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Study of Registration Practices of the
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS ONTARIO, 2007

ISBN 978-1-4249-6498-7 [HTML English version]

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) undertook a study of registration practices of Ontario's regulated professions during the fall and winter of 2007–2008. The purpose of the study was to understand each regulated profession's 2007 registration practices and to establish baseline data and information to enable the OFC to measure progress as it fulfills its mandate under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006.

This report reflects the registration practices of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) as of December 31, 2007. Information in this report was gathered from:

• face-to-face meetings with registration staff of the regulatory body;

• additional documentation provided by the regulatory body;

• relevant websites; and

• career maps for the profession posted on the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration's website (where applicable).

Professional Engineers Ontario also provided registration information and statistics for 2005, 2006 and 2007 through a standard spreadsheet designed by the OFC.

An analysis and summary of the findings for all of the regulated professions is contained in the OFC's Ontario’s Regulated Professions: Report on the 2007 Study of Registration Practices.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE REGULATORY BODY

a. Legislation

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) operates in accordance with the Professional Engineers Act, 1984 and Regulation 941, 1990. The Professional Engineers Act was last updated in 2003.

b. Protected Titles

Only those licensed by PEO may call themselves professional engineers or use the title “P.Eng.” or any similar title that might lead others to believe that they are qualified to practise professional engineering.

c. Definition of the Profession

The Professional Engineers Act defines the practice of professional engineering as “any act of designing, composing, evaluating, advising, reporting, directing or supervising wherein the safeguarding of life, health, property or the public welfare is concerned and that requires the application of engineering principles, but does not include practising as a natural scientist.”

d. Labour Market/Economic Trends

Engineers Canada has received federal government funding to conduct a labour market study.

Only about a third of licence holders work as professional engineers. The remaining two-thirds do not deliver professional engineering services; for instance, some work on research and development.

Engineering firms tend to pay more to individuals who hold the professional engineer licence.

The purpose of the engineering licensing process is to make professionals accountable for their work. However, to work in the engineering field not everybody has to be licensed, as required in other regulated professions.

The engineering field is very strong because it is driven by infrastructure, construction and technology.

The number of engineers immigrating to Ontario is declining. Therefore, PEO expects a decline in applications from internationally trained persons. (In 2002, 9,500 engineers immigrated to Ontario; in 2006, 3,400 engineers immigrated to Ontario.)

Internationally educated professionals often have more than one degree, and they may have difficulties finding work because they may be overqualified.

e. New Developments Within the Profession

Recently PEO formed the Licensing Process Task Force (LPTF) in order to maximize the effectiveness of PEO’s licensing process. A Final Report to Council, based on stakeholder feedback and a final review by the LPTF, was released on September 15, 2007. The report was considered by Council at its November 15, 2007, meeting. Council passed most items and tabled a number of items to be considered at the January 2008 meeting. An implementation plan will be prepared for Council’s endorsement in the future.

f. Staffing

The PEO staff consists of approximately 90 full-time employees, of whom about 10 are hired on a contract basis. Approximately 20 employees are involved in the registration process. In addition, PEO relies heavily on volunteers — about 200 volunteers are involved in the registration process (also referred to as the licensing process).

3. REGISTRATION PRACTICES

a. Registration Requirements and Application Process

PEO defines an applicant as a person who completes and submits an application form and pays the fee. According to current regulations, everyone is eligible to apply because there is no minimum requirement for applications. Thus, persons with no technical background can apply and have a right to a registration hearing.^[1]

i. Basic Requirements for Registration

To become licensed by Professional Engineers Ontario, applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age.

• Be citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Applicants can apply to PEO to start the licensing/registration process before they immigrate to Canada; however, licences will be granted only after applicants receive Canadian permanent residency status and satisfy the other requirements.

• Be of good character. Applicants will be requested to answer questions and make a written declaration on the application form, stating that they have done nothing that would indicate inability to practise professional engineering with honesty and integrity. In addition, PEO will solicit opinions from referees about each applicant’s suitability for PEO membership.^[2]

• Meet PEO’s academic requirements for licensing. These may include writing technical examinations.

• Pass the Professional Practice Examination.

• Fulfill engineering work experience requirements.

