November/December 2018

PE Report
Canadian Licensing Provisions Restrict US PEs

NSPE has alerted the US Trade Representative about Canadian licensing rules that restrict US licensed professional engineers from practicing in Canada.

In a September 24 letter to Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, NSPE President Michael Aitken, P.E., F.NSPE, pointed out that both the US and Canada allow individual jurisdictions to develop their own requirements to apply for and obtaining an engineering license. Unlike most of the US, Canada’s 12 provinces have a minimum one-year work requirement that can be fulfilled only in Canada before applying for licensure. This requirement prohibits many US PEs from practicing there despite having proficient education and experience.

The provinces that provide an exception to this requirement are British Columbia and Saskatchewan, Aitken states in the letter. British Columbia recognizes Engineers Canada’s mutual recognition agreements with Hong Kong, Ireland, and Australia. Saskatchewan maintains an agreement with Texas. Canada maintains an MRA with only Texas and Nevada.

NSPE’s letter was a formal response to the US Trade Representative’s request for comment for its annual National Trade Estimate Report on foreign trade barriers. According to the report, the USTR looks at standards-related measures (standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures) as serving an important function in facilitating international trade to obtain greater access to foreign markets. The measures also enable governments to pursue objectives such as protecting human health and the environment and preventing deceptive practices. However, standards-related measures that are nontransparent, discriminatory, or otherwise unwarranted can act as significant barriers to US exports.

The Society recommends that the US and Canada enter into an agreement that recognizes work experience from either nation. Aitken refers to an Arizona statute that provides model language for an agreement. The statute says that professional engineering applicants must provide evidence of work experience attained under the direct supervision of a professional who is satisfactory to the board and registered in Arizona, another state, or a foreign country in the profession in which the applicant is seeking registration. The agreement, he says, will ensure that both the US and Canada will be able to enjoy the benefits of shared technical knowledge and expertise while protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.