Associations

APEGA’s 2026 CBA Changes: Canadian Experience Replaced by 8 Mandatory Competencies

Published September 27, 2026

On July 18, 2026, APEGA stopped requiring a year of Canadian work experience from engineering applicants. As of that date, all professional engineer applicants use a revised competency-based assessment (CBA) in which 8 of the existing 22 competencies are mandatory Canadian work environment competencies, each with its own minimum score. If your application was already in progress, APEGA says you continue under the requirements in effect when you applied.

Most of the CBA did not change: 48 months of experience, at least three validators, separate references and the 400/1,800/400 character limits all stay. This guide sets out what changed, what did not and what is coming, checked against apega.ca and APEGA's CBA Guide V7.4 (July 18, 2026).

At a glance (as of September 2026)

Since July 18, 2026, eight of APEGA's 22 engineering competencies are mandatory Canadian work environment competencies: 1.1, 1.6, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 5.1 at a minimum of 3, and 6.2 at 2.
New applications use the revised CBA. Applications already in progress keep the rules in effect when they were submitted.
Competency 1.1 now asks for Canadian codes "where possible", and internationally trained applicants identify the Canadian equivalents.
P.Geo. applicants moved to the CBA on April 11, 2026 (29 competencies, 7 of them Canadian).
From October 1, 2026, Alberta law bars Canadian-work-experience requirements.
Unchanged: 48 months, at least 3 validators, a reference for every employer, 400/1,800/400 characters and application fees of $500, $325 or $250.

What changed on July 18, 2026

Before the change, APEGA required a year of competence in a Canadian context, covering Canadian codes and standards, climate, ethics, culture and workplace practice. Applicants with international experience now show that equivalence inside the CBA. APEGA's announcement says this removes the need for a year of Canadian work experience and lets applicants practise independently sooner. Guide V7.4 lists the eight competencies under APEGA's own titles:

Competency (APEGA title)	Category	Minimum score
1.1 Regulations, Codes, and Standards	Technical Competence	3
1.6 Safety in Design and Technical Work	Technical Competence	3
1.9 Quality Assurance	Technical Competence	3
2.1 Oral Communication in English	Communication	3
2.2 Written Communication in English	Communication	3
2.3 Reading and Comprehension in English	Communication	3
5.1 Professional Accountability	Professional Accountability	3
6.2 Benefits of Engineering to the Public	Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability	2

These minimums apply on top of the category averages: 3.0 for Technical, Communication, Team Effectiveness and Professional Accountability, and 2.0 for Project and Financial Management and for Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability. APEGA's guide says an application cannot proceed if any of the eight is scored below its minimum, and the online tool will not accept a self-assessment below one. The numbers match those used by the regulators on the shared national system, and APEGA says the change supports a nationally consistent way of evaluating Canadian and international experience.

Competency 1.1 now says "where possible"

Before July 2026, APEGA's description of 1.1 said you must use Canadian codes. The revised wording is that Canadian codes should be used where possible, and internationally trained applicants identify the equivalent Canadian codes. If your example comes from another country, name the code you worked to, name the Canadian code or standard that would govern the same work, and explain what would change here. Our guide to writing the Canadian environment competencies with international experience has illustrations.

Who the new rules apply to

Two APEGA statements, read together, settle it. The engineers page says that as of July 18, 2026, all professional engineer applicants are required to use the revised CBA process. The June 29, 2026 announcement adds that if you have already applied and your application is in progress, you continue under the requirements in effect at the time of your application. A new application follows the revised process, and an older file keeps its original rules. If you are unsure which applies to you, contact your registration program coordinator.

Under the old rules, applicants who met every requirement except Canadian-context experience were made Provisional Licensees. They practised under supervision, could stay on the register for up to two years (Council could extend this to four) and converted to P.Eng. once they showed a year of referenced Canadian-context competence. APEGA's website still lists a Provisional Licensee page in September 2026, but APEGA has not published how the route fits the new process. If you hold or were offered provisional status, ask APEGA directly.