Applicants become members of the profession once they have met all these requirements; the fourth, fifth, and sixth items are described in greater detail below.

ii. Steps in the Application Process

The application process is the same for Canadian graduates as for internationally trained professionals. All applicants must follow these steps.

Step 1—Apply for a Licence

Contact PEO and request an application. The Licensing Guide and Application for Licence can also be downloaded from the PEO website.

Step 2— Undergo an Assessment of Academic Qualifications

Graduates from programs accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board meet PEO’s academic requirements and can apply for a licence as soon as they graduate; however, they have to complete the other licensing steps, including four years of acceptable engineering experience.

Internationally trained engineering graduates may be assigned a technical examination program. However, PEO may exempt applicants if they have bachelor’s degrees in engineering from institutions that have mutual recognition agreements with Engineers Canada; or if they have postgraduate degrees in the same discipline as their undergraduate engineering degree, which would confirm their undergraduate engineering knowledge. Furthermore, applicants who have five years or more of engineering experience are referred to the Experience Requirement Committee (ERC) for an interview, where they can demonstrate their academic knowledge as it has been applied to their engineering experience. Approximately two-thirds of internationally trained engineers meet the academic requirements without writing technical exams.

Step 3— Write the Professional Practice Examination (PPE)

Once an applicant has met the academic standards, whether by graduating from an accredited program, successfully completing assigned technical examinations or being exempted from exams, the next step is to write the Professional Practice Examination (PPE).

Step 4 – Complete Practical Experience

Under Ontario law, applicants must complete four years of verifiable, acceptable engineering work experience, of which at least 12 months must be experience gained in a Canadian jurisdiction under the supervision of a professional engineer, before they will be granted licensing as professional engineers. The mandatory Canadian experience ensures that applicants become familiar with engineering practice in Canada and become conversant with Canadian engineering codes, legislation, technical standards and regulations as they pertain to practice in their field.

Step 5 – Demonstrate Language Proficiency

The law requires PEO to ensure that all applicants for a licence to practise professional engineering are able to demonstrate English-language proficiency.

b. Documentation Required from Internationally Trained Individuals

i. Standard Documentation

Applicants who do not hold a bachelor's degree in engineering from accredited Canadian programs must have their academic qualifications assessed by PEO. Applicants must submit the following documents and information:

• Original or certified copies of diploma(s), degree(s), and full transcript(s), showing courses completed and marks; these documents must be certified by a notary public or a professional engineer.

• Detailed descriptions of all engineering courses taken, attached to the application. PEO tries to compare the courses taken by each applicant with the courses required in Canada.

• If the academic documents are not in English, applicants must submit notarized English translations prepared by a service that is certified by the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) or by a professional engineer.

• Engineering experience records.

ii. Options for Applicants with Unavailable/Destroyed Documents

PEO does not require that documents be sent directly from institutions to PEO. When internationally trained individuals do not have access to any official documents, PEO will accept the applicant’s own written documentation and will look at it on a case-by-case basis. In most cases applicants are referred to the Experience Requirement Committee for an interview, where they can demonstrate their academic knowledge as it has been applied to their engineering experience. PEO has an obligation to confirm there is no fraudulent documentation presented in order to protect the general public where engineering is concerned. The ERC interview provides PEO with that opportunity.

c. Credential Assessment (Third Party and/or Internal)

PEO does all credential assessments internally through the licensing and registration staff and the Academic Requirement Committee (ARC). PEO staff collect the information and perform the assessment, and applicants who do not meet the requirements are referred to the ARC.

The ARC is composed of volunteer professional engineers; about two-thirds are Canadian engineering professors. All volunteers in ARC receive training. All international engineering graduates are referred to the ARC for approval of their credential assessments. Approximately 40 to 45 per cent of internationally trained professionals have their academic credentials evaluated by the ARC. The remaining academic credentials evaluations are done by PEO staff.

It usually takes two months to issue assessments of applicants whose credentials are deemed by the ARC, on the basis of the documentation alone, to meet PEO’s academic requirements. Other applicants may write technical exams or be interviewed before such a determination is made. The time required to complete the process depends on whether the applicant chooses exams or an interview. Technical exams are offered two times a year and interviews are conducted three times a week.

