How to Immigrate to Canada as a Civil Engineer

Canada is the second largest country in the world with ever-growing cities and many urban and remote communities in need of modernization. For this reason, the specialized skills of civil engineers are very welcome in this country. If you’re a civil engineer looking for new opportunities, look no further than Canada, which plans to welcome 401,000 newcomers by 2021. Are you ready to work in Canada? Find out how and what you need!

If you want to work in Canada as a civil engineer, you have the option of working in Canada temporarily with a work permit or immigrating to Canada as a highly skilled worker if you have at least two years of work experience. Civil engineering is a skill that is in high demand in Canada as more and more skilled workers retire and more young professionals move to cities in Canada, leaving many provinces and cities lacking the skills needed for successful development.

As an in-demand worker in Canada, you can look forward to a competitive salary. According to Neuvoo, civil engineers can earn a generous salary of $60,000, and some experienced workers can earn as much as $102,000. Moreover, if you want to immigrate to Canada with your family, you can enjoy free healthcare and your children can attend Canadian public school for free.

So how can you immigrate to Canada as a civil engineer? There are several ways: If you want the freedom to live in any province or city, you can apply through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), which is administered through the popular Express Entry system. However, if you already have a specific province in mind, you may be able to immigrate to Canada through a Provincial Nomination Program (PNP). But if you’re more of a small-town person who likes vast landscapes and a laid-back lifestyle, Canada’s pilot rural and northern immigration program may be of interest to you.

Learn more about Canada’s popular immigration and visa programs below. Or check which Canadian immigration program/visa you qualify for with a quick online assessment. Simply fill out the contact form below and we’ll do the rest.

What Do You Need to Work in Canada as a Civil Engineer?

Job Description

Civil Engineers plan, design, develop and manage projects for the construction or repair of earth structures such as roads, buildings, airports, railways, rapid transit facilities, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams, ports, and coastal installations, etc.

Where there is a Civil Engineer, there is a way – Thomas Tredgold

Qualification

A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in civil engineering or a related engineering discipline is usually required to apply for a civil engineering job in Canada. In addition, you may need to obtain your license to practice from a provincial or territorial regulatory agency before you can work as a professional engineer in Canada.

A Canadian Job Offer

There are certain immigration programs that do not require you to have a valid job offer to immigrate to Canada as a civil engineer, such as the Express Entry system. However, a job offer can increase your chances of obtaining permanent residency (PR) as it adds 50 PR points to your immigration profile, or 200 PR points if you obtain a senior executive position. For more information, see below.

How to Immigrate to Canada as a Civil Engineer

1) Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is administered through the Express Entry system, which reduces processing times for permanent resident applicants. How fast is it? Well, your permanent residency application can be processed in as little as 6 months! Your immediate family members, such as your spouse/life partner and children, can also be included in your application and join you in Canada.

Step 1: Create Your Online Profile

To be included in the Express Entry applicant pool, you must create an online profile. Based on the information you provide, you will receive a score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) or commonly referred to as Permanent Residency (PR) Points. Your total score will depend on the CRS criteria, which assigns points for the following:

• Age
• CLB Language proficiency (English and French)
• Level of Education (In and outside Canada)
• Work Experience (In and outside Canada)
• Arranged employment
• Provincial Nomination achieved
• Siblings living in Canada as permanent residents/citizens
• Your spouse’s profile (if married)

Step 2: Receive an ITA

An Express Entry draw is held every two weeks where the applicants with the highest scores receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada.

Step 3: Apply for Permanent Residency

When you receive an ITA, you can make the official application, attaching all the necessary documents, such as the results of the medical examination, the results of the IELTS language test, a copy of your ID card, etc.

2. Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)

Canadian provinces and territories have their own immigration programs aimed at attracting skilled international workers to their respective regions. One important PNP program to keep in mind is the In-Demand Skilled Worker Stream, which is associated with Express Entry.

For example, if a province has a shortage of civil engineers, the provincial government will look in the Express Entry candidate pool and send a nomination to civil engineers who meet their requirements. If you receive a nomination, you will receive an additional 600 CRS points, which means you are almost guaranteed an ITA.

How to Receive a Provincial Nomination as a Civil Engineer

Discover the Canadian provinces where your skills are most in demand so you can express your interest in the province(s) in your Express Entry profile to attract their attention and hopefully receive a nomination! The provinces specifically looking for civil engineers in 2020 are:

Saskatchewan

This popular Canadian province is known as the agricultural center of Canada, but the technology sector is slowly but surely gaining momentum. The capital city of Regina has the most job opportunities for civil engineers looking to emigrate to Canada.

British Columbia

The profession of civil engineering is considered very promising in British Columbia, with annual salaries in the province estimated at $80,000, well above the national average. The city of Vancouver in BC is a popular destination for international workers immigrating to Canada.

Quebec

Canada’s largest and most aesthetic province is looking for international civil engineers to immigrate to Canada. If you speak French, your chances of moving to Quebec double, as the province is predominantly French-speaking. The Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of the province offers the most job opportunities for civil engineers.

Atlantic Canada

To the northeast are the three Canadian Maritime Provinces. If you like living by the sea, you will be pleased to hear that these provinces have their own immigration program called the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which welcomes skilled workers, especially civil engineers, to apply for PR status and immigrate to Canada.

3. Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)

Canada’s Rural Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-based program designed to attract skilled workers to smaller and lesser-known communities in Canada, such as Thunder Bay in Ontario and Brandon in Manitoba.

Similar to the PNP, you must receive a recommendation from the community to immigrate to Canada. However, unlike the PNP, the RNIP is not aligned with the Express Entry system. In order to obtain a Community Recommendation, you must meet very specific criteria set by the community.

These requirements usually include a valid job offer from an employer in the community and proof that you are able to adjust to living in a community with a population of less than 10,000.