IQAS requires word-for-word English translations for documents not in English or French. IQAS says translations do not need to be certified or notarized but must come from an objective and reliable source. A certified translation is recommended because it also satisfies IRCC, universities, and employers.
Reviewed by Elena Sokolova
Senior Academic Credential Translation Strategist
“IQAS is the most flexible evaluator on translation requirements, but that flexibility is a trap if you stop at IQAS. Almost everyone who gets an IQAS assessment also needs to submit documents to IRCC, a university, or an employer — and they all want certified translation. Getting it right from the start costs the same and covers everyone.”
IQAS requires word-for-word English translations for all academic documents not originally issued in English or French. Because IQAS is an Alberta government service, it accepts both official Canadian languages without translation. For every other language, a complete English translation must accompany the original.
The IQAS translation policy is more flexible than most credential evaluators. IQAS officially states that translations do not need to be certified or notarized. They must, however, come from an "objective and reliable source." That means the applicant should not translate their own documents, but the translator does not need to hold any specific Canadian certification. A professional translation provider, a bilingual colleague outside your family, or any qualified translator can prepare the translation — as long as it is complete, word-for-word, and objective.
Document submission to IQAS works through two channels. If you upload documents to the IQAS portal yourself, upload the translation alongside the original. If your educational institution sends documents directly, the translation must be included inside the sealed institutional envelope. IQAS does not accept translations submitted separately from institution-sent originals.
Current official IQAS rule
IQAS requires word-for-word English translations for documents not in English or French. Translations do not need to be certified or notarized but must come from an objective and reliable source.
IRCC-designated organization
IQAS is one of five organizations designated by IRCC to provide Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for Canadian immigration, including Express Entry.
Sealed envelope rule
If your institution sends documents directly to IQAS, the English translation must be included inside the sealed institutional envelope.
IQAS says translations do not need to be certified. So why get a certified translation anyway? Because the IQAS assessment rarely stays with IQAS. The assessment report goes to IRCC for your immigration application, to a provincial licensing board for professional certification, to a university for admissions, or to an employer for hiring. Almost every downstream institution that receives your IQAS assessment also requires or strongly prefers certified translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
If you submit a non-certified translation to IQAS and then your university or IRCC asks for a certified version of the same documents, you end up paying for translation twice. A certified translation from the start is a single purchase that satisfies both IQAS and every downstream receiver.
The quality standard is the same either way. Whether you choose certified or non-certified, IQAS expects complete, word-for-word translations that preserve the original document structure. The difference is that a certified translation adds a signed Certificate of Accuracy — a formal statement from the translator attesting to completeness and accuracy — which is what downstream institutions require.
Both IQAS and WES are IRCC-designated organizations for ECAs. This comparison helps you decide which evaluator and translation approach fits your situation.
| Aspect | IQAS | WES |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Government of Alberta (government service) | Private non-profit organization |
| Translation certification | Not required — "objective and reliable source" is sufficient | Professional translator required |
| Bilingual acceptance | Accepts English and French documents without translation | English only; French documents need translation |
| Standard processing | 15–25 business days | 2–4 weeks (varies by country) |
| Base ECA fee | $130–$260 CAD | $220 CAD |
| Rush available | Yes — $250 CAD additional, 5–7 business days | Yes — varies by country and submission type |
A certified translation works for both IQAS and WES. If you are unsure which evaluator you will use, or if you might need both, one certified translation covers both.
IQAS uses an online portal for applications and document uploads. The submission method for your translation depends on how your original documents reach IQAS — either through the portal or in a sealed institutional envelope.
Register at the IQAS portal on the Government of Alberta website. Select the assessment type your receiving institution, employer, or immigration application requires: Basic Assessment, Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), or Specialized Assessment.
Have your academic documents translated into English before starting the upload process. IQAS says translations do not need to be certified, but a certified translation with a Certificate of Accuracy is recommended because it also works for IRCC, universities, and employers.
If you are uploading documents yourself, upload the originals and the English translation together through the IQAS portal. If your educational institution sends documents directly to IQAS, the translation must be included inside the sealed institutional envelope — IQAS does not accept translations submitted separately from institution-sent originals.
IQAS fees are in Canadian dollars and are non-refundable. Basic Assessment is approximately $200 CAD. ECA ranges from $130 to $260 CAD. Each additional credential adds $100 CAD. Rush processing adds $250 CAD.
Standard processing takes 15 to 25 business days after all documents are received and your application reaches "in line for processing" status. Rush service completes in 5 to 7 business days. Applications with multiple credentials may take longer. Processing time does not include mail delivery.
If you are applying through Express Entry and need the ECA quickly, have the certified translation ready before creating the IQAS application. Upload everything together so IQAS can start processing immediately. The translation step itself should not be the bottleneck — the 15–25 day IQAS processing window is the longest wait.
IQAS rejection patterns are primarily about completeness and document matching rather than certification requirements. Because IQAS has flexible translation rules, most problems come from incomplete translations, missing documents, or incorrect sealed envelope handling.
What happens
IQAS cannot match the translation to the original documents and pauses processing.
Why it happens
Applicants have their institution send originals in a sealed envelope but upload the translation separately through the portal. IQAS expects both in the same envelope when documents come from the institution.
How we prevent it
We deliver the translation as a downloadable PDF that you can print and include in the sealed institutional envelope, or upload alongside your portal submission.
What happens
IQAS evaluators cannot verify document completeness because the English version is missing visible elements from the original.
