To be able to work in New Zealand as an Engineer, your engineering qualifications must be recognised by the governing professional body of Engineering New Zealand.
This is crucial for ALL overseas engineers looking to immigrate or work in New Zealand. A credential check is the name of the Engineering New Zealand process that will access your engineering qualifications.
Engineering New Zealand is a professional body for all engineers and can help individuals accredit their tertiary engineering qualifications. With approximately 22,000 active members, it comprises numerous engineering professionals, including the Government, academia, and engineering and technology firms.
If you are migrating to New Zealand to work under the Long-Terms Skills Shortage List as an Engineer, your credentials must be acceptable to Immigration New Zealand. Henceforth, Engineering New Zealand uses credential checks as a fast-track way to determine your Accord equivalence.
There are numerous engineering qualifications that Engineering New Zealand accredits for recognised international standards. The degrees and diplomas Engineering New Zealand can accredit for internationally recognised benchmarks are listed below:
- Four-year engineering degrees
- Three-year engineering technology degrees
- Two-year engineering diplomas
Accords
An accord is an official arrangement to reach an agreement where involved parties conform and consent to shared standards.
During the credential check process, Engineering New Zealand will assess your engineering qualifications/credentials against the global engineering education standards: Washington, Sydney, and Dublin Accords. You will need these standards to work as an Engineer in New Zealand and achieve Chartership status.
Below are the three different accords:
Washington Accords: An International Agreement between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programmes.
Dublin Accords: An International Agreement establishing the required educational base for engineering technicians.
Sydney Accords: An International Agreement between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering technology academic programmes.
Qualifications accredited or recognised by signatories are recognised by each signatory as being substantially equivalent to accredited or recognised qualifications within its jurisdiction. If your credential check is successful, you will immediately receive Accord recognition. This is beneficial for Accord holders as the quality of these engineering education programmes is recognised internationally.
Preparing for your credential check
Before submitting your application, you must add your credentials to your Engineering New Zealand account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one through the credential check process for free. Remember that for each credential, you will need to upload evidence of your qualification, mutual recognition such as memberships and registrations, and equivalent knowledge such as assessments completed with Engineering New Zealand. Make sure you upload all these documents before you send the request.
A credential check is free if you are already an existing member of Engineering New Zealand. For non-members, the fee is NZ $431.25, including GST. After payment is received, Engineering New Zealand will check your credential/qualifications within seven to ten working days.
What if my qualifications are not Accord recognised?
If your credential check does not meet an Accord status, it indicates that Engineering New Zealand was unable to determine that your credentials are accredited.
Engineering New Zealand will advise you to take an equivalent knowledge assessment if this is the case. This is where you can prove your engineering knowledge equivalent to a Washington Accord through your work experience, learning, and academic studies. However, you will have to pay a credential check fee of NZ $1,351.25, including GST. Eight elements will be tested in which you must provide at least one major piece of evidence for each component.
The elements are as shown below:
- Natural Sciences knowledge
- Mathematical knowledge
- Engineering fundamental knowledge
- Specialist engineering knowledge
- Design process knowledge
- Engineering practice knowledge
- Engineering in society knowledge
- Research-based knowledge
Once this is completed, it will take over eight to ten weeks for Engineering New Zealand to review your submission. Remember that they may contact you to ask for a video meeting or any additional information. An email will be sent out if you successfully gain Accord recognition.
If you aim to be a Chartered Professional Engineer or a Chartered Member, Engineering New Zealand will provide information for the Chartered assessment after. If unsuccessful, the team will be able to guide you through your alternative options.
Plagiarism/Fraudulent Activity
Engineering New Zealand takes fraudulent activity and plagiarism seriously. If they detect any work that is not personally conducted by you or find evidence of falsified information with the intent to mislead, they will decline your application. Any future applications made by you may also be rejected. If any false information is detected, it will be provided to Immigration New Zealand, The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE), the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and the New Zealand police.
Engineering New Zealand Membership
To recognise your skills and qualifications as an Engineering professional in New Zealand, you must be eligible for an Engineering New Zealand membership. You will automatically qualify for membership if you plan to or have gotten your engineering qualifications accredited through Engineering New Zealand.
There are different aspects for each type of membership, as it depends on what step you are at with your Engineering and Construction career and your achievements.
Engineering New Zealand offers various types of membership:
Student membership is free for any individual studying or nearing completion of an engineering program.
Emerging Professional membership will support you in the shift from tertiary education to the working industry. To be eligible, you must have recognised qualifications in Engineering with less than five years of experience. As a practising engineer, you must commit to Engineering New Zealand’s code of ethical conduct and complete a minimum of 40 hours of continuing professional development. Reduced savings, such as career development courses and online learning will be applied.
Member membership
If you have had at least five years of experience in the engineering industry, then you are eligible for an upgrade to Member class.
Chartered membership
If you are considering advancing your career in the industry, you should aim for a Chartered membership by completing a competence assessment. However, you must already be a member to qualify for this membership. This membership recognises your engineering knowledge, ethical standards, and commitment. It is an international standard of professionalism, indicating that you are one of the most trusted professionals with exceptional knowledge on a global scale. You will be able to attend events, review policies and deliver expert knowledge and opinions on essential engineering issues.
Fellow membership
The Fellow membership is an honoured class that recognises highly experienced engineering professionals who have impacted the New Zealand Engineering and Construction industry. To apply, you must have three sponsors. To receive both the honorary and distinguished fellowships, you must be nominated and obtain an existing Fellow membership.
Click on the links below for more information regarding Engineering New Zealand memberships.
Last Updated: 23 March 2024
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