# Question about Engineering Experience for Projects Located Outside of United States



## KirbyQ (Mar 16, 2021)

Hello everyone, I would like to know your thought or experience regarding gaining engineering experience from projects outside of the United States.

The firm I worked with is a big international firm. Therefore, we work on a lot of projects which are located outside of the United States. However, for these type of projects, we typically only have contracts through DD phase and then the projects is handover to local engineers to complete design, sign/seal the drawing. I believe this is a common practice for many global international firms, including very famous ones, so as to have built project all over the world.

Recently, I submitted my application for PE license in which I included my experience for some of international projects I used to work on. However, the application reviewer refused to recognize these experience as my supervisor does not have engineering licensure in those specific countries. However, I do not agree with the reviewer's conclusion. I think since our form is not EOR for the project and I am physically in the U.S. while all these work experience happened, my experience should not be counted as "experience gained from overseas". Instead, it should be counted as U.S experience. Moreover, since these projects are not under any specific U.S. jurisdiction, any PE with a valid U.S. license should be able to verify these experience.

If what the reviewer saying is true, thenisn't this type of practice will be considered as illegal?

to be specific, the board I am applying to is California. But experience with other boards is also welcome.

Thank you very much!


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## KirbyQ (Mar 25, 2021)

Update: I explained what I wrote above to the board but the reviewer still won't accept. Luckily, I still have enough experience from projects within the United States and got approved eventually.


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