If the assessment reveals any gaps in academic qualifications for licensing purposes, or equivalencies, PEO advises what examinations an applicant will be required to write. If an applicant does not have the minimum academic requirements, PEO advises that the applicant may not be able to qualify to work as a professional engineer in Canada.

d. Academic/Program Requirements

To be registered with PEO, an applicant must have attained a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited Canadian undergraduate degree program or have an engineering degree conferred outside Canada that PEO believes to be equivalent to one from an accredited Canadian engineering degree program.

An applicant who does not have a bachelor of engineering degree may be asked to submit an Engineering Report to fulfill academic requirements. This report should demonstrate to the Academic Requirements Committee (ARC) the applicant’s ability to define an engineering problem, devise a solution, draw conclusions and make recommendations using engineering principles consistent with well-established engineering practices. This report must be the applicant’s own work and must be of an acceptable professional level.

e. Work Experience Requirements

Under Ontario law, applicants must complete four years of verifiable, acceptable engineering work experience, of which at least 12 months must be experience gained in a Canadian jurisdiction under the supervision of a professional engineer, before they will be granted licences as professional engineers. The mandatory Canadian experience ensures that applicants become familiar with engineering practice in Canada and become conversant with Canadian engineering codes, legislation, technical standards and regulations as they pertain to practice in their field. The experience requirements are the same for all applicants.

Engineering experience will be assessed against the following five criteria:

• application of theory

• practical experience

• management of engineering

• communication skills

• awareness of the social implications of engineering

If academic qualifications satisfy PEO’s licensing requirements, all of the applicant’s engineering experience, starting from the date the engineering degree was awarded, is eligible for credit toward PEO’s four-year experience requirement. In addition, applicants may receive a one-year experience credit for the successful completion of a postgraduate degree in engineering in the same discipline as their undergraduate degree; however, this academic credit is not in lieu of the 12 months of Canadian experience.

The year of experience “in a Canadian jurisdiction” does not have to be within Canada. It can be work experience anywhere in the world under the supervision of a Canadian professional engineer, while employed by a company whose head office is in Canada; the work must be of satisfactory quality and must demonstrate satisfactory knowledge and application of applicable Canadian codes, standards and regulations. If an internationally educated engineer has four years of satisfactory engineering experience overseas, PEO will accept three out of the four years of experience toward the work experience requirement.

f. Examinations

PEO offers three types of examinations: the Professional Practice Examination and two types of technical examinations. All are standardized exams, not tailored to applicants. These exams are given across Canada, except in Alberta and Quebec, which set their own.

Other organizations across Canada use the PEO exams for other purposes, such as hiring professors for university engineering departments.

Applicants may take exam preparation programs; the organizations providing these services are not affiliated with PEO.

i. Professional Practice Examination

Once applicants have met the academic standards, whether by graduating from an accredited program, successfully completing assigned technical examinations or being exempted from exams, the next step is to write the Professional Practice Examination (PPE).

All applicants must write the PPE. Applicants will be advised when they are eligible to write the PPE and will be notified of the next opportunity to write it. The exam is offered three times each year in 16 different Ontario cities/towns, and applicants may choose to write in either English or French. Special arrangements can be made with PEO’s Licensing and Registration Department to write the PPE abroad. Applicants must complete the PPE within two years of the date they become eligible to write it.^[3]

The PPE has two parts: Part A covers professional practice and ethics; Part B is on engineering law and professional liability. Applicants must pass both parts. The PPE is not a technical exam.

PEO will provide outlines of the subject matter for both parts of the exam and recommend textbooks to help candidates prepare. Paper copies of previous PPEs are available from PEO at a nominal cost, and one previous exam is available at no cost from PEO’s website. Some institutions in Ontario provide courses to help applicants prepare for this exam.

Applicants who do not pass the PPE will be permitted to rewrite it at least once. Applicants may also appeal the grades received on the examination. If applicants appeal their grades, the exams will be re-marked by another examiner. There is a fee for appealing examination grades.

ii. Technical Examinations

When technical exams are assigned, PEO will provide a list of recommended textbooks on the subject matter to help applicants prepare. Technical exams are offered twice a year. (Special arrangements can be made with PEO’s Licensing and Registration Department to write technical exams abroad.) Some institutions in Ontario offer courses to help candidates prepare for technical examinations.

Applicants required to write technical examinations must start their examination program within two years from the time a program is assigned. They have up to eight years to complete it; however, they must pass at least one exam every year in order to keep their applications active.

