Immigration Canada: Information for foreign-trained engineers

Engineering Department employees, 1962 (Photo credit: Seattle Municipal Archives)

Information on requirements to practise

The engineering profession is regulated in Canada. It is illegal to practise as an engineer or to use the title "engineer" without being licensed as a professional engineer with a provincial or territorial association. However, individuals can do engineering work under the direct supervision of licensed professional engineers.

Provincial and territorial engineering regulatory bodies are responsible for setting the standards for entry into the profession and for issuing licences to those who meet established standards of qualifications and practice. Therefore, once you know where you will settle and work in Canada, you should contact the appropriate regulatory body for details on licensure procedures (See list below).

Engineers Canada established the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) in 1965 to accredit undergraduate engineering programs at Canadian institutions which provide aspiring engineers with the academic requirements necessary for registration as a professional engineer in Canada. The list of accredited academic programs can be consulted on its web site, as well as the Engineers Canada Examination Syllabus.

Information on assessment of qualifications

The Roadmap to Engineering in Canada Web site is dedicated to providing information to international engineering graduates on the steps to obtain a licence to practise as a professional engineer in Canada.

While not part of the registration process to become a licensed professional engineer in Canada, the Roadmap includes the on-line Academic Information Tool, which provides valuable information on how an undergraduate education in engineering obtained outside Canada compares to a Canadian undergraduate education in engineering.

This is important, as the definition of engineering varies from one country to the next. Work and training that in some countries are called engineering and are linked to the job title of engineer may fall into a different job category in Canada. The Academic Information Tool assists applicants in making an informed choice about immigrating to Canada.

Please note that the Academic Information Tool provides general information on how international academic credentials compare to those issued in Canada. It is not part of the formal immigration selection process, nor is it part of the engineering licensure process.

For more information, contact:

Engineers Canada: Foreign Credential Recognition Program
180 Elgin Street, Suite 1100; Ottawa ON K2P 2K3 Canada; Phone : 613-232-2474; Phone (alternate): 1-877-408-9273; Fax : 613-230-5759; Email : newcomers@engineerscanada.ca; http://www.engineerscanada.ca/e/

For immigration to Quebec, you should contact the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) directly:

Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ): Gare Windsor, bureau 350
1100, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal; Montréal QC H3B 2S2 Canada; Phone : 514-845-6141; Phone (alternate): 1-800-461-6141; Fax : 514-845-1833; Email : info@oiq.qc.ca; http://www.oiq.qc.ca/

You should note that if you are already licensed to practise as an engineer, and later wish to work in a non-regulated occupation, employers may request that you provide them with a formal assessment of your academic credentials.

If that is the case, or if you wish to have your credentials assessed for a purpose other than practising a regulated occupation in Canada, you may consult our Fact Sheet No. 2, "Assessment and recognition of credentials for the purpose of employment in Canada" and contact an academic credential evaluation service. Although evaluation services offer expert advice on how qualifications obtained abroad compare with academic credentials obtained in Canada, their evaluations are advisory only and do not guarantee recognition of your qualifications for employment or certification purposes in Canada. Please note that evaluation services charge a fee for their assessments.

Information on assessment for immigration purposes, under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is an immigration program administered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the department responsible for immigration to Canada.

CIC has listed the priority occupations (NOC 2131, 2132, 2134, 2143, 2144, 2145, 2146, and 2147) under the FSWP. To apply for immigration to Canada under this program, one of the requirements* is to obtain an “Educational Credential Assessment” (ECA) for immigration purposes from a CIC-designated organization. We invite you to communicate directly with one of the designated organizations to begin this process from outside Canada.

*It is important to note that this requirement is for immigration purposes only. It is separate from the process to obtain a license to practice from the relevant regulatory body listed below. Obtaining a license to practice is not required to apply for immigration.

Other relevant information

The following occupational profiles for specific engineering disciplines may also be of interest:

Specific Provincial/Territorial Information

List of engineering regulatory bodies

Alberta

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA): 1500 Scotia One, 10060 Jasper Avenue NW; Edmonton AB T5J 4A2 Canada; Phone : 780-426-3990; Phone (alternate): 1-800-661-7020; Fax : 780-426-1877; Email : email@apegga.org; http://www.apega.ca/

British Columbia

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC): Suite 200, 4010 Regent Street; Burnaby BC V5C 6N2 Canada; Phone : 604-430-8035; Phone (alternate): 1-888-430-8035; Fax : 604-430-8085; Email : apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca; http://www.apeg.bc.ca/

Manitoba

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM): 870 Pembina Highway; Winnipeg MB R3M 2M7 Canada; Phone : 204-474-2736; Phone (alternate): 1 (866) 227-9600; Fax : 204-474-5960; Email : apegm@apegm.mb.ca; http://www.apegm.mb.ca/

New Brunswick

Engineers and Geoscientists New Brunswick: 183 Hanwell Road; Fredericton NB E3B 2R2 Canada; Phone : 506-458-8083; Phone (alternate): 1-888-458-8083; Fax : 506-451-9629; Email : info@apegnb.com; http://www.apegnb.com/

Newfoundland and Labrador

Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL): P.O. Box 21207
10 Fort William Place, Suite 203; St. John's NL A1A 5B2 Canada; Phone : 709-753-7714; Fax : 709-753-6131; Email : main@pegnl.ca; http://www.pegnl.ca/

Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists: 201, 4817-49th Street; Yellowknife NT X1A 3S7 Canada; Phone : 867-920-4055; Fax : 867-873-4058; Email : napeg@napeg.nt.ca; http://www.napeg.nt.ca/

Nova Scotia

Engineers Nova Scotia: 1355 Barrington Street, P.O. Box 129; Halifax NS B3J 2M4 Canada; Phone : 902-429-2250; Phone (alternate): 1-888-802-7367; Fax : 902-423-9769; Email : info@engineersnovascotia.ca; http://www.engineersnovascotia.ca

Nunavut

Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists: 201, 4817-49th Street; Yellowknife NT X1A 3S7 Canada; Phone : 867-920-4055; Fax : 867-873-4058; Email : napeg@napeg.nt.ca; http://www.napeg.nt.ca/

Ontario

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO): 40 Sheppard Avenue West, Suite 101; Toronto ON M2N 6K9 Canada; Phone : 416-224-1100; Phone (alternate): 1-800-339-3716; Fax : 416-224-8168; Fax (alternate): 1-800-268-0496; Email : MSaldanha@peo.on; http://www.peo.on.ca/

Prince Edward Island

Engineers PEI: 135 Water Street; Charlottetown PE C1A 1A8 Canada; Phone : 902-566-1268; Fax : 902-566-5551; Email : info@EngineersPEI.com; http://www.engineerspei.com/

Quebec

Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ): Gare Windsor, bureau 350
1100, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal; Montréal QC H3B 2S2 Canada; Phone : 514-845-6141; Phone (alternate): 1-800-461-6141; Fax : 514-845-1833; Email : info@oiq.qc.ca; http://www.oiq.qc.ca/

Saskatchewan

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS): 2255-13th Avenue, Suite 104; Regina SK S4P 0V6 Canada; Phone : 306-525-9547; Phone (alternate): 1-800-500-9547; Fax : 306-525-0851; Email : apegs@apegs.sk.ca; http://www.apegs.sk.ca/

Yukon

Association of Professional Engineers of Yukon (APEY): 312B Hanson Street; Whitehorse YT Y1A 1Y6 Canada; Phone : 867-667-6727; Fax : 867-668-2142; Email : staff@apey.yk.ca; http://www.apey.yk.ca/