How to Become an AME in Canada (2026): Complete Licensing Guide

By Javier Acuña — aviation maintenance consultant and instructor, 30+ years across airlines, MROs and regulatory compliance (FAA, EASA, ICAO, AS9110, SMS)
Published: September 15, 2026 · Last verified: September 16, 2026

What Is an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) in Canada?

An AME is a Transport Canada–licensed professional authorized to sign the maintenance release that returns an aircraft to service. The licence is issued under CAR 403 (Part IV, Subpart 3) and the standards in Airworthiness Manual Chapter 566.

The distinction that matters: an AME licence is not a mechanic’s certificate — it is a licence to certify. The AME is not required to personally perform the work signed for, but must supervise unlicensed personnel or inspect the work to the extent necessary to be satisfied it was completed correctly. That legal exposure, not the wrench time, is what the licence actually buys and what the 48-month experience requirement is designed to protect.

“People come into this trade thinking the licence is a qualification. It isn’t. It’s an authority delegated to you by the Minister of Transport, and the moment you sign, the aircraft is yours. Every requirement in Chapter 566 makes sense once you read it through that lens.”

— Javier Acuña, MRO accountable manager and aviation maintenance instructor

What Are the AME Licence Ratings (M1, M2, E, S)?

Transport Canada issues five ratings: M1, M2, E, S and Balloons. Three historical designators — P41 (propellers), P42 (piston engines) and P43 (dynamic components) — remain valid if issued before 1999 but are no longer granted.

What is the difference between M1 and M2?

M1 covers non-turbojet aircraft built to a specific list of certification standards; M2 covers everything else except balloons. The common shorthand of “M1 = small piston, M2 = large jet” is wrong and will cost you on the regulatory exam — M1 is defined by certification basis, not by size or engine type, and takes in a great deal of turboprop and pressurized work.

The privilege almost nobody mentions: holders of either M1 or M2 also have maintenance release privileges for all turbine-powered helicopters and all SFAR 41C aeroplanes, including variants and derivatives. For anyone weighing rotary-wing work, that single clause changes the calculation.

Note also that the experience requirement is identical for M1 and M2 — 48 months either way. There is no time saving in choosing M1.

AME vs FAA A&P vs EASA Part-66: How Do They Compare?

If you already hold a certificate in another system — or you are choosing which one to pursue — this is the comparison that usually settles it.

Two things stand out. First, Canada asks for the most experience of the three systems — 48 months against the FAA’s 30 for a full A&P. Second, all three converge on the same 6-in-24 recency rule, which is worth knowing if you hold more than one credential: keeping one current usually keeps the others current, provided the activity is documented.

“I’ve moved technicians between all three systems for thirty years. The Canadian file fails on paperwork far more often than on competence. The FAA lets you build the experience loosely and prove it later; Transport Canada wants it structured, signed and tied to a registration mark from day one. It is a different discipline, not a harder trade.”

— Javier Acuña

How Do You Get Licensed, Step by Step?

Transport Canada sets out five sequential steps.

Step 1: Meet the eligibility prerequisites

• Citizenship: any country — a valid passport, or an ICAO-state aviation personnel licence showing citizenship
• Age: minimum 21 years at issuance. No maximum
• No medical certificate is required
• Training: an approved or acceptable AME basic training program
• Experience: the total, specialty and civil requirements below
• Skill: the documented maintenance tasks
• Knowledge: the technical examinations (waived with ATO knowledge credit) plus the regulatory examination
• Language: examinations and documentation are in English or French; foreign documents must be translated and submitted with the originals, stamps and seals identified by the translator

Step 2: Complete basic training

Only an Approved Training Organization (ATO) gives you knowledge and experience credit. An acceptable program satisfies the training requirement but carries no credit at all — you write every technical exam and get no months against the 48. Training from neither source (foreign, military, distance learning) is assessed case by case under AWM 566.07(2), and requires a graduation certificate or diploma, a transcript of marks and theoretical hours per subject, and the detailed curriculum in force when you studied.

Step 3: Accumulate maintenance experience

Experience must be on certified aircraft — work on ultra-light, advanced ultra-light, amateur-built or owner-maintained aircraft does not count. Proof is a personal logbook or employment letters signed by the persons responsible for the maintenance release of the recorded work, showing exact dates, types of work and aircraft types. Experience months assume full-time employment of 1,800 working hours per year.

Apprenticeship-board summaries are not accepted. Transport Canada wants detailed employer letters. Ask for one at every job change, while the people who supervised you are still there.