Applicants who do not pass one or more of the technical examinations will be permitted to rewrite them at least once. Applicants may also appeal the grades received on the examination. If applicants appeal their grades, the exams will be re-marked by another examiner. There is a fee for appealing examination grades.

The ARC may grant applicants an exemption from technical examinations (and the Engineering Report described in “Academic Requirements” above) in either of the following two cases:

• Applicants have successfully completed postgraduate studies at a Canadian university in the same engineering discipline as their non-Canadian undergraduate engineering degree.

• Applicants have an engineering degree in a program acceptable to PEO, awarded by an institution in a country that has a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with Engineers Canada. Currently, these countries are Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. (For Hong Kong, the degree must have been granted in 1995 or later. For South Africa, the degree must have been granted in November 1999 or later. For all other countries, the degree must have been granted in November 1989 or later.) Engineers Canada recently became party to mutual recognition agreements with other countries: Japan, Singapore, India (provisional), Taiwan, Germany and South Korea.

In either case, however, if academic qualifications are not deemed to meet PEO’s licensing requirements, technical examinations will be assigned. Approximately one-third of internationally educated engineers must write the technical exams.

The two types of technical exams are:

• Confirmatory Examination Program (CEP)

  Applicants who are assigned a CEP must write and pass up to four technical examinations. However, if applicants write two examinations in one sitting and score an average of 65 per cent, with no mark below 60 per cent, PEO will waive the two remaining examinations.

• Gap Technical Examinations

  These test applicants on subjects an applicant is missing or subjects in which the applicant’s credentials are deemed during the assessment process to be not equivalent to the required standards. Applicants can be assigned up to 18 exams.

g. Language Requirements

Although the law requires PEO to ensure that all applicants for a licence to practise professional engineering are able to demonstrate good English-language proficiency, PEO does not have a specific test for language skills. However, PEO ensures through the ERC interview, the PPE and employer references that applicants are able to communicate orally and in writing.

Exams must be completed in either English or French.

If applicants have difficulty communicating in English, they are referred to the ERC for an interview. Since the ERC interview is a discussion about engineering, it confirms the applicant’s oral language ability. In most instances, both the applicants and the interviewers are immigrants, and they come from different countries, so the only language they have in common is English.

h. Fees^[4]

Application fee	$230[5]
Registration fee	$230[6]
Engineer-in-training	$70[7]
Licences
Professional engineer licence	$200[8]
Temporary licence	$590[9]
Provisional licence	$230[10]
Limited Licence[11]
Application	$230
Annual fee	$160
Registration	$230
Certificate of Authorization[12]
Application	$330
Annual fee	$330
Certificate replacement	$50
Consulting Engineering Designation [13]
New application	$200
Examination (if applicable)	$130
“Consulting Engineers”: permission to use	$40
Submission of thesis	$300
Consulting Engineer Designation: application for redesignation	$200
Consulting Engineer Designation	$200
Exams
Professional Practice Exam (PPE)	$130
Technical examination (fee for first exam)[14]	$520
Technical examinations (fee for each additional exam)	$150

i. Third Parties

PEO does not use any third parties.

j. Typical Length of the Registration Process

The length of the registration process is dependent on the number of requirements met by the applicant prior to applying. If applicants have demonstrated the academic requirements, they can be registered in six months. If applicants have not yet met academic requirements, the process can take up to eight years.^[15]

The registration process can be delayed if the letters of reference and other required documents are not presented on time during the process.

After meeting the academic requirements, applicants have two years to write the Professional Practice Exam, after which there is no time limit to meet the experience requirements.

k. Accredited Programs

In Ontario, 15 universities offer accredited engineering programs. York University was accredited in 2007. There are 25 other accredited engineering schools across Canada.

