A 31-year-old married applicant (8 years' experience, IELTS 8.5 general band, CRS 458) asked whether to give up on Canada after WES assessed both spouses' master's-level credentials as diploma-equivalent, costing points. The thread offered several routes instead of quitting:
- Move fast — age erosion is real. With a birthday approaching, members urged acting before further age-point losses. One member suggested pushing for a provincial nomination promptly rather than waiting in the pool as the score decays each year.
- Target PNP streams for your NOC. Multiple members said 458 is a realistic base for provincial programs — identify streams matching the applicant's NOC codes rather than relying on general Express Entry draws.
- Re-run the math without the spouse. One suggestion: compare your CRS as a married applicant versus applying single-style with the spouse as non-accompanying, then sponsoring them later — a lower-scoring spouse can drag the combined score down. (Weigh the separation and sponsorship timelines before choosing this.)
- Or squeeze more points from the spouse. Conversely, if the spouse's language scores or education can be improved or properly assessed, adding their points can lift the total.
- On the WES disappointment: the poster noted classmates with identical degrees received master's equivalency — members' experiences suggest ECA outcomes can vary, so reviewing the assessment (or trying a different documented submission) may be worthwhile.