Military experience counts toward total and specialty experience when representative of the aircraft, systems or structures for the rating sought — but at least six months must be on civil-registered aircraft. Canadian military courses are pre-assessed under MSI No. 18, Appendix B: AVN (M1/M2) carries a 488-hour theory gap in piston engines, emergency systems, instrumentation, avionics, data bus and logic, and auto flight; AVS (E) and ACS (S) carry no gap.

Step 4: Pass the examinations

Approved ATO graduates are exempt from the technical exams but must still write the regulatory exam — knowledge credit never covers it. Acceptable-program graduates write everything. There are two official study guides, and candidates routinely find only one: TP 14038 covers the technical examinations, while TP 3043 is the guide AWM 566.03(5) directs you to for the regulatory requirements examination.

Step 5: Submit the application

• Form 26-0638 — for applicants who must attempt the technical examinations
• Form 24-0083 — for applicants with ATO knowledge credit or who have already passed the technical exams. File it once you have all but six months of the total experience, not after
• In Canada: nearest Transport Canada Centre or Regional Office. Outside Canada: Operational Airworthiness, Ottawa
• Certification of copies: by a notary public or commissioner for oaths, a TCCA Safety Inspector/Officer or Administrative (Operational) Support personnel, or the holder of a valid Canadian AME licence
• Processing: 40 working days for issuance or re-issuance, 20 for renewal

Which Canadian Schools Are Approved? (Verified July 15, 2026)

Transport Canada’s list of currently active approved and acceptable basic training courses was last updated July 15, 2026 and covers roughly 50 course entries across eight provinces: Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador. There are no listed programs in New Brunswick, PEI or the territories.

Approved = ATO certificate holder under CAR 403 Division II. Graduates get a certificate bearing a TC approval number, knowledge credit and experience credit.
Acceptable = meets the alternative training requirement of AWM 566.07(2). No credit of any kind.

Ontario

Western Canada

Quebec

Atlantic Canada

Acceptable (non-ATO) programs — all technical exams required

Verify before you enrol. This list changes several times a year — three entries were added in 2026 alone. Check the official Transport Canada page the week you apply.

What if your training was never approved?

Transport Canada’s policy on the national acceptance of unapproved basic training courses is published as Internal Process Bulletin (IPB) 2025-05, available through the Civil Aviation Integrated Management System (IMS) documents page. If you trained abroad, in the military, or by distance learning, read it before you submit anything.

How Much Does It Cost to Become an AME in Canada?

Budget CAD $48,000–$72,000 for a domestic student on the standard two-year route, and CAD $80,000–$125,000 for an international student, tuition and living costs included. These are planning estimates: most Canadian colleges publish aviation tuition only through student portals after admission, so confirm with the institution before committing.

Tuition

Quebec residents at ÉNA pay subsidised CEGEP rates — the lowest-cost route in the country for a French-speaking candidate.

Everything else

Exam and licence charges change by regulation, not by announcement. Quote CAR 104 Schedule IV and pay through the TCCA online booking system rather than relying on a figure you read in a forum.

Totals

Why approved training is worth the premium. An acceptable program saves tuition but costs you the entire experience credit — up to 24 months for M or E — and forces you to sit every technical examination. At a median wage near $39 an hour, two extra years before licensure is by far the most expensive line in this whole decision.

Experience, Skill and Exam Requirements

How much experience is required?

The M1, M2 and E ratings each require 48 months of total aviation maintenance experience; the S rating requires 36. Transport Canada assesses three separate categories, and the requirement is identical for M1 and M2.

If a source tells you M1 requires 36 months, it is wrong. Check AWM 566 Appendix A.

Two different hour thresholds get confused constantly. The theory hours above are the minimum for training to be judged acceptable under AWM 566.07(2) — the assessment route for foreign, military or distance-learning training. An approved ATO program is held to a different standard under AWM 566.12: not less than 1,800 hours of subject-matter training for a maintenance or avionics program, and not less than 1,000 hours for a structures program. An organization that can prove it delivers the training in fewer hours may be approved on an individual basis.

How does the training credit actually work?

Under AWM 566.03, credit is granted at one month per 100 hours of approved training, capped at 24 months for M or E and 18 months for S. So an 1,800-hour ATO program yields 18 months against the 48 required.

The single exception on the current list is RRC Polytech’s Aircraft Maintenance Journeyperson program at 48 months — a four-year apprenticeship that embeds the industry experience rather than shortening it.

The skill requirement: where most candidates stall

You must document not less than 70% of the tasks in AWM Chapter 566, Appendix B applicable to your rating — and not less than 10% of the claimed tasks must have been performed on civil-registered aircraft.