Ontario

Carleton University, Ottawa

University of Guelph, Guelph

Lakehead University, Thunder Bay

Laurentian University, Sudbury

McMaster University, Hamilton

University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa

University of Ottawa, Ottawa

Queen's University, Kingston

Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston

Ryerson University, Toronto

University of Toronto, Toronto

University of Waterloo, Waterloo

University of Western Ontario, London

University of Windsor, Windsor

York University, Toronto

Alberta

University of Alberta, Edmonton

University of Calgary, Calgary

British Columbia

University of British Columbia, Vancouver

University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby

University of Victoria, Victoria

Manitoba

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg

Newfoundland

Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s

New Brunswick

Université de Moncton, Moncton

University of New Brunswick, Fredericton

Nova Scotia

Dalhousie University/DalTech, Halifax

Quebec

Laval University, Quebec City

McGill University, Montreal

Concordda University, Montreal

Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke

École de technologie supérieure, Montreal

Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal

École Polytechnique, Montreal

Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, RouynNoranda

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi

Université du Québec en Outaouais, Hull

Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières

Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

University of Regina, Regina

l. Internal Review/Appeal Process

Once applicants’ credentials are assessed by PEO staff and discrepancies are found, the file is sent to the Academic Requirements Committee for the internal review process. After the review, the applicant has a right for a first instance registration hearing before the Registration Committee.

The Registration Committee is composed of at least two members of the PEO Council, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and at least three PEO members appointed by Council.

Both an applicant and PEO may appeal a registration hearing decision to the divisional court. The information about appeals or internal reviews of decisions is not currently accessible on PEO’s website.

The relationship of the appeal and review bodies to the assessment and decision-making bodies in the registration process is an arm’s-length one.

Applicants can access, upon request, all the information concerning the decisions in their case and can see their physical file. However, PEO may not reveal what a reference said about an applicant.

PEO will provide to a self-represented applicant or to an applicant’s lawyer the documentation regarding any disputed area.

4. BRIDGING PROGRAMS

a. PEO’s EIT Program

The EIT (Engineering Intern Training) Program is designed for applicants who are employed in an engineering capacity. It is not a job search or placement program. In order to enrol in PEO’s EIT Program, the candidate must be an applicant for licensing.

• EIT helps candidates to understand the licensing requirements, particularly the experience required to qualify for a P.Eng. licence.

• EIT offers candidates the opportunity to obtain detailed, confidential work experience reviews from the EIT Program Manager. If requested, PEO will review the candidate’s experience upon changing jobs or upon completion of any temporary work assignment.

• EIT helps candidates demonstrate to employers their commitment to becoming a licensed professional engineer.

• EIT encourages candidates to become involved in the profession and to participate in PEO’s chapter activities, insurance and investment plans.

PEO’s EIT Program provides:

• Access to the password-protected sections of the PEO website for questions and answers of concern to PEO’s engineering interns

• Subscription to EngineerMENTOR, PEO’s online newsletter for engineering interns (available by mail on request)

• Online discussions with other engineering interns and with professional engineers

• Advice

• Information on the kind of experience being gained and on the likelihood of it meeting the requirements for licensing

• Information on reporting work experience

• Examples of legal and ethical issues

• Specialized EIT assistance.

The annual fee for the EIT Program is $70 plus applicable taxes (in addition to the application fee).

b. IEEQB Program

The Internationally-Educated Engineers Qualification Bridging (IEEQB) Program is a new program offered by the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science at Ryerson University in Toronto and Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and the Government of Canada.

The Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science at Ryerson University has developed this program specifically to provide international engineering graduates with an opportunity to meet the academic requirements for professional engineering licensing in Ontario.

The IEEQB Program offers many advantages to internationally educated engineers seeking licensing from PEO. Participants in this program will:

• Receive an academic bridging education and career and social counselling support from Ryerson.

• Interact socially and professionally with other engineering student peers while enrolled in accredited engineering undergraduate program courses.

• Review and update their technical knowledge in their engineering discipline.

• Learn the technical English terminology required for their engineering discipline along with Canadian economic principles and engineering law and ethics.

• Receive engineer-in-training experience and initiate corporate networking through a paid co-op or internship placement. The quality of the experience gained through the co-op program may be assessed by PEO; if it meets the work experience requirement, it may be credited toward the four years of engineering experience required for licensing.

• Be eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

c. Engineering Intern Training Financial Credit Program (FCP)

Since May 1, 2007, individuals who have graduated from accredited bachelor of engineering programs and international engineering graduates with a bachelor of engineering or applied science degree may be able to apply for PEO’s professional engineer licence at no cost. Also at no cost, individuals may register in the Engineering Internship Training (EIT) Program for the first year, provided they meet specific criteria established by PEO.

