Canada job guide
Mechanical engineer in Canada: your Express Entry path, step by step
Picture yourself designing the machines, energy systems and products of a growing economy, with a new life for your family. Mechanical engineers (NOC 21301, TEER 1) are on IRCC's 2026 STEM list, so 12 months of work in the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad, makes you eligible for STEM draws. As the panel above shows, there has been no STEM round since April 2024, so the regular rounds for your program matter just as much. To work as an engineer you need a licence from the provincial regulator.
At a glance
- Occupation
- Mechanical Engineers · NOC 21301 · TEER 1
- Express Entry group
- STEM
- Latest STEM round
- April 11, 2024, cut-off 491
- Median wage in Canada
- $45.67 an hour Job Bank, wages updated November 19, 2025
Your way into the Express Entry pool
Every invitation needs a profile in the Express Entry pool. Mechanical engineers usually qualify through:
- Federal Skilled Worker. Experience must be in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job; mechanical engineering is TEER 1.
- Canadian Experience Class. For skilled work experience already gained in Canada.
Where the STEM draws stand
The 2026 STEM list has 11 jobs, mostly engineers and engineering technologists, and mechanical engineers are on it. You need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same part-time) in the occupation within the last 3 years; the months do not have to be in a row, and the work must match the NOC description. IRCC holds a category round only when it needs one. Until a STEM round is held, your score in the regular rounds is what counts.
Getting licensed: P.Eng.
A licence from one of Canada's provincial or territorial engineering regulators is needed to practise engineering; Engineers Canada supports the regulators but does not grant licences.
- Start with the regulator. Engineers Canada's EngineerHere service says to ask the regulator in your province whether your engineering education meets its academic requirement before you get an educational credential assessment for immigration, because the regulator may want its own type of assessment. Only the regulator decides whether your education meets its requirements.
- Five requirements. Regulators look at academics, work experience, language, good character and a professional practice exam.
- Working before you are licensed: you can work in engineering if a licensed engineer supervises you and takes professional responsibility for your work.
What mechanical engineers earn
The panel above shows Job Bank's median hourly wage for mechanical engineers across Canada, with pay by province and region on Job Bank.
What to do next
Frequently asked questions
- When was the last STEM round?
In April 2024. The panel above shows its date and cut-off and will update when IRCC holds the next one.
- Do I need a P.Eng. licence to be invited?
A licence is not among the Express Entry program requirements; it is what you need to practise engineering in a province. You can also work under a licensed engineer's supervision while you work towards it.
- Is the regulator's assessment the same as an ECA?
No. The educational credential assessment is for immigration; the regulator's academic assessment is for licensing. EngineerHere suggests contacting the regulator first.
Last updated October 21, 2026