If you’re a professional engineer, you already know how hard you’ve worked and studied to get to where you are today. If Canada is another dream for you, you might be wondering if you’ll have to give up your career and start from the very beginning in a new country.
The good news is that Engineering is a highly sought-after field in Canada and filled with a lot of promise.
How to Immigrate to Canada as an Engineer?
Since engineering is considered to be an in-demand, high-skill occupation, there are plenty of ways of immigrating to Canada for engineers.
Immigration Programs for Engineers
A few popular programs to consider are:
Express Entry
Designed for skilled workers and professionals, the Express Entry program is a great way to get Canadian immigration for professional engineers. The program manages all the applications from three economic programs. Professional engineers would be eligible to apply through the Federal Skilled Worker Program. When you complete your application, your profile is given scores based on factors like education, work experience, age, etc. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for permanent residency.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
If there is a specific province you wish to settle in, the Provincial Nominee Program is the way to go. It is a quick and efficient way of coming into Canada. Designed to fill labour shortages in the provinces these programs targets skilled individuals who will be able to contribute to the province’s economic growth. Each province has its own requirements for the program and its own unique streams. For instance, as an engineer, you can consider applying to British Columbia’s technology stream. The province holds draws every two weeks specifically for individuals with a technology background.
Canadian Experience Class
If you are an engineer who is already living and working in Canada, the CEC is the perfect program.
Immigration from Other English-Speaking Countries
Engineers who are immigrating to Canada from these English-speaking countries have an easier time continuing their careers and rarely have to start all over again because of the Washington Accord.
Licencing in Canada for engineers is done at the provincial and territorial levels of government through their regulatory bodies.
What this means is that they accept accredited education as a first step and many engineering regulatory bodies will take signed proof of previous work experience for registration. However, in most cases, a foreign professional engineer will need to work as a member-in-training, this means spending one year getting some Canadian work experience supervised by a licensed Canadian engineer.
Due to the similarities between these countries, an applicant is likely to do very well on their applications for immigration to Canada as a professional engineer and may have an easier time finding a job, which also gives them a leg up on their application.
In some cases, candidates may even be able to request a transfer from their current company to a branch in Canada.
Work as a Engineer in Canada
Canada’s economy is growing exponentially across numerous industries, this means there are plenty of in-demand occupations listed in the National Occupation Classification (NOC), and engineering is one of them. Most of these occupations need to be filled by new immigrants since Canada simply does not have enough people to fill shortages in the labor market.
So why immigrate to Canada as a professional engineer? The most obvious reason is professional development. As an engineer in Canada, you can have an illustrious career and work for some of the biggest companies or brands known across the world. You can be at the forefront of technological innovation and have a direct impact on the future. Engineers in Canada also make good money, on average an engineer’s salary is over $74,000 a year. Depending on the type and field they’re in, an engineer can easily make over six figures.
Aside from the professional benefits, Canada offers a wonderful quality of life. Clean streets, free public health care, a low crime rate, a world class education are just some of the benefits enjoyed by residents and citizens of Canada. The country is consistently rated as one of the best places to raise a family.
Stretching from coast to coast, Canada is a land filled with natural beauty and four distinct seasons, so there’s something for everyone.
How to Become an Engineer
In order to become an engineer, you need formal education and a university degree. Your program of study will depend on which category of engineering you want to specialize in.
The study of engineering can be divided into four broad categories:
- Chemical;
- Civil;
- Electrical;
- Mechanical.
Each category has its own set of skills that need to be learned and have very different programs and educations.
The good news is it’s absolutely possible to become an engineer in Canada from another country. You can even work in Canada for the short-term with your existing engineering degree since some of Canada’s provincial and territorial engineering regulatory body provides temporary licenses for foreign engineers.
Engineer’s Canada also has mutual recognition agreements in place with other engineering organizations around the world to allow for mobility and simplify the evaluation process of an applicant’s credentials.
In short, depending on where you’re immigrating from, chances are your degree will be recognized as long as it meets the Canadian standards. If not, you may need to take some additional courses to be accredited through the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
How to Find a Job in Canada
The best way of fast-tracking your immigration application is to find a job in Canada.
With technology being what it is, finding a job has never been easier. Regardless of where you’re living, if you have internet or wifi, you can find a job!
LinkedIn continues to be a popular option for finding a job in a professional field as you can be head hunted by recruiters and build valuable connections.
There are also plenty of job boards with thousands of postings for engineering jobs in Canada. Some of them include:
Most job boards have dedicated categories for engineering. Competition is understandably fierce so to set yourself apart, make sure you have a fantastic resume and cover letter formatted and be well prepared for every interview. Research the company that you’re interviewing at and go in with your credentials, references, and certificates in hand.
Check out if you are eligible for immigration to Canada within a few minutes:
Where to Find Help with Immigration?
Immigrating to Canada is simple in theory but navigating the myriad of forms can be challenging and feel confusing. A simple mistake can cost you a lot of money and set you back by years. Consider hiring a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) to simplify the process for you.
They will help you figure out the best program and pathway so you can come to Canada as quickly as possible and help you find a job at the same time.
If living and working in one of the best countries in the world sounds like a dream you want to pursue, start the process now.