Individuals apply online for the Engineering Intern Training Financial Credit Program. Correspondence is conducted by e-mail. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all deadlines are met and that all required documentation is sent to PEO.

5. MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS

Currently, Engineers Canada has a mutual recognition agreement at the academic level only with the following countries: Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. (For Hong Kong, the degree must have been granted in 1995 or later. For South Africa, the degree must have been granted in November 1999 or later. For all other countries, the degree must have been granted in November 1989 or later.) Engineers Canada recently became party to mutual recognition agreements with other countries: Japan, Singapore, India (provisional), Taiwan, Germany and South Korea.

Each province or territory regulates the practice of professional engineering within that jurisdiction. However, there is an agreement among Canadian provinces and territories that will allow applicants to transfer their licences if they need to practise in another province or territory of Canada, or if they choose to move to another province or territory and become licensed. This agreement allows the receiving province to ensure that the candidates comply with provincial legislation if it is different from the province of original licensure.

6. APPLICANTS’ INTERACTIONS WITH REGULATORY BODY

a. Nature and Frequency of Communication

PEO has frequent contact with applicants throughout the process.

b. Backlogs

PEO has no backlog in its registration process. Delays in an individual’s registration may occur when applicants do not provide all necessary documentation on time.

Applicants must wait approximately six weeks to be scheduled for an ERC interview, if necessary.

c. Complaints Regarding the Registration Process

PEO deals with registration complaints on a case-by-case basis. The majority of complaints are from applicants who are not satisfied with their assessments. These applicants may request a registration hearing.

7. CHANGES SINCE THE 2005 SURVEY

The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration conducted a survey in 2005 to collect information about occupational regulatory bodies in Ontario.

Recently PEO formed the Licensing Process Task Force (LPTF) in order to maximize the effectiveness of PEO’s licensing process. The task force report was submitted to Council on November 15, 2007. An implementation period will be required to adopt changes.

PEO’s earlier plan to develop a web-based portal for internationally educated graduates has not been carried out because PEO did not receive the necessary provincial government funding.

8. REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND STATISTICS

Definitions used in these tables:

Alternative class of licence: a class of licence that enables its holder to practise with limitations; additional registration requirements must be met in order to be fully licensed. Alternative classes of licence granted by PEO are specified under the tables below.

Applicant: a person who has applied to start the process for entry to the profession.

“CEAB applicants” have graduated from a bachelor of engineering program that is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. These applicants automatically meet PEO’s academic requirements for licensing.

“Non-CEAB applicants” have not graduated from a bachelor of engineering program that is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. For these tables, PEO has defined non-CEAB applicants’ jurisdiction of initial training as the place where they received their first degree.

Applicant actively pursuing licensing: an applicant who had some contact with PEO within the year specified, based on the applicant’s file location at the end of the calendar year.

Inactive applicant: an applicant who had no contact with PEO within the year specified, based on the applicant’s file location at the end of the calendar year.

Member: a person who is currently able to use the title “professional engineer” or “P.Eng.” in Ontario.

Languages in which application information materials were available

Language	2005	2006	2007
English	Yes	Yes	Yes
French	Yes	Yes	Yes
Other(s)

Countries where internationally educated applicants were initially trained in engineering

Applications received	2005	2006	2007
Largest number	India	China	India
Second-largest number	China	India	China
Third-largest number	Iran	Iran	Iran
Fourth-largest number	Pakistan	Pakistan	Pakistan
Fifth-largest number	Bangladesh	Romania/p>	Iraq

Staff employed by PEO

Number of staff	2005	2006	2007
Involved in registration process	24	24	24
Involved in appeals process	3	3	5

Jurisdiction where members were initially trained in engineering (before they were granted use of the protected title or professional designation in Ontario)

Members	Ontario	Other Canadian Provinces	USA	Other International	TOTAL1
Total members	CEAB: 37,435 NON-CEAB: 4,228	CEAB: 8,669 NON-CEAB: 997	1,859	15,072	70,265
Non-practising members2	CEAB: 4,318 NON-CEAB: 1,030	CEAB: 1,679 NON-CEAB: 325	506	2,553	11,476

¹Totals include members who did not provide academic documents to PEO, or for whom PEO’s IT database does not currently have academic information.

² P.Eng. Retiree members.

