consult the list of referral partner organizations, find one in your region, and book an appointment with them to get support with a WES Gateway evaluation.

If you have any questions, contact the program team at [email protected]. Referral partners in Canada include:

These referring organizations confirm applicants’ eligibility, submit documents for evaluation, and provide additional information and resources to support program participants in achieving their professional and academic goals in Canada. WES will update this list as we add more referral organizations across the country.

WES works with partner organizations across the U.S. to refer individuals to the WES Gateway Program. These referral organizations confirm the eligibility of prospective applicants, submit documents for evaluation, and provide additional information. Please note, referral partner organizations may have additional criteria when determining which individuals are eligible for their services, including Gateway referrals.

For more information and next steps, contact the program team at [email protected].