Using my PE stamp as a Foreign business 1

[rb192]

Hello All,

I am a foreigner working as a Professional Engineer in California, US. Due to COVID and some personal reasons, I want to move back to my home country. I was wondering if I would be still allowed to use my stamp in US? I want to start a Structural Engineering firm back home, I love working on projects here, I know how to deal with clients so, I would like to keep doing my design work and utilize my stamp. Thanks in advance!

 

[dauwerda]

To be fair, Wyoming does have Cheyenne Frontier Days (which they claim as, "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration.") to back up their cowboy.
I don't recall Wyoming being that difficult when I got it, however I don't have to deal with the out-of-country stuff.

I know that North Dakota recently went through the process of getting more regulations into place due to the oil boom a few years back and having everyone and their brother trying to provide engineering services.

I'm still trying to figure out what happened in Rhode Island - their stamp is a square.

 

[KootK]

Meh, why not a square?? It probably fits into tight drawing spaces well & rationally.

I don't recall Wyoming being that difficult when I got it, however I don't have to deal with the out-of-country stuff.

To clarify, the people that I dealt with were not at all difficult. In fact, they may well have been the friendliest bunch that I've ever dealt with. They actually got the credit card postal thing fixed, for me, within about 72 HRS by their site developer. That isn't something that would have played out like that in, say, Illinois. I think that it's just that they're a smaller jurisdiction and probably don't deal with the volume of oddball applicants that a state like California does.

How did you find the WY ethics exam when you took it? For me, it was:

1) Fifty multiple choice.

2) Four essay.

3) Based on both state statutes and some NSPE stuff.

4) Need 90% and can only take it twice in six months.

I'm curious to know if the trend everywhere is going to be more rigorous ethics exam. I thought it was great really. If you're going to bother with an ethics exam, might as well make it meaningful.

 

[KootK]

Also with regard to WY friendliness, they did retain a cowbow-ish flavor in a couple of respects regarding the need to be registered with the state department as a business entity:

1) WYPELS: "meh, we tell you to look into registration with the state department because we're supposed to but we don't really care. Your dealings with them are separate from us."

2) STATE DEPT: "meh, we don't much care about what you're up to and don't actually have the ability to enforce any penalties on foreign entities anyhow. But, yeah, technically I suppose you should do it."

The Wyomese are my kind of people. They'd make a fine new province if they weren't trying to compete head to head with Alberta in the "World's Greatest Rodeo" department.

 

[GeorgeTheCivilEngineer]

Very jealous of these stamps. UK gets 'Chartered Engineer' with a choice of blue or grey.

 

[dauwerda]

I applied for my Wyoming License in 2016 (with NCEES record), going back to my records it does not appear that their was an ethics exam then. The application included a "code of ethics" with 8 bullet points that the applicant (me) agreed to subscribe to by applying for licensure (which also had to be notarized).

Most of the application accompanying exams I have had to take for states have been around 25 multiple choice questions, but focused more on state and board rules/laws than on ethics (maybe one or two ethical questions in the mix).

The square is just strange as every other state uses a round stamp - the original seals were all rounded due to the nature of embossing seals (still required in New Jersey unless you go with a digital signature). Square, sharp edges/corners cause tears when embossing, so sharp corners were typically avoided when designing the seal(s).

Then there is Minnesota which technically doesn't even require the use of the stamp anymore, it has since been replaced with a sworn statement that is signed.
"I hereby certify that this plan, specification, or report was prepared by me or under my direct supervision and that I am a duly Licensed Professional Engineer under the laws of the state of Minnesota." followed by name, signature, date, and license number.

 

[structSU10]

This structural observation requirement got me interested - I am in NY and notice that this was recently changed to include RC IV and at the discretion of the building code official from our previous building code.

As written in the code, it sounds like the frequency and extent are set by the observer? How is that criteria generally established?

Also the wording appears to point to either the EOR performing this work OR a third party PE as it just says the owner shall employ a registered design professional which is just someone that is an RA or PE. Any reason this couldn't be a PE employed by the special inspection agency? I imagine it wants to be separate from that task, but I don't see anything that precludes that.

 

[r13]

The paper provided by KootK says the "observation" is not mandated by code, rather it is up to the local jurisdictions. Also note that this requirement has been in the IBC since its inception, as well as the previous model building codes. Well, I wonder...

