Professional Engineers Ontario Removes Canadian Experience Requirement for Foreign-Trained Engineers in Historic Licensing Change

In a groundbreaking move, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), the regulatory body for professional engineering in the province, has announced that foreign-trained engineers will no longer be required to have Canadian work experience to work in Ontario. PEO is the first regulatory body to take action in response to new provincial legislation introduced in 2021. This legislation aims to simplify the process for newcomers to practice in their trained professions or trades.

The new legislation mandates that regulatory bodies remove the Canadian work experience requirement from their licensing procedures by December 2023. Additionally, the bill streamlines the language proficiency testing for immigration and professional licensing, expedites the registration process for regulated professions during emergencies like pandemics, and ensures timely completion of the licensing process.

During a livestreamed announcement on May 23, Christopher Chahine, Vice-President of PEO, emphasized the significance of this change. He highlighted that internationally trained individuals account for up to 60% of applicants seeking engineering licenses each year. Chahine expressed that this shift to a competency-based model rather than a geography-based one will enable qualified and ethical international applicants to obtain their licenses more quickly, enabling them to actively contribute to Ontario’s economy as professional engineers.

This milestone marks a historic moment for PEO in redefining its licensing approach for professional engineers. The elimination of the Canadian work experience requirement signifies a fair, transparent, and efficient process that ensures equity for all applicants.