Engineer Immigration to Canada

Engineers can immigrate to Canada through Express Entry, under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canadian Experience Class, or a provincial nominee stream. You need an ECA for a foreign degree, but no Canadian P.Eng licence to immigrate. The STEM category covers only five engineering NOCs, and IRCC's rounds through October 28, 2026 include no STEM round this year.

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Last verified: November 2026

CLB 7
The minimum language level for the Federal Skilled Worker Program
67
The points you need on the FSW selection factors grid
600
CRS points a provincial nomination through Express Entry adds
October 28, 2026
The latest round in IRCC’s results, with no STEM round in 2026 to date

The round date is read from the round results IRCC publishes. The Express Entry draws page lists every round.

Which immigration programs can engineers use?

Engineers can immigrate through Express Entry, under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class, or through a Provincial Nominee Program. Getting permanent residence is decided by IRCC.

Every engineering NOC sits in TEER 0 (management) or TEER 1 (professional), the highest skill tiers. That meets the skilled work rule of both Express Entry programs (TEER 0 to 3).

The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program requires:

1 year of continuous full-time skilled work experience in an engineering NOC (TEER 0 or 1) within the past 10 years.
At least CLB 7 in English or French (IELTS 6.0 each band).
An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for credentials earned outside Canada.
At least 67 points on the FSW selection factors grid.

Your CRS score depends on your full profile, and CRS cutoffs vary from one draw to the next. The Express Entry guide explains the full system.

Since November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer earns CRS points again (100, 70 or 50) only if its occupation is on IRCC’s high-wage occupations list. That list is separate from the STEM category and is decided by NOC code. The new labour market integration factor counts either that offer or your Canadian work experience points, whichever is higher, never both.

Do you need a P.Eng licence to immigrate or to work?

Engineering is a regulated profession in Canada. The title “Professional Engineer” (P.Eng) and the practice of engineering are controlled by provincial and territorial engineering regulators. Examples are PEO in Ontario, EGBC in British Columbia, APEGA in Alberta and OIQ in Quebec.

To immigrate, no. P.Eng licensing is not required for Express Entry, and you can receive PR as an engineer without being licensed in Canada. Some provincial streams set their own professional requirements for regulated occupations, so check the stream.

To work, it depends on your role. Engineers Canada says that to practise engineering in Canada, you must hold and maintain a licence from one of Canada’s engineering regulators. Whether a role needs a licence depends on the regulator’s rules for the practice of engineering and the use of the title in that province, so check with the regulator before you accept a role.

The rule

P.Eng licensing is not required for Express Entry.

IRCC, canada.caVerify on canada.ca

How are your credentials assessed for immigration and for a licence?

For immigration: an ECA: IRCC uses an ECA from an organization it designates, such as World Education Services (WES), CES, ICAS, IQAS or ICES. Processing times vary by organization. Confirm the current designated-organizations list on canada.ca.
For a licence: the regulator: The regulator in your province assesses your engineering education against its academic requirement, separately from the ECA. Engineers Canada does not license engineers. It gives regulators tools to check the academic knowledge of graduates of non-accredited programs.

Requirements vary by regulator, but Engineers Canada lists five general criteria for a licence:

Academics: an engineering degree from a Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board-accredited program, or equivalent qualifications.
The work experience the regulator in your province requires.
Passing the Professional Practice Examination (PPE).
Good character.
English or French language ability, depending on the province.

Which engineering NOC codes are in the STEM category?

IRCC’s STEM category covers exactly eleven occupations: 20011, 21220, 21300, 21301, 21310, 21321, 21331, 22300, 22301, 22310 and 63100 (IRCC, Express Entry category-based selection, page modified October 16, 2026).

Common engineering NOC codes and the STEM category
NOC code	Title	TEER	STEM category
21300	Civil engineers	TEER 1	In the category
21301	Mechanical engineers	TEER 1	In the category
21310	Electrical and electronics engineers	TEER 1	In the category
21321	Industrial and manufacturing engineers	TEER 1	In the category
21331	Geological engineers	TEER 1	In the category
21231	Software engineers and designers	TEER 1	Not in the category
21311	Computer engineers (except software)	TEER 1	Not in the category
21320	Chemical engineers	TEER 1	Not in the category

Being outside the STEM category does not affect your Express Entry eligibility. IRCC held STEM rounds in 2023 and 2024 and none since. As of February 18, 2026, work experience used to qualify for a category-based draw must total at least one year within the previous three years. The category draws guide covers every category IRCC draws from.

Which provincial streams can engineers use?