 

[KootK]

The NY process is interesting. Unfortunately, I don't fully understand it myself. A friend has a 40 story going up right now so I've had a bit of a look behind the curtain:

1) He had to take some special training to qualify himself as an inspector for his own project even though he's the EOR. It was expensive too.

2) Apparently field review on this thing is pretty much a full time gig. We toyed around with me coming out to NY for nine months or so to do it as there was a need on his end and it would have made for a fun adventure for me. Apparently, you need a PE but it doesn't have to be a NY PE necessarily. I could have done the field review because I'm a PE in other states, even though it's impossible for me to be one in NY without a green card / citizenship.

3) It seems to be quite a common arrangement for the inspection work to be done by a PE who is not a part of the EOR's firm. I get the impression that these dedicated inspectors do rather well too.

 

[KootK]

Fun rich people houses will need observation in most of LA...

Coincidentally, I've been asked for a proposal on a fun rich person house in LA this very afternoon (first one). Thanks to your input here, I'll be able to speak to the structural observation issue immediately rather than a week from now when I would have figured it out for myself and, possibly, held up the show while other arrangements are made.

So thank you, very much. Go team!

 

[r13]

Negotiate a fat observation fee is the fun part to get something out of the rich. I'll do live-in observation if the client is a rich and famous celebrity

 

[KootK]

I wish. I've got another richie-richie house in New Zealand on the books. Who wants to join me for an all expenses paid field visit? Too bad, there won't be one.

 

[sandman21]

Coincidentally, I've been asked for a proposal on a fun rich person house in LA this very afternoon (first one). Thanks to your input here, I'll be able to speak to the structural observation issue immediately rather than a week from now when I would have figured it out for myself and, possibly, held up the show while other arrangements are made.

So thank you, very much. Go team!

Where do I send the invoice?

STRUCTURAL OBSERVATION REPORT FORM, They will also have their Plan Check checklist on the website you can look up the specific LA requirements they will be reviewing. As they have their own code 2020 LABC, which has some restrictions and modifications from the 2019 CBC.

Also the wording appears to point to either the EOR performing this work OR a third party PE as it just says the owner shall employ a registered design professional which is just someone that is an RA or PE. Any reason this couldn't be a PE employed by the special inspection agency? I imagine it wants to be separate from that task, but I don't see anything that precludes that.

The owner may elect to have the special inspection agency provide the service. I do not believe this is common as most dont have a engineer who is capable of reviewing the structural portion of the project.

The paper provided by KootK says the "observation" is not mandated by code, rather it is up to the local jurisdictions. Also note that this requirement has been in the IBC since its inception, as well as the previous model building codes. Well, I wonder...

The observation is mandated for specific requirements, the local AHJ can add to the requirements or the EOR can add. Unless the project out of state is very small we provide observations. We fly engineers out to projects around the country when needed, even when the project does not fall within the mandate. We have this worked into our fee and have not had an issue with an arch.

 

[KootK]

Agree to be my boots on the ground and you can send the invoice to my Michigan mailing address: 2885 Sanford Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418

 

[sandman21]

Agree to be my boots on the ground and you can send the invoice to my Michigan mailing address: 2885 Sanford Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418

Sure $1,000 an hour; minimum 1,000 hrs. I will work on it right now.

 

[KootK]

A bargain at twice the price!

 

[r13]

With return postage paid. Aren't you in NYC, or somewhere in Canada?

 

[KootK]

Canada. The MI thing is just a forwarding service. I was a renter until this spring. With my changing addresses all the time, that's been the only way for me to keep from losing track of my US mail.

 

[r13]

LA is an interesting place, full of surprises. We were the engineer of a proposed drinking water reservoir, the permit was issued, and the construction was about a quarter in completion, then the table turned (politically), the next thing was we were required to design and reapply permit for restoration the project site back to the original condition. Not a bad deal for my company though!

 

[KootK]

It seems to indeed be an interesting place. A Vancouver friend does a lot of mixed use high rise towers there using performance based design. A lot of these things wind up peer reviewed by the authors of some of my favorite engineering books. It's pretty cool.

 

[r13]

...using performance based design.

Yeah, CA/LA seems always leading the trend.