In Canada, engineering is a regulated profession. By law, no one can be an engineer in Canada without a licence. It is against the law to practise engineering, or to use the “P.Eng./ing.” title after your name unless you are fully licensed by an engineering association. You can practise engineering only in the provinces/territories where you are licensed.

When you Arrive in Canada ? Steps to Licensing

STEP 1: You must get an application form, fill it out and pay a fee.

Once you have been approved as a permanent resident, you should contact the association of professional engineers in the province or territory where you plan to live. However, you must move to Canada before you can be approved as a member of one of these associations.

The association will ask for the following documents:
・ original diploma(s), degree(s), and full transcripts (official academic records) listing your courses and marks,
・ the full address of the colleges or universities you have attended,
・ references from your work experience and character references.

STEP 2: The association/ordre looks over your university or college background. It will decide which exam program will be assigned to be sure that you meet academic requirements.

The type and number of exams depends on your background, and the type of engineering work you wish to do. You will also be assigned an examination on non?technical subjects such as engineering economics or management. Depending on where you move, exam courses may be offered once or twice a year.

STEP 3: The association/ordre considers your experience as an engineer.

The association/ordre has to assess your understanding of engineering theory and your communications skills. It also needs to know your background in managing projects.

You must have at least four years of engineering experience. At least 12 months of experience must be in Canada, so you are familiar with Canadian codes and standards.

STEP 4: You must write and pass the professional?practice exam.

The topics of the exam are professional practice, ethics, engineering law, and liability. Normally you can write this exam after you have finished the course of exams in STEP 2.

Once you have finished all these steps, the association/ordre will give you a licence to practise engineering in your area. Please note that the entire process (from the application to the licence) will take two years or more during which time you can work to get your Canadian experience.

Working in Canada before being Licensed

You can work in Canada as an engineer before becoming an official “professional engineer,” but only if a licensed professional engineer takes responsibility for your work.

Getting a Job

It is not easy to find long?term, full?time work as an engineer in Canada. You should be ready to search for a year or more. You can find jobs by looking in newspapers, magazines, and trade journals. The Internet is also a good source of information.