Ontario: Since June 25, 2026, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream is the only open OINP stream. It needs a full-time permanent job offer in Ontario, in any TEER. Applicants with a TEER 0 to 3 offer can ask to be nominated through Express Entry.
British Columbia: BC held its final priority technology draw on December 3, 2024, and now issues High Economic Impact invitations that target top talent in all sectors. The Skilled Worker stream needs a full-time, indeterminate job offer from an eligible BC employer in TEER 0 to 3.
Alberta: The Alberta Express Entry Stream includes an Accelerated Tech Pathway for candidates with a job offer for an eligible tech occupation from an Alberta employer. The Alberta Opportunity Stream is for workers who live and work in Alberta with a job offer from an Alberta employer.
Saskatchewan: SINP International Skilled Worker sub-categories include Employment Offer, Occupation In-Demand (no Saskatchewan job offer needed) and Saskatchewan Express Entry. Saskatchewan also runs an Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway.
Manitoba: MPNP Skilled Worker Stream. Confirm its current rules on the MPNP website.
Atlantic Provinces: The Atlantic Immigration Program is employer-driven across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Candidates with a job offer from a designated Atlantic employer can apply for PR.

Which work permits can bring engineers to Canada first?

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is an LMIA stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for highly skilled workers. In Category A, a designated referral partner refers the employer. In Category B, the employer hires for an occupation on ESDC’s Global Talent Occupations List, which includes software engineers and designers and computer engineers.

The employer must commit to a Labour Market Benefits Plan. GTS provides a work permit, not PR directly. Once working in Canada, you can apply for PR through the Canadian Experience Class or a PNP.

Several LMIA exemptions are relevant to engineers:

CUSMA professionals: US and Mexican citizens with pre-arranged employment can get a work permit, and engineer is a listed profession. US citizens can apply at a port of entry.
Intra-company transfers: after at least 1 year of full-time work with the company in the previous 3 years, under IRPR s.205(a).
Post-graduation work permit: engineering graduates of an eligible Canadian program can get an open work permit. Rules in force since November 1, 2024 added field-of-study and language requirements.

The work permit guide covers each permit.

Which free tool checks your own case?

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What do people ask?

Can engineers immigrate to Canada?

Yes. Every engineering NOC sits in TEER 0 or 1, so engineers can qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and provincial nominee streams. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Work-permit routes such as the Global Talent Stream can lead to permanent residence later. An officer decides every application.

What are the Canada immigration requirements for engineers?

For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you generally need one year of continuous full-time experience in an engineering NOC within the past 10 years, at least CLB 7 in English or French, an ECA for education earned outside Canada, and 67 points on the selection grid. No Canadian licence is needed. The CRS Calculator estimates your score.

Are engineers in demand in Canada?

Demand varies by discipline and region, and Job Bank publishes the outlook for each occupation and area, so check yours there. On the immigration side, IRCC's STEM category lists five engineering occupations, though it has held no STEM round since 2024, and provinces offer nominee streams engineers can use.

Do I need P.Eng to immigrate to Canada as an engineer?

No. P.Eng licensing is not required for Express Entry, and some provincial streams set their own professional requirements for regulated occupations, so check the stream. You can receive permanent residence on your engineering experience and credentials without a Canadian licence. To practise engineering in Canada, you need a licence from the regulator, and whether a role needs one depends on that province's rules, so check with the regulator.

Is STEM still an Express Entry category in 2026, and does it include engineers?

Yes, STEM is still listed, but it covers only five engineering NOCs: 21300, 21301, 21310, 21321 and 21331, plus six other occupations. IRCC's published rounds through October 28, 2026 show no STEM round held in 2026. Since February 18, 2026, category rounds need at least one year of qualifying experience within the previous three years.

Can software engineers immigrate to Canada?

Yes. Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231) sit in TEER 1 and can qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. They are not on the STEM category list, so they compete in program-specific rounds such as Canadian Experience Class rounds (IRCC has held no general round since April 2024). Whether a software role needs a licence depends on the provincial regulator's rules, so check with the regulator.

How can civil and electrical engineers immigrate to Canada?

Civil engineers (NOC 21300) and electrical and electronics engineers (NOC 21310) are both TEER 1 and both on the STEM category list, so they can be invited in the program rounds they qualify for or in a STEM round when IRCC holds one (the last was in 2024). Chemical engineers (NOC 21320) are TEER 1 but outside the category. To practise engineering in Canada, these engineers need a licence from the provincial or territorial regulator.

Which credential assessment should I get: WES or Engineers Canada?

For Express Entry, you need an ECA from an IRCC-designated organization such as WES, CES, ICAS, IQAS or ICES. For a licence, the provincial or territorial regulator assesses your engineering education; Engineers Canada does not license engineers but gives regulators tools to check the academic knowledge of graduates of non-accredited programs. Neither licensing step is required to immigrate.

Part of:Immigrating permanently

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.

IRCC: Work in Canada temporarily