Upon arriving in Vancouver, you cannot immediately begin work as an engineer, but can work as an 'Engineer In Training'[EIT].

Engineering is a (self) regulated profession in Canada, and in BC is managed by the 'Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia' [EGBC].  The term 'Engineer' is protected by EGBC and you must register and be approved by them to call yourself an Engineer.  It is similar to becoming a Chartered Engineer in Australia, but is required by all provinces in Canada to be able to approve projects and engineering work. https://www.egbc.ca/

You can begin working before starting to jump through the hoops, but you will need to use the title of EIT.  Many companies will take you on as an EIT, and some will sponsor you to become a Professional Engineer [P.Eng] (aka 'getting your stamp').

To become a P.Eng, you must provide EGBC with a copy of your degree, take a Law and Ethics exam, work for 1 year as a EIT in BC, and provide anecdotal evidence (that will be verified by former supervisors/colleagues) that your previous work was engineering in nature.  Each of these steps costs money, and can cost ~$1000. https://www.egbc.ca/Become-a-Member/Fees

You can skip some of these steps if you are already certified as a Chartered Engineer in countries like Australia or the United Kingdom.

Note, that each province in Canada has a different Engineering society, so when you are registered in BC, you cannot yet work as an engineer in any other province.  However once you are a P.Eng in one province, it becomes much easier to get your stamp in other provinces if you choose.

Depending on your circumstances, it may not always be worthwhile working as an Engineer while you're in Canada. If you're just coming for the two year IEC visa and would prefer to have a good time and not worry so much about furthering your career, then you might be better off finding (easily available) casual work.  Although its probably a good long term investment if you end up loving it here.

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