Each task must be certified by an AME licence holder or equivalent supervisor and record the date, aircraft type, registration mark or component serial number, plus confirmation that you can:

1. identify the applicable standard for the task,
2. select the proper tools,
3. perform the work correctly without supervision, and
4. complete the necessary documentation.

Every task claimed must have been subject to a maintenance release or equivalent certification. There is no official Transport Canada logbook — use a personal logbook or the Appendix B task list itself.

“The single most common reason a Canadian AME file stalls is not the exams — it’s the task record. People document four years of experience beautifully and then discover that 70% of Appendix B has to be signed, dated and tied to a registration mark, by someone who has since left the company. Start the record on your first day. Not your first year.”

— Javier Acuña

What are the exam rules?

• Passing grade: 70% on every examination
• Approval to attempt the exams is valid for 12 months from TCCA’s approval of the application
• Technical exams may be attempted once Form 26-0638 is approved
• The regulatory exam may be attempted once Form 24-0083 is approved and you are within six months of the total experience requirement
• First failure: no re-examination for 30 days
• Second and subsequent failures: no re-examination for six months each time
• All exams are invigilated in person by appointment at a Transport Canada Regional Service Centre; accommodation requests should be made to the Centre before booking

That six-month penalty is the reason not to sit the regulatory exam “to see what it’s like.” It is a CARs exam, and the CARs content has no FAA or EASA equivalent.

Does a valid licence mean you can sign? Recency vs validity

No — validity and currency are different things. Your licence remains valid until its printed expiry date, but under AWM 566.05 you may not exercise its privileges unless, within the preceding 24 months, you have either passed the regulatory requirements examination or, for at least six months, performed maintenance, supervised it directly or in an executive capacity, or provided aviation maintenance instruction within an ATO.

A card in your wallet that says it expires in 2033 tells you nothing about whether you can legally sign today.

How Much Do AMEs Earn in Canada?

The national median wage for NOC 72404 is CAD $39.00 per hour — roughly CAD $78,000 a year full-time — with a low of $24.48 and a high of $52.88 (Job Bank, Labour Force Survey, 2023–2024 reference period).

Avionics specialists fall under a separate code, NOC 22313, with its own wage series — check it separately if you are pursuing the E rating. Remote and northern postings commonly carry isolated-post allowances, and regional operators advertise signing and retention bonuses; treat any specific premium as employer-dependent rather than a national figure.

Is there a shortage of aircraft maintenance engineers in Canada?

There is a moderate risk of labour shortage through 2033 — not the crisis some guides describe. Here is what the Canadian Occupational Projections System actually projects for NOC 72404:

Openings and job seekers are projected to be broadly similar over the decade. This is a stable, demand-supported trade with a demographic tailwind — not a gold rush. The occupation facing a strong risk of shortage in the same projection is air pilots (NOC 72600), which is a different career and is where that statistic usually comes from when you see it misapplied to maintenance.

Where the real leverage is: Job Bank currently rates Ontario and the Toronto region Good for 2025–2027, following a documented shortage in 2023–2025. But the persistent, unmet demand sits in regional carriers, northern bases and MROs outside the major hubs, where retention is hardest and where a new licence holder reaches lead and inspector roles years earlier than at a major.

Who hires AMEs?

Pathways for International Candidates

The study permit route

1. Apply to an ATO program at a PGWP-eligible Designated Learning Institution
2. Apply for a study permit. From April 1, 2026, mandatory co-op or practicum placements are covered by the study permit — no separate co-op work permit needed
3. Complete the diploma, then apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
4. Accumulate the remaining experience on the PGWP — documenting Appendix B tasks from day one
5. Write the exams and apply for the licence while working
6. Transition to PR via Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program

PGWP eligibility now has two filters most guides miss. For study permits applied for on or after November 1, 2024, non-degree graduates must satisfy both:

• Field of study: your program’s CIP code must be on IRCC’s eligible list, frozen at 1,107 codes for all of 2026. Aviation maintenance is covered under transport: 47.0607 (airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology), 47.0608 (aircraft powerplant technology), 47.0609 (avionics maintenance technology)
• Language: CLB/NCLC 5 in English or French for college diploma and certificate graduates

PGWP length matches program length, to a maximum of three years. Verify both the DLI’s PGWP-eligible status and your specific program’s CIP code before you pay a deposit — eligibility is not uniform within a single college.

Working while studying: up to 24 hours per week off campus during academic terms — the limit rose from 20 hours in November 2024 — and full time during scheduled breaks. On-campus work is uncapped. The 24-hour cap is per week across all employers combined, not an average, and a single hour over is non-compliance that surfaces at PGWP time.

Can you apply directly with a foreign licence?

