Professional Licensing Struggles Facing Immigrant Engineers

Professional engineering associations in Canada are facing thorny issues in the licensing of immigrant engineers. They are now torn between adhering to their registration procedures while at the same time making sure there is no　 discrimination towards immigrant engineering applicants. The issue of discrimination was highlighted in the case between Mr. Mihaly and The Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal decided that Mihaly was discriminated against by the association when it assessed his educational qualifications using its Examination Standard and Experience Standard without giving any individualized assessment. The decision is now being challenged in court.

 

Immigrant engineers wishing to practice in Canada undergo a rigorous process before getting licensed as engineers. The procedure is put in place to ensure that public safety is protected by licensing only engineers who are competent and have the professional knowledge of codes and standards followed by their Canadian counterparts.

 

Before immigrant engineers can obtain their license, they have to prove that their educational credentials are equivalent to Canadian credentials. This can sometimes be done by taking a technical exam. Then, they also need to gain at least one year of supervised experience in Canada in addition to proving that they have worked as an engineer for three years abroad. Finally, they also need to take a professional practice exam to show that they are knowledgeable on the ethics and applicable laws when it comes to being an engineer in Canada.

 

It has been argued that the issue of discrimination and licensing of immigrant engineers is something that needs to be addressed. The federal government of Canada is in the process of reforming the immigration system. It is now offering what is called "express entry" to skilled immigrants—civil engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical and electronics engineers and petroleum engineers included—who want to live and work in Canada as permanent residents. Express entry, slated to be launched on January next year, is part of immigration reforms hoping to achieve access to skilled workers to fill the needs in our current labor market.