Don't believe a couple of posts listing anecdotes about "I'm doing fine- I found a job no problem"- or "It sucks in Canada- absolutely don't go there because my friend couldn't find a job". You're an engineer and should know better than to base such an important decision upon such limited anecdotal information. Believe the overall, composite stats because they are objective (see
and make sure your decision takes these into account.
In general terms, Canada has a massive over-supply (or under-utilization) of engineers of most kinds, measurable in a number of ways. That DOES NOT MEAN that there are no engineering jobs in Canada, just that there are lots of people looking for the jobs that are publicly advertised. The majority of engineering jobs in Canada are filled through connections and networking, and hence tend to be found by people who already have connections and a network in the local economy. And local grads also have an advantage since they represent a lower hire risk to employers.
Canada IS a great place to live, so it's a sought-after destination for immigration. Canada's immigration policy has divorced itself from the notion of matching supply and demand on a profession-by-profession basis as unrealistic, and has switched to giving points to people based on their level of education, skill in English or French, "adaptability" and other factors, in the hope that the economy will sort them all out after they come and find them jobs. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a 12-fold increase in engineering immigration in a decade where Canada's workforce and economic growth has been less than 20%. By my calcs we've generated a surplus of some 100,000 engineers in the past 12 years.
The over-supply is far more acute in the major population centres, particularly in Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto region alone receives 54% of Canada's "skilled worker" class of immigrants. If you choose to come, pick somewhere other than Toronto unless you've already found a job there before you arrive- that's a given.
You've got some things going for you that many recent immigrants don't: you're most likely a native speaker of English, which is a definite plus. You've got experience in a business environment and an education from an educational environment which employers will see as far closer to the Canadian norm than can be said for many of the most recent wave of immigrants (i.e. the ones from India, China and the former Soviet bloc countries). And you're a mech eng rather than a civil, which means that you have the option of working in either a licensed or non-licensed engineering role, so you won't have to wait until you get your license to find a job.
If you do choose to come, I recommend you apply for a license in the province you intend to settle in before you come. Ontario (and BC too I believe) permit this process to begin in your home country. See
for more details if you're coming to Ontario.
In the end, decide why you're moving. If it's purely for engineering opportunities, the 'States is probably a better bet for you than Canada. But if you want the best place to live, you'll have to sort that out against your own list of criteria and nobody can really help you.
If you do choose to come to Canada, you're absolutely welcome! But please don't whine and bad-mouth Canada if you ultimately have a tough time finding a job as an engineer. Canada's here to provide an opportunity for you to take advantage of, not to make one for you. You, unlike many in the current wave of engineering immigrants, at least will have made your decision with the supply-side information in hand and won't be able to claim that you were misled.
