WES Evaluation Cost for Chinese Degrees — CHSI Verification, Timeline, and What Your Xueshi Actually Gets You

The WES evaluation is where many Chinese Express Entry applicants hit their first serious delay. The base WES fee is CAD 264, before CHSI, delivery, tax, or other charges, and the process involves multiple systems, a China-specific verification step that most guides don't explain clearly, and timelines that can stretch to ten weeks if you don't start at the right point.

Here's what it actually costs, how the Chinese-specific CHSI process works, and what different Chinese degree types translate to in CRS points.

The Full Cost Breakdown

Getting a WES Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for a Chinese degree involves fees at two stages:

CHSI verification fee: The China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHSI/CSSD) charges approximately RMB 30 for each English qualification or degree report. A transcript verification report has a separate fee if WES requests it. Check chsi.com.cn for current fees as these are periodically updated.

WES ECA fee: WES charges CAD 264 for an ECA report for Canadian immigration purposes (current fee). WES charges per application rather than per credential; include all credentials WES requests in the initial application. Delivery, additional fees, and tax may apply.

Translation costs (if applicable): WES receives the Chinese verification electronically from CHSI, which typically removes the need for paper translations for degree certificates. However, if WES requests physical transcripts for older credentials or records not fully digitized in CHSI, you may need certified English translations. Budget RMB 200–500 per document from a recognized translation service if this arises.

Total typical cost: Start with the CAD 264 WES fee for a single degree evaluation, plus approximately RMB 60 for two English qualification or degree reports and any delivery, tax, or translation charges.

The CHSI-WES Process Step by Step

China has a mandatory internal verification step before WES can process your credential. This is not optional and cannot be bypassed. Since 2024, the CDGDC (the old verification center) has been fully superseded by CHSI/CSSD for this function.

Step 1: Create a CHSI account. Go to chsi.com.cn and create an account. Your account name must match your degree certificate exactly — if your university registered your name in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, use exactly that format. A mismatch prevents the system from binding your degree to your account.

Step 2: Bind your degree. Enter your degree certificate number to link the credential to your account. You must bind both the Graduation Certificate (学历证书, Xueli) and the Degree Certificate (学位证书, Xuewei). Binding only the Xueli — which many applicants do because it's the first one they find — results in a partial verification that WES cannot finalize.

Step 3: Generate the Online Verification Report. Once bound, generate the English-language Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate. The English version is required; the Chinese-only version is not sufficient for WES.

Step 4: Send to WES. Within the CHSI portal, enter your WES Reference Number (obtained when you create your WES application). This transmits the electronic report directly to WES.

CHSI verification timeline: Typically 20 to 30 business days. Records are more likely to be digitized for qualifications after 2001 and degrees after 2008; older records may require a manual archival search.

WES processing timeline: 20 to 35 business days after receiving the CHSI transfer.

Total typical timeline: 7 to 10 weeks from starting your CHSI account to receiving your WES report.

What Chinese Degrees Are Worth in CRS Points

The WES equivalency determination directly affects your CRS score in the education category. Here is what common Chinese credentials typically receive:

Xueshi (学士) — four-year Bachelor's degree from a recognized university: Generally assessed as equivalent to a Canadian four-year Bachelor's. CRS education points: 120 for a single applicant (no spouse), or 112 if married with a spouse included in the application.

Dazhuan (大专) — three-year college diploma: Assessed as a three-year post-secondary credential that generally receives a lower CRS education allocation than a four-year Bachelor's unless you also hold a second degree. If you hold a Dazhuan plus a postgraduate qualification, confirm how WES evaluates the combined credential before calculating your score.

Shuoshi (硕士) — Master's degree: Assessed as equivalent to a Canadian Master's. CRS education points: 135 for a single applicant. The incremental gain over a Xueshi is 15 points.

Boshi (博士) — PhD: CRS education points: 150 for a single applicant. Maximum education score.

Zikao (自学考试) — Self-Study examination credential: Recognized by WES if awarded by a recognized institution with full examination completion documented in CHSI. Treated case-by-case; may be evaluated as equivalent to a standard Xueshi or may receive partial credit depending on the program.

Adult and distance education (成人教育/网络教育): Evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The key factor is whether the program appears in the CHSI database with both a graduation certificate and a degree certificate. Not all adult education programs issue both.

Common Problems Chinese Applicants Encounter

Binding fails because of a name format mismatch. Your CHSI account name must match the exact format on your degree certificate. Check the certificate before creating the account.

Binding only one of the two certificate types. Many applicants bind their Xueli (graduation certificate) but not their Xuewei (degree certificate). WES requires both. The system will not prompt you — you need to know to look for both.

CHSI cannot find records for older qualifications or degrees. Older records may not be fully digitized. CHSI can still verify these but may require a manual archival process. If a qualification predates 2001 or a degree predates 2008, add extra time to your planning.

WES rejects physical transcripts with opened envelopes. If WES requests physical transcripts sent by your university (for cases where electronic transfer is insufficient), they must arrive in sealed envelopes with the university's official stamp over the seal. Courier services that open packages for customs inspection without an official customs stamp will trigger automatic rejection of those documents.

Starting WES after receiving the ITA. IRCC gives you 60 days to submit after receiving an Invitation to Apply. The CHSI-WES process takes 7 to 10 weeks. Chinese applicants who wait until after receiving their ITA to start the process will almost always miss the deadline or need to request an extension.

Start your CHSI-WES process as early as possible — ideally 3 to 4 months before you plan to submit your Express Entry profile, so the report is ready when you create the profile. The WES report is valid for five years, so starting early carries no downside.

For a complete guide to the CHSI process, PSB police certificate procurement, and the full document chain for Chinese Express Entry applicants, see the China to Canada Express Entry Guide.

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