APRIL 2007 ISSUE
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & ETHICS CORNER
APEGGA members with professional practice or ethics questions are welcome to mail them to Ray Chopiuk, P.Eng., Director, Professional Practice, APEGGA, 1500 Scotia One, 10060 Jasper AV NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 4A2; fax them to 780-426-1877; or e-mail them to rchopiuk@apegga.org.
Q I am an APEGGA Life Member. Can I still act as a guarantor
for the purposes of Canadian passport applications, even though I have retired
from active practice?
A You are eligible to act as a guarantor as long as you are
registered as a professional engineer (P.Eng.), professional geologist (P.Geol.)
or professional geophysicist (P.Geoph.). Although you are retired, your name
would still appear on APEGGA’s membership list, which is what Passport
Canada uses to verify eligibility.
You must also meet the other Passport Canada requirements. You must be a Canadian citizen residing in Canada and be accessible to Passport Canada for verification. You also must have known the person (passport applicant) for at least two years.
Q With regard to APEGGA members, Passport Canada only shows professional engineers on its list of eligible guarantors. What about geologists and geophysicists?
A Even though geoscientists don’t appear on the list, Passport Canada has accepted professional geologists and professional geophysicists as passport guarantors in the province of Alberta since 1990.
Q Why aren’t R.P.T.s on the list?
A Registered professional technologists are not eligible to act as guarantors. That is no reflection on the suitability of R.P.T.s, however. Passport Canada simply determines whether the list of guarantors is broad enough to meet the needs of the public. Apparently, it has not had any indication that the present list of approved guarantor groups is not extensive enough to meet the needs of passport applicants and, as a result, R.P.T.s are not included in the present list.
Q Can I act as a guarantor for my spouse and children?
A You can act as a guarantor for any relatives, including your spouse and children, as long as you meet Passport Canada’s specified requirements.
Q Are licensees regarded as being the same as professional members, when it comes to acting as guarantors?
A Individuals who are registered with APEGGA as licensees have the right to use the title “professional engineer” and the abbreviation “P.Eng.” However, they are not Canadian citizens. Therefore, licensees are not eligible to act as guarantors.