PEO tries to make rules clearer for immigrating engineers

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) now has a procedure that enables prospective immigrants to begin applying for a licence to practice as an engineer in the province before they arrive in Canada. The hope is that by starting the admissions procedure, the immigrant will have definitive information about licensing requirements and whether their qualifications will be acceptable. “People were arriving from abroad without a clear understanding of our role, our licensing requirements, or the circumstances under which they would require a licence” said PEO Registrar and CEO Roger Barker, P.Eng.
PEO says it is also hopes the new procedure will eliminate any confusion caused by the informal and initial assessments being conducted for immigration purposes by the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE), the umbrella organization for the professional engineering licensing bodies. The CCPE assessment helps to determine whether an individual’s background is appropriate, but not to determine whether he or she has the requisite education and experience to become licensed. See Links to PEO and CCPE on this web site.