Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and registration requirements for Queensland Engineers

Effective immediately, professional engineers applying to settle in Queensland under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), will no longer be required to obtain registration as a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ), provided they can demonstrate they work under supervision of a RPEQ engineer. 

According to the Migration Regulations 1994, applicants for permanent residence under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) must hold relevant Australian licensing or registration required to perform the role the applicant has been nominated to fill.

In Queensland, state legislation requires that all professional engineers working in Queensland hold a registration as a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) with the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland. While the state legislation also specifically exempts professional engineers from RPEQ registration who work under supervision of a registered RPEQ engineer, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) required all ENS visa applicants, nominated for a position of a professional engineer, to obtain registration with the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland, even though they were supervised by a registered RPEQ engineer.

Effective immediately, DIAC has amended its policy towards Queensland engineers. Going forward, registration will no longer be required from Queensland applicants who work under the supervision of RPEQ engineers provided the following documentation accompanies the application:

1.    a certified copy of the RPEQ card of the supervising engineer; and

2.    a letter from the nominating employer confirming that the nominee will carry out professional engineering services under the direct supervision of that registered professional engineer.

This policy amendment also applies to professional engineers applying to settle in regional Queensland under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS).