WES vs ECE vs Josef Silny: Which Credential Evaluation Service Should You Use?

Quick answer

For Canadian immigration: WES only. For US immigration: WES preferred. For US university admissions or employment: ECE is faster and cheaper. For complex or unusual academic backgrounds: Josef Silny. Always confirm which agency is accepted before you order.

Why the choice matters

A credential evaluation translates a foreign academic credential into terms a US institution, employer, or government agency can assess. The evaluation itself is only accepted if it comes from an organization the receiving party trusts — typically a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE).

The US Department of State recognizes NACES and AICE as the two primary credentialing membership organizations. Using an evaluator outside these networks risks having your report rejected — meaning you pay twice and lose weeks.

Beyond accreditation, the agencies differ meaningfully in cost, speed, and which purposes they serve. Here's a direct comparison.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	WES	ECE	Josef Silny
Founded	1974, New York	1980, Milwaukee WI	1948, Miami FL
NACES status	Founding member	Charter member	Member
Document report	~$111–$186	~$85–$100	~$150–$200
Course-by-course report	~$163–$264	~$160–$195	~$250–$350
Standard turnaround	~7 business days	~5 business days	3–6 weeks
Canadian immigration	Yes (IRCC-designated)	No	No
US immigration	Yes (preferred)	Limited	Some cases
US university admissions	Widely accepted	Widely accepted	Accepted at many
US employment	Yes	Yes	Yes
Digital delivery	Yes (AccessWES)	Paper + courier	Paper primary
Best for	Immigration, widest recognition	Admissions + employment, cost-conscious	Complex/unusual credentials

WES (World Education Services)

WES is the largest credential evaluation organization in North America, with over 4 million evaluations completed since 1974. It's recognized by 2,500+ employers, academic institutions, and government bodies across the US and Canada — and it's the only NACES-member agency designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for Canadian immigration applications.

For US immigration (H-1B, green card, O-1 visa), WES is the de facto standard. USCIS doesn't maintain an official approved evaluator list, but USCIS adjudicators are familiar with NACES-member reports and WES is the most frequently submitted. For anything involving immigration, WES is the lower-risk choice.

WES strengths

• Only IRCC-designated agency for Canada
• Preferred for US immigration filings
• Digital delivery via AccessWES
• Highest brand recognition
• Accepted by virtually every US institution

WES weaknesses

• Higher cost than ECE
• Slower (7 business days vs ECE's 5)
• Customer service frequently cited as slow
• Can be backed up during peak seasons

ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators)

ECE is a nonprofit based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founded in 1980. With 800,000+ evaluations completed, it's the second-largest NACES member and widely accepted across US universities and employers. Its general evaluations start at $85–$100 — meaningfully cheaper than WES — and its standard turnaround of five business days is also faster.

ECE explicitly does not serve immigration purposes. Its website states this directly. For university admissions and employment verification in the US, however, ECE is a strong choice. Most universities that accept WES also accept ECE, and for HR teams conducting volume employment verifications, ECE's lower cost and faster turnaround make it the more practical option.

ECE strengths

• Cheaper: general reports from $85
• Faster: 5 business days standard
• Widely accepted for US admissions + employment
• 45+ years of experience, charter NACES member

ECE weaknesses

• Not for immigration (explicitly)
• Paper delivery (some cases)
• Smaller footprint than WES
• Limited flexibility for unusual credentials

Josef Silny & Associates

Founded in 1948 and based in Miami, Florida, Josef Silny is the oldest credential evaluation firm in North America and a longstanding NACES member. It's smaller than WES or ECE but well-regarded for handling complex or unusual academic backgrounds — credentials from countries or systems that larger agencies are less equipped to evaluate.

Turnaround is slower (typically three to six weeks) and pricing is higher than ECE. It's not the right choice for routine employment or standard admissions verifications where WES or ECE will do. But for credentials from less common educational systems — Francophone Africa, certain Central American systems, unusual multilingual transcripts — Josef Silny's experience may produce a more accurate and detailed report than a larger agency optimized for common cases.

Best fit for Josef Silny

• Credentials from less commonly evaluated countries or systems
• Complex academic histories (multiple countries, interrupted study)
• Cases where WES or ECE has previously returned an unsatisfactory evaluation
• Situations requiring detailed narrative context, not just equivalency

How to choose: decision guide

You're applying for Canadian permanent residence or a work permit

Use WES. It's the only IRCC-designated evaluator. No other agency works for this purpose.

You're filing for a US work visa (H-1B, O-1, EB-2)

Use WES. USCIS adjudicators are most familiar with WES reports. Confirm with your immigration attorney.

You're applying to a US graduate or undergraduate program

Check with the specific institution first. Most accept both WES and ECE. If both are accepted, ECE is cheaper and faster. Some institutions specify a preference.

You're an HR team verifying a job candidate's international degree

Use ECE for standard employment verification. It's cheaper ($85–$100 vs $111–$186), faster (5 vs 7 days), and widely accepted by US employers. Reserve WES for cases where a specific institution or role requires it.

The credential is unusual, complex, or from a less-common country

Consider Josef Silny for complex cases. Slower and pricier, but may produce a more accurate result for non-standard academic histories.

Before you order: verify the institution first

Credential evaluation agencies assess how a foreign credential compares to US standards. They do not flag diploma mills or verify whether an institution is legitimate — that's a separate check.

If a candidate submits credentials from a diploma mill, a NACES evaluator will either reject the request (if they recognize the institution) or — in some cases — evaluate it without flagging the fraud. Before sending credentials to an evaluator, verify the institution against a recognized database to confirm it's legitimate.

This is especially important for international institutions that are unfamiliar. A 15-second database check can catch a diploma mill before an evaluation fee is wasted and before a fraudulent credential moves forward in the review process.

Verify the institution before the credential

VerifyED searches 912,000+ schools and flags 2,592 known diploma mills — the first step before sending anything to a credential evaluator.

Search a school free