Get your nursing degree recognized abroad.
Before a foreign board can license you, or immigration can score your education, your diploma/degree must be evaluated by an approved agency. Here's what WES, CGFNS, ECE and The Evaluation Company (TEC, formerly SpanTran) do, why you'd use each, how to navigate them, and the official links — in plain English.
What is credential evaluation?
In one line
A credential evaluation turns your nursing diploma/degree, transcripts and registration into a report a foreign board, university, employer or immigration office can read and trust. An approved agency verifies your documents — often directly with your school and nursing council — and states how your education compares to that country's standard.
Why a nurse needs one
- Licensure abroad — most US state boards (and some Canadian provinces) require an evaluation before you can sit the licensing exam (e.g. NCLEX) or be registered.
- Immigration — skilled-worker programs need it; Canada's Express Entry requires an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- Work visa — US healthcare workers need a VisaScreen certificate before the occupational visa.
- Study & jobs — universities and employers ask for it to confirm your qualifications.
Two main pathways for nurses
- USA — license & work visa: CGFNS / TruMerit is the nursing specialist — its report is accepted by US boards of nursing, and VisaScreen is needed for the visa.
- Canada & beyond — immigration & study: WES is the common choice for Canada's Express Entry ECA; ECE and TEC are NACES members widely accepted by US boards and universities.
Students & higher study — your marks in their language
Bangladeshi nursing results are usually issued as percentage marks with a pass/fail result (for example, a 60% pass mark in B.Sc. in Nursing). Universities abroad instead read achievement as a GPA / CGPA — the USA and Canada commonly use a 4.0 scale, while others (e.g. Australia) use their own. A course-by-course evaluation converts each subject's marks into that country's grade and GPA, so an admissions committee can compare you fairly against local applicants.
The exact mark-to-GPA mapping follows each agency's own published methodology — so always order the course-by-course report (not document-by-document) whenever a GPA is required for admission or licensure.
The usual steps
- 1 — Check which agency your exact destination board/authority accepts.
- 2 — Create an account online and choose the report type (document-by-document vs course-by-course).
- 3 — Have your school / nursing council send transcripts and credentials directly to the agency.
- 4 — Pay the fee and track your file.
- 5 — The agency sends the report to your board, university or immigration office.
Video walkthrough
CGFNS International
trumerit.org ↗ (formerly cgfns.org)What it is
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools — a US non-profit (now operating as TruMerit) that verifies and evaluates the education, registration and licensure of nurses and other healthcare professionals trained outside the United States. It is the most recognized body specifically for the US nursing pathway.
Why nurses use it
Many US state boards of nursing require a CGFNS credentials report before you can take the NCLEX or be licensed. Separately, US immigration requires a Healthcare Worker Certificate for an occupational visa, and CGFNS's VisaScreen is the nurse's route to it.
Key services
- Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) — course-by-course report used by US boards of nursing (Professional Report for licensure; Academic for admission).
- CGFNS Certification Program — credential review + English + a qualifying exam; required by a few states.
- VisaScreen: Visa Credentials Assessment — for the US Healthcare Worker Certificate required on occupational visas.
- Credentials Verification Service — primary-source verification for boards (e.g. for New York State).
Video walkthrough
Resources
World Education Services
www.wes.org ↗What it is
World Education Services is a non-profit and one of the most widely recognized credential evaluators in the US & Canada — trusted by 60,000+ institutions, immigration authorities and licensing boards. For most non-nursing purposes (immigration, admission, employment) it's the default first choice.
Why nurses use it
WES is recognized by both IRCC (Canada) and USCIS (US) immigration, by universities and by licensing boards. For Canada's Express Entry it provides the IRCC-designated ECA (valid 5 years) — the usual choice for nurses migrating to Canada, plus study and jobs. Note: a US nurse occupational visa still needs the CGFNS VisaScreen Healthcare Worker Certificate, which WES does not issue.
Key services
- Document-by-Document — identifies each credential and its US/Canada equivalent (general employment).
- Course-by-Course — adds a course-level breakdown and GPA; needed for licensure and further study.
- ECA for IRCC — the report format accepted for Canadian Express Entry.
- A permanent digital record you can re-send to schools and employers.
Video walkthrough
Resources
Educational Credential Evaluators
www.ece.org ↗What it is
Educational Credential Evaluators is a US non-profit that evaluates international education for universities, licensing boards and employers. It is a charter member of NACES (since 1987).
Why nurses use it
ECE's nursing reports are accepted by many US state boards for licensure, and it explicitly produces reports for internationally educated nurses. Note: ECE is not an IRCC-designated provider, so it can't be used for Canada's Express Entry ECA — always confirm with your intended state board first.
Key services
- Course-by-Course evaluation — ECE's main report; includes the nursing course-by-course breakdown, GPA and an equivalency statement used by boards.
- General / Document report — credential-level equivalency for employment.
- Reports sent directly to state boards, universities and employers (typical turnaround ~5 business days).
Video walkthrough
The Evaluation Company (TEC)
evalcompany.com ↗ (formerly SpanTran)What it is
The Evaluation Company (TEC) — formerly SpanTran, established in 1982 — is a US credential-evaluation and translation firm and a NACES member that has evaluated foreign academic credentials for 40+ years, for universities, licensing boards and employers.
Why nurses use it
A NACES member accepted across the US, TEC tailors its nursing reports to individual state-board requirements — helpful when your board has specific clinical-hour or course rules. It's a solid alternative when a board accepts it.
Key services
- Course Analysis — its most popular report; lists each course and calculates a US GPA (for admission & licensure).
- Divisional Course Analysis — adds course-level (lower / upper / graduate) designations for graduate-school applications.
- General Analysis — basic credential equivalency for employment.
- Nursing / professional-licensure reports tailored to individual US state-board rules, plus certified translation.
Video walkthrough
Resources
Which evaluation do I need?
Quick decision guide
- Licensing as an RN in the USA / need a work visa → CGFNS (TruMerit) — CES report for the board, VisaScreen for the visa. Confirm which report your state board wants.
- Immigrating to Canada (Express Entry) → WES for the IRCC-designated ECA (other designated options: ICAS, CES, IQAS, ICES). ECE and TEC are not designated for this.
- University admission or an employer → any NACES member (WES, ECE, TEC and others) — use the one the institution names.
Two things to always check
- Accepted list — every US state board, Canadian province and university publishes exactly which agencies it accepts. Order only from that list.
- Report type — licensure, university admission and any percentage-to-GPA conversion need the course-by-course (detailed) report; the basic document-by-document one carries no GPA.
Good to know
- NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) is the membership body many US authorities require — WES, ECE, TEC (SpanTran), IERF and Josef Silny & Associates are members. Search the NACES member directory to find a board-approved evaluator.
- For Canadian nursing registration specifically, internationally educated nurses go through NNAS (National Nursing Assessment Service) — a separate track from the immigration ECA.
- Fees, processing times and document rules differ by agency and change often — always read the current official page before you pay.