Professional Engineers

A CCPE's (Canadian Council of Professional Engineers) and CCTT (Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists ) assessments serve to demonstrate to a visa office that an applicant has a potential to be employed in Canada as a professional Engineer, technician or technologist. While applicants should be encouraged to obtain the CCPE or CCTT assessment, which indeed are the important and useful tools, it should be understood, however, that the assessment is not a prerequisite to the application process, as there are no such provisions in the Immigration Act or Immigration Regulations to make a third party assessment mandatory. A refusal of an application cannot be made simply because of the absence of this assessment. An applicant may submit anything that he/she feels is to his/her benefit. If the applicant prefers to submit other proofs of occupational readiness, he/she may do so.

It should always be made clear to applicants, especially with regard to occupations where licensing or certification is mandatory, that a positive informal assessment is not a guarantee of a license, and that, in most cases, the assessing body is a professional association, not the actual authority empowered by provincial or federal law to issue a license or certificate. In addition it should be understood that most Canada's professional and trades licensing bodies operate at the provincial, not the national level, and that standards vary from province to province. Generally applicants' qualifications will be subject to further assessment after arrival, especially in occupations where licensing or certification is mandatory, and that applicants should be prepared to sit further examinations and pay additional fees if necessary.

This assessment is not required for some computer professions, despite common titles including the word "Engineer" in your home country. Terminology differences exist in the instances in which the word "Engineer" may be used to refer to Canada's professionals.

The following criteria are used to determine if a University will be recognized by the CCPE. The institution must meet at least 4 of the criteria:

• At least two Engineering programs offered (i.e., power plants, radio, economics, management); The institution has been granting degrees for at least 20;
• Students/professors ratio not more than 25:1
• Library has minimum 100,000 volumes
• University is a member of the International Association of Universities or Association of Commonwealth Universities.
• University has higher engineering degree programs;
• There is evidence of scholarly research activity in Engineering (i.e., publications, symposiums).

CCPE informal assessment cost is CAD$175, and can be completed prior to or during the application process. The CCPE may be contacted at the following address:

401 - 116 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5G3
Canada

The following must be provided with an application for CCPE informal assessment:

Certified copies of engineer degrees and transcripts; Fee (CAD$175) payable to the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers; A detailed resume of work history (describing duties) and education.

CCTT informal assessment cost CAD$175, and can be completed prior or during the application process. The CCTT may be contacted at the following address:

2-285 McLeod Street
Ottawa, ON
K2P 1A1
Canada

The following must be provided with an application for CCTT informal assessment:

Certified copies of technician or technologist degrees and transcripts; Fee (CAD$175) payable to the Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists; A detailed resume of work history (describing duties) and education.