Hi all,

I am currently completing a chemical engineering degree in Sheffield and I've been looking at options of what to do next. I have always wanted to live and work in Canada so I thought I would check out my options and see what people who have experienced it think. This is still in the thought stages but I thought I would try to get a selection of information from different sources before I made my choice.

If I did come I would be thinking about getting a job within my field so something like process engineering (I have around 1.5 years experience in this) though I am happy to spend a few months as a bartender while I find the right role. I have checked and the working holiday visas are closed and I don't know whether there is a second round of them, I believe I can get enough points to be valid for an express entry skilled worker program but would need to find a job before I arrived. I am not sure if I need to have savings behind me if I manage to find a job out there.

In simple terms I would just like to know if people think this would be a good idea and what steps I should take to start the ball rolling.

It seems the companies are more interested in hiring Canadian undergraduates tbh but I cant speak for the whole of Canada.

There is a surplus of process engineers at the moment with the recent downturn.

I'd try and get some more experience under your belt and apply through the IEC scheme.

Just my 2 cents

Thanks for this cbrown89. I'll bear it in mind, I didn't know there were surplus engineers. I may send out a few emails to companies to test the waters but if it doesn't work out I can always revisit this idea in a few years.

Certainly process engineers from oil and gas markets are struggling so I would assume they would try to move into other industries (I know process isnt confined to O&G).

Canadian companies do generally have to prove there is no qualified Canadian for the position before they can hire someone from another country ..........

with the downturn in the economy, this might prove a problem for you.

Not on an IEC

but you have to get the IEC!

Keep in mind that you will need to become licensed in order to work as an engineer.


International Engineering Graduates | Engineers Canada

You can work in an engineering role as an EIT, becoming a professional engineer is the tricky part.

If you do not hold PR or Canadian citizenship, then for most governing bodies you will only be able to register as a foreign licensee; as far as I am aware you can not be designated as a P.Eng on a temporary immigration status.

The EIT (Engineer In Training) would be your best initial route, along with the IEC, which would remove the need for the LMIA.

But as others have said the demand for process engineers is in decline at present, and certainly in Alberta, although that will undoubtedly change in the next couple of years when the Oil & Gas industry picks up again.

Not true you can be a professional engineer in Canada and live and work in Italy.

FYI

What is a Foreign Licensee?
1. If you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada, you should apply for licensure as a Foreign Licensee rather than as a P.Eng.
2. A Foreign Licensee must meet the exact same admission criteria as a P.Eng., however, a Foreign Licensee is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. A Foreign Licensee, like a P.Eng., is given a license to practice engineering in Alberta and to take responsibility for that work. A Foreign Licensee is not entitled to participate in the governance of APEGA.

not all provinces have this and they will give Peng to everyone meeting the criteria

to add

In Canada post degree, one needs several years of experience before the license is issued & I believe its the same for each province

from page 5 the APEGA website

http://www.apega.ca/pdf/Guidelines/E...quirements.pdf

With a professional degree
If you have a degree in engineering, geology or geophysics, the Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Professions Act (EGGP) of Alberta requires that you must have at least four years of experience acceptable to the Board of Examiners in order to meet the experience requirements necessary for professional licensure. In general, you must obtain this experience after completing the academic requirements.

Assuming that degree and experience are ok then there would also be the professional practice (ethics) exam. This would be very straightforward for anyone from the UK. Getting P.Eng seemed to be easier than getting C.Eng.

The four years of experience for P.Eng would also need to include at least one year of experience in the province (or perhaps Canada I don't recall which).

There is also an international P.Eng designation. I know someone from the UK who got this before coming to Canada.

Thanks for all of the responses, they have given me a lot to think about.

I am going to apply to this years quota for IEC visas and find out further information about possibly applying to the engineer in training scheme.

I believe this seems to be my best options worst comes to worst I can spend a year or so enjoying Canada and then return home to find a full time engineering job, then look at my other options in regards to visas.