Why it happens
Non-professional translations often skip institutional seals, registrar stamps, and margin notes because they seem decorative.
How we prevent it
We translate every visible element on the original document, including watermarks, seal text, and handwritten annotations.
What happens
IQAS flags the translation as incomplete because it paraphrases instead of reproducing the full text.
Why it happens
Since IQAS does not require certification, some applicants have a friend or family member summarize the document rather than translate word-for-word.
How we prevent it
Every translation follows IQAS word-for-word rules: complete text, original course titles, institutional phrasing, and academic terminology preserved without simplification.
What happens
IQAS questions the objectivity of the translation source.
Why it happens
IQAS says translations must come from an "objective and reliable source." The applicant is not considered objective regarding their own academic records.
How we prevent it
All our translations come from professional translators who have no connection to the applicant, satisfying the IQAS objectivity requirement.
Anonymized translations we've delivered into IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) packages. Each case shows the source-document issue and how it was handled.
“I appreciate you! Everything came back accurate and the filing went through with no questions.”
Karina R.
Spanish → English · Mexican Acta de Divorcio
→ USCIS — Marriage-Based Filing
“My mom was listed as "Hogar" on her acta and I had no idea how that was supposed to translate. The team explained why "Home" would be wrong and showed me the note they were going to add. The agency accepted it without asking a single question.”
A.V.
Spanish → English · Mexican Acta de Nacimiento
→ US Agency — Accepted
“I was worried no one would be able to read this — even I couldn't make out what the doctor wrote. They took the time to actually verify the diagnoses with a medical specialist. The translation came back with everything clearly explained.”
D.K.
Ukrainian → English · Medical Consultation Report
→ USCIS — Medical Records
“By the way I am very happy with CertTranslate.”
Jacques L.
French → English · Quebec Copy of Act of Birth
→ U.S. Immigration Filing
“Thank you, it is correct. Appreciate the quick turnaround.”
J.G.
German → English · Marriage Record (Familienbuch)
→ USCIS — I-130 Filing
“I submitted my certified translation of a birth certificate and marriage certificate for my green card petition, and USCIS approved it on the very first try. My immigration lawyer said it was one of the cleanest certified translations he'd ever seen.”
Maria L.
Spanish → English · Birth + Marriage Certificate
→ USCIS — Green Card Approved
IQAS submission involves translation cost plus the assessment fee. All IQAS fees are in Canadian dollars and non-refundable. Understanding both together helps you budget accurately and avoid the trap of saving on translation only to pay more later when IRCC or your university also needs a certified copy.
Our certified translation
True flat rate — no word-count multipliers, no per-page surprises.
Typical for this case
$49.90–$99.80
Most IQAS-bound academic sets: 2 to 4 pages
Pay only after you review the quote
Beyond translation
Fees IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) charges directly, outside our translation rate.
These fees go directly to IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) — we don't collect or mark them up.
Typical end-to-end scenarios
Yes. IQAS accepts certified translations. IQAS officially states that translations do not need to be certified or notarized — they only need to come from an objective and reliable source. A professional certified translation meets this standard and also works for IRCC, Canadian universities, provincial licensing boards, and employers. Certified translation is the recommended approach because it eliminates the risk of needing to retranslate later for downstream institutions.
No. IQAS does not strictly require certification or notarization. The IQAS policy says translations must be word-for-word and from an objective and reliable source. However, a professional certified translation is still recommended because virtually every institution that receives your IQAS assessment — IRCC, universities, employers, licensing boards — requires or strongly prefers certified translation with a Certificate of Accuracy.
Both IQAS and WES are designated by IRCC to provide Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for Canadian immigration. IQAS is a government service operated by the Government of Alberta with more flexible translation rules and bilingual English/French acceptance. WES is a private organization that requires professional translations and uses country-specific sender routes. IQAS standard processing is 15–25 business days. Both accept the same certified translation format, so one translation works for either evaluator.
No. IQAS requires translations from an "objective and reliable source." The applicant is not considered objective regarding their own academic records. A family member is also not considered objective. You need a third-party translator — either a professional translation provider or an unrelated bilingual individual who can produce a complete, word-for-word translation.
If your institution sends documents directly to IQAS, the English translation must be inside the sealed envelope. Ask your institution to include the printed translation with the original documents before sealing. If your institution will not include third-party documents in their sealed envelope, upload the translation separately through the IQAS portal and note this in your application.
Yes. IQAS is an Alberta government service and accepts documents in both official Canadian languages — English and French — without translation. This is a meaningful difference from WES, which generally requires English translations of French documents. If your academic records are in French, you can submit them to IQAS without any translation.
Standard IQAS processing takes 15 to 25 business days after all documents are received and your application reaches "in line for processing" status. Rush service is available for $250 CAD additional with 5–7 business day completion. Applications with multiple credentials may take longer. Processing time does not include mail delivery. On our side, certified translation is typically completed within 24 hours.
WES translation requirements
WES-specific translation formatting, country intermediaries, and portal submission.
ECE translation requirements
ECE Translation Waiver option, self-prepared translation rules, and submission steps.
NACES translation requirements
How NACES membership affects evaluator choice and shared standards.
We format translations for IQAS evaluator review: word-for-word rendering, preserved document layout, and a Certificate of Accuracy that also satisfies IRCC, WES, universities, and employers.
We are not affiliated with IQAS or the Government of Alberta. We provide certified translation that meets current IQAS-facing formatting and completeness expectations.