Applicants processed by PEO in 2005

	Jurisdiction where members were initially trained in engineering (before they were granted use of the protected title or professional designation in Ontario)
In 2005 (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31)	Ontario	Other Canadian Provinces	USA	Other International	TOTAL1
New applications received	CEAB: 1,088 NON-CEAB: 67	CEAB: 168 NON-CEAB: 14	56	1,702	3,205
Applicants actively pursuing licensing	CEAB: 2,383 NON-CEAB: 204	CEAB: 409 NON-CEAB: 25	156	4,479	7,865
Inactive applicants	CEAB: 1,997 NON-CEAB: 95	CEAB: 219 NON-CEAB: 15	66	1,458	4,066
Applicants who met all requirements and were authorized to become members but did not become members	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who became members	CEAB: 917 NON-CEAB: 26	CEAB: 154 NON-CEAB: 5	24	1,079	2,205
Applicants who were authorized to receive an alternative class of licence2 but were not issued a licence	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who were issued an alternative class of licence2	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	1	72	73

¹Totals include applicants who did not provide academic documents to PEO, or for whom PEO’s IT database does not currently have academic information.

² Provisional licence.

Applicants processed by PEO in 2006

	Jurisdiction where members were initially trained in engineering (before they were granted use of the protected title or professional designation in Ontario)
In 2006 (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31)	Ontario	Other Canadian Provinces	USA	Other International	TOTAL1
New applications received	CEAB: 1,215 NON-CEAB: 70	CEAB: 208 NON-CEAB: 6	77	1,595	3,343
Applicants actively pursuing licensing	CEAB: 2,007 NON-CEAB: 192	CEAB: 302 NON-CEAB: 19	151	4,054	6,868
Inactive applicants	CEAB: 1,868 NON-CEAB: 85	CEAB: 214 NON-CEAB: 17	69	1,727	4,352
Applicants who met all requirements and were authorized to become members but did not become members	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who became members	CEAB: 950 NON-CEAB: 32	CEAB: 157 NON-CEAB: 4	25	1,121	2,289
Applicants who were authorized to receive an alternative class of licence2 but were not issued a licence	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who were issued an alternative class2 of licence	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	0	71	71

¹Totals include applicants who did not provide academic documents to PEO, or for whom PEO’s IT database does not currently have academic information.

² Provisional licence.

Applicants processed by PEO in 2007

	Jurisdiction where members were initially trained in engineering (before they were granted use of the protected title or professional designation in Ontario)
In 2007 (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31)	Ontario	Other Canadian Provinces	USA	Other International	TOTAL1
New applications received2	CEAB: 1,690 NON-CEAB: 60	CEAB: 204 NON-CEAB: 20	42	1,368	3,849
Applicants actively pursuing licensing	CEAB: 2,804 NON-CEAB: 200	CEAB: 340 NON-CEAB: 19	144	3,759	7,546
Inactive applicants	CEAB: 2,020 NON-CEAB: 90	CEAB: 216 NON-CEAB: 97	71	1,655	4,698
Applicants who met all requirements and were authorized to become members but did not become members	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who became members	CEAB: 871 NON-CEAB: 18	CEAB: 132 NON-CEAB: 5	43	1,167	2,236
Applicants who were authorized to receive an alternative class of licence3 but were not issued a licence	0	0	0	0	0
Applicants who were issued an alternative class of licence3	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	CEAB: 0 NON-CEAB: 0	0	41	41

¹Totals include applicants who did not provide academic documents to PEO, or for whom PEO’s IT database does not currently have academic information.

² Includes applications received under the Financial Credit Program. This program was instituted by PEO Council during 2007. It allows for free applications for CEAB graduates who apply within six months of convocation and for immigrants who apply within six months of landing in Canada, subject to the applicant providing documentation in the form and time specified by PEO.

³ Provisional licence.

9. SOURCES

Professional Engineers Ontario. Website. http://www.peo.on.ca/. Last accessed: January 10, 2008.

Professional Engineers Ontario and Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. “Access to the Engineering Profession in Ontario.” Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Website. http://www.citizenship.gov.on.ca. Last Accessed: January 10, 2008.

Representatives of Professional Engineers Ontario met with staff of the Office of the Fairness Commissioner on November 2, 2007, to provide further information for this study.

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