Moving from Europe to California 3

[Pipeline1972]

Hello everyone!
In a few months, I will be moving from Belgium to California, where I will marry my American fiancee. So I will enter the country on a K1-Visa, and will get a work permit after the wedding, possibly earlier.
I'm an Industrial Engineer in Electro-mechanics (4 years, Master), so my question is, how/where can I find out if my degree is accepted in the U.S., ie. California? Will I have to pass some tests? I do have the possibility of getting an European Engineer degree (Eur Ing), I just have to ask and pay for it. Is Eur Ing recognized in the U.S.?
Thank you for your advices!

Draftsman - Designer Industrial Piping

 

[Beggar]

Let me extend a presumptive welcome to the Golden State.

To work for a company in California as an engineer, it is not legally necessary to be licensed -- a few companies do require it but outside of the Civil / Structural / Geotech / HVAC fields, it's rare. If your intention is to work under the "industrial exemption" as do most engineers in California, you will not need to take tests. To pursue your license, you should begin at the website of the California licensing board.

Your ability to find work here will be primarily dependent on your experience, not your education. Without experience, a job search would be very difficult right now.

Even with experience, you could be looking at a very long search for a job.

Where will you be located?

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[RDK]

Is your degree covered by the Washington accord?

http://www.washingtonaccord.org/wash_accord_lists.html

If your program is listed there hen it should be accepted.

Keep in mind that the accord was signed by the federal government and not the individual state. Because of state’s rights issues in the US each state can overrule the federal government on issues within their jurisdiction and engineering licensing is one of them.

For some reason the US federal government has a habit of signing international agreements for issues that are within state jurisdiction where they cannot deliver on their promises, licensing for Canadian and Mexican engineers under NAFTA is a similar issue in another thread.

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[Pipeline1972]

Thanks Beggar and RDK!
My country, Belgium, is not on the list of the Washington Accord, unfortunately.
But if it's not legally necessary to be licensed in California, then there shouldn't be a problem, right? I'll make sure I have a translation of my degree, though.
I will be located in the Bay Area. I'm flexible, but my soon-to-be wife has her, well, life, and career, in SF. I'm confident that I will find something there eventually. My experience is mostly related to Autocad. 3 years in a pallet racking company, designing the installations, and 5 years in a Chemical company, designing and drafting piping installations, vessels, etc..
I would love to keep doing CAD work, but not necessary Autocad. I find other programs like Unigraphics or Catia also interesting. But I'd need some way to learn it: too expensive for my "home" computer!

Draftsman - Designer Industrial Piping

 

[GeoSmith]

If your degree is not on the list of the Washington Accord, you need thew double time to obtain your license. In my state, TX, eight years working experience are required to obtain the license, while the ABET one is four years only.

 

[Heckler]

Pipeline,

You should be able to find some work in your career field. I would start out doing some contract work through a temp agency. This will allow you to exercise your skills working in the USA. How your degree is excepted depends on the company. I would also consider taking the FE Exam and then after the required time take the PE Exam.

http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/

This will give creditability to your degree and experience which will help you in finding an engineering job.

If your experience in the pallet racking industry is with a globally recognized company you may find it easier to find an engineering job with a US Competitor. Best of luck and welcome to California.

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." - Henry Ford

 

[Beggar]

I second Heckler's recommendation on the FE exam. It will provide an objective assessment of your basic engineering knowledge in a format that we all recognize.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[Pipeline1972]

Thanks Heckler!
I find this highly interesting: even though you graduated as an Engineer, you still have to take an additional test to get a license? First FE, then, later on, PE? I find this weird, but then again, I'm from Old Europe, ;-).

I will definitely take those tests. Good exercise for me, learning the American customs, technical vocabulary (my native language is French), working with US units, etc..

I will read the "pels" website and come back with more questions! Lots of stuff in there!

Draftsman - Designer Industrial Piping

 

[ivymike]

I find this highly interesting: even though you graduated as an Engineer, you still have to take an additional test to get a license? First FE, then, later on, PE? I find this weird, but then again, I'm from Old Europe

Yes, but a license is not always required to work (as noted above).

 

[ctopher]

Some very good suggestions from others.
Good luck and welcome to CA!
If you are not use to earthquakes, you get them every once in a while in the Bay area. Not much to worry.

Chris
Systems Analyst
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[IRstuff]

In California, if you are working for an industrial company, you'd probably fall under the industrial exemption, unless you are specifically dealing with public structures and infrastructures. You'd best check with your potential employer(s).

http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/laws.htm

contains PDFs of the most current laws on PEs.

TTFN

 

[casseopeia]

Pipeline1972,

Welcome to the SF Bay area. If you are coming soon, don't forget to bring a raincoat and boots! The floods have been bad this year. I am in Marin county, just over the golden gate bridge from San Francisco. Two people in our office who live in San Anselmo were flooded out of their homes. I helped a friend move into her storefront last week, then spent Friday and Saturday trying to get everything back out before it was all destroyed. A building down the street was knocked off of its foundation by the rushing water. Several major freeways have been shut down due to the flooding and levee breaks.

But don't let me discourage you. I'm sure there's some dry land....somewhere.

BTW, you may find it useful to peruse the job board at this website,

http://www.craigslist.org/

It will also give you an idication where to concentrate your efforts. With you background, I imagine the most fertile ground is going to be South San Francisco, and the Peninsula to the San Jose area.

Oh, and congrats on the wedding!

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[Pipeline1972]

Thank you all for your messages!
I know about the floods, but hey, can you tell me about one place on earth that is nowadays totally safe? Half of Belgium is gonna be flooded in this century because of the rising sea!
Anyway, looks like I won't have to worry too much about those tests, for a start. Good, because I looked at the FE exam matters, and saw some stuff like statistics, economics, computer basics... I had these classes more than 10 years ago!! Computer basics were about bits and bytes, dos, turbo pascal,... Really old stuff! And don't get me started on statistics!! ;-)

This is all looking great! The adventure is about to begin. I'm waiting for my visa, hopefully this month, and then off I go!

I'll keep you posted!

Draftsman - Designer Industrial Piping