A closer look at the 38 qualifying occupations: Civil Engineers and Architects may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program as Construction Managers

In the August, 2009 edition of our Newsletter, we highlighted two of the 38 qualifying occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker program: University Professors, and College and Other Vocational Instructors, and emphasized the importance of duties performed in each occupation, as opposed to job titles. This month, we look at Construction Managers, another qualifying occupation, and explore the possibility that Civil Engineers and Architects with supervisory roles might qualify for Canadian immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker program if their job descriptions and duties match those of Construction Managers.

Many Civil Engineers and Supervising Architects perform the duties of Construction Managers as in their jobs. Depending on their degree of involvement with the constructions projects they oversee, they may qualify for Canadian immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker category, though their job titles do not specifically designate them as construction managers.

According to the National Occupation Classification (NOC) description, Construction Managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of a construction company or a construction department within a company.

They are responsible for evaluating projects from the planning stages through to completion according to schedules and specifications. Construction Managers prepare budget estimates, as well as negotiate contracts with subcontractors for all stages of a given construction project. They are also in charge of purchasing building materials and coordinating quality control programs.

Civil Engineers who oversee construction projects in their entirety and perform a substantial number of the duties described above may qualify to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker program if they have at least one year of work experience performing those duties within the last ten years.

Architects with supervisory roles may also be considered under this occupation as long as they perform the duties outlined in its NOC description. Many Architects do more than project-design; they also plan, budget, and oversee the completion of the projects they have designed. If they have done so for at least one year within the last ten year period, they should look into whether they qualify to immigrate to Canada as Construction Managers.

Find out if you qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker program.