P.Geo. applicants moved to the CBA on April 11, 2026

Geoscience changed first. Since April 11, 2026, P.Geo. applicants complete a CBA with 29 competencies in four categories. Seven of them (1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 4.1 and 4.2) capture Canadian work environment equivalency, each at a minimum of 3. Applicants use the Work Experience Record alongside the CBA, and applications submitted before April 11 were assessed under the old process. With the July change, engineering and geoscience follow the same approach. See the 29 geoscience competencies explained.

Alberta's Bill 10: no Canadian-work-experience requirements from October 1, 2026

Bill 10, the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2), adds a section to Alberta's Fair Registration Practices Act. From October 1, 2026, a regulator may not establish or maintain a requirement for work experience obtained in Canada unless the Minister approves it for public health or safety, and regulators must publish their criteria for assessing work experience. The province announced the change on November 17, 2025, and APEGA says its July 2026 update aligns with it.

What did not change

Rule	Status (September 2026)
Minimum experience	48 months; applications with less are declined without further processing
Framework	22 competencies in 6 categories, rated 0 to 5
Validators	At least 3; each validates 1 to 20 competencies and every validator must be used; fewer than 3 means the application is declined
References	At least one per employer, confirming dates and position; a validator can also be your reference
Character limits	Situation 400, Action 1,800, Outcome 400, spaces included
Application fees (plus GST)	$500 new applicant; $325 current APEGA M.I.T.; $250 if registered elsewhere in Canada
Decisions	Board of Examiners, which meets monthly except July; decision emailed by the end of the following month

Validator qualifications are also the same. Technical (Category 1) competencies demonstrated in Canada must be validated by a P.Eng. registered in Canada, although APEGA may consider a professional licensee, professional technologist, P.Geo. or US-registered PE whose practice matches the example. Work abroad needs an equivalent practitioner with an engineering degree and at least four years of experience, who sends APEGA a résumé if not licensed in Canada. For categories 2 to 6, a P.Eng. or practitioner is preferred but not required. More in our guides to validator rules by regulator and CBA character limits.

What is coming next

Alberta's Professional Governance Act received royal assent on May 15, 2025 and will replace the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act. APEGA expects the transition in early 2027, around March. The new regulation will set member categories, and ASET's professional technologists are due to merge with APEGA's professional licensees at the same time. APEGA has not announced any change to the 48-month requirement.

If you are applying now

Check whether your application started before or after July 18, 2026.
Work from Guide V7.4 (July 18, 2026), the version that removed the Canadian requirement.
Pick one strong example for each of the eight. For international work, name the Canadian code or standard you would have applied.
Line up at least three validators with direct knowledge of your work, plus a reference for every employer.
Plan for the 90-day windows: pay within 90 days of starting, then get all validator forms, reference questionnaires and academic records in within 90 days of paying.

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Frequently asked questions

Does APEGA still require a year of Canadian experience?

Not for new engineering applications. Since July 18, 2026, you show Canadian work environment equivalency through 8 mandatory competencies in the CBA. Applications that were already in progress continue under the rules in effect when they were submitted.

Did the number of APEGA competencies change?

No. Engineering applicants still report 22 competencies in six categories. Eight of them are now designated Canadian work environment competencies with their own minimum scores.

Can I meet the Canadian competencies with international experience?

Yes, that is the purpose of the change. Name the Canadian codes and standards that match what you used, and choose validators who know the work first-hand. For technical work outside Canada, the validator should be an equivalent practitioner with an engineering degree and at least four years of experience.

Will the Professional Governance Act change the 48-month requirement?

APEGA has not announced any change. The transition to the new Act is expected in early 2027, so check APEGA's announcements if you plan to apply then.

Does the change apply to NAPEG and Engineers Yukon applicants?

Their first-time applicants complete APEGA's CBA in myAPEGA, so applications filed there use the revised process. Neither association has published its own statement, and Engineers Yukon's adoption is not confirmed, so check with yours. See how northern applicants complete APEGA's CBA.