Thank you for your response. In that case, applying to other credential evaluators like CES/ICES with the hope of being considered as PG diploma also is of no use?
I would assume so, but I can't say for certain. I am just basing this on my own experience having completed 2 ECAs. I did a lot of research prior to the results being sent to me.
It seems to come down to credit hours that are equivalent to at least 1200 hours over an academic year (8 months / 2 semesters). As the Canadian institutions seem to work within the Bologna process if you can figure out how many credits your qualification is equivalent to on the European Framework it will give you a good sense of things. This framework was established to provide equivalency between all the different European countries and has been adopted by many countries and organisations outside of the EU, such as ENIC-NARIC. 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of 1 academic year, and 1 ECTS can be between 20-30 hours depending on the country.
If your qualification comes from a recognised institution it basically means there is an equivalency framework in place.