No — and the exemption most guides point at almost certainly does not apply to you. There is no conversion of a foreign licence into a Canadian AME licence and no bilateral agreement on the acceptance of basic training. FAA A&P and EASA Part-66 holders must meet the conditions of initial issuance in CAR 403.03 and AWM 566.03 like anyone else.

AWM 566.07(1) is a legacy exemption, fixed by date. It exempts from the basic training requirement only applicants who held:

• an FAA Inspection Authorization, or an ICAO Annex 1 AME licence that included airframe and engine privileges, before 1 January 1990;
• an ICAO Annex 1 licence that included avionics privileges, before 1 September 1985; or
• an ICAO Annex 1 licence that included structures privileges, before 1 September 2001.

If you qualified after those dates — which covers essentially every working A&P and Part-66 holder today — you fall under AWM 566.07(1)(d) and are assessed case by case under 566.07(2). And 566.07(1)(e) is categorical: all applicants, regardless of the type of foreign licence held, are required to pass the Transport Canada examinations applicable to the rating sought. Nobody is exempt from the exams.

How the 566.07(2) assessment works. Submit your graduation certificate together with a transcript of the training received to the applicable Transport Canada Centre. To be considered as having acceptable basic training you need a minimum of 1,000 hours of theory for an M or E rating, or 550 hours for S, evaluated against Division II Subdivision B and the applicable provisions of Appendix C. The theory need not contain a CARs component, because the regulatory examination covers it. TC then gives you written feedback on acceptability and an outline of any additional training required.

If you proceed:

• Apply on Form 26-0638 for approval to attempt the technical examinations — which must then be completed within 12 months of approval
• Expect gap training at an ATO if deficiencies are identified
• You will still need 48 months total / 12 specialty / 6 civil experience, and 70% of the Appendix B tasks
• You will still write the regulatory exam

What Transport Canada will recognise: your type training

This is the genuine concession for experienced foreign technicians, and it is almost never mentioned. Under AWM 566.02(2) to (5), a foreign aircraft type training course can be recognised by the Minister for the purposes of CAR 571.11 — the rule that requires an applicable approved type course before you may sign a maintenance release on a transport-category aeroplane or a turbine-powered helicopter. There are three routes:

• You held a contracting-state licence when you took the course and are now applying for initial issuance of a Canadian AME licence. Submit a written request with a copy of your licence, your course graduation certificate, and a transcript of the training and course curriculum certified as accurate by the organization that provided it.
• You already held a valid Canadian AME licence and had been a permanent resident of another country for at least one year when you took the course. Same documents, plus documented proof of residency at the time of completion.
• The course was delivered by a training organization approved by a civil aviation authority with which Canada has a bilateral agreement or technical arrangement covering the recognition of aircraft type training. In that case it is recognised on successful completion.

The Minister confirms recognition — or non-recognition — in writing. If you have Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer or engine type courses behind you, this is the part of your file worth assembling first: it is the one element of a foreign background that Canada credits directly.

“Every FAA A&P who calls me asks the same question in the same order: can I transfer my licence, and how fast. The honest answer is that the licence does not transfer and the examinations are not waived for anyone. What can travel with you is your type training — and almost nobody arrives with that paperwork assembled. That is the file I would start building, not the one chasing an exemption that closed in 1990.”

— Javier Acuña

Where do AMEs stand in Canadian immigration in 2026?

• NOC codes: 72404 (aircraft mechanics and inspectors) and 22313 (avionics) — both TEER 2
• The Express Entry Transport occupations category was reintroduced on February 18, 2026 and covers exactly four occupations: 72600 (pilots), 72404, 22313 and 72410. It is a narrow, aviation-and-automotive category — far more favourable to AMEs than the broad transport category of earlier years
• Other 2026 categories: French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, education, STEM and trade occupations
• Provincial Nominee Programs: BC PNP, OINP, AAIP and SINP all run trades streams
• Atlantic Immigration Program: employer-driven; Gander, NL is a notable aviation centre
• Rural and Northern pilots: communities with aviation bases including North Bay, Cold Lake and Dawson Creek

Canadian immigration rules have changed materially every year since 2024. Confirm current categories and study permit caps on canada.ca before committing money.

What Funding Is Available?

Domestic students

• Canada Student Loans and Grants (federal + provincial)
• Canada Apprentice Loan: up to $4,000 per training period, interest-free, maximum $20,000
• Employment Insurance while attending technical training, for eligible apprentices
• Canada Training Credit: accumulates $250/year as a refundable credit against tuition
• Indigenous funding: PSSSP, Indspire — SIIT in Saskatoon is an Indigenous-governed ATO
• College scholarships and bursaries: $500–$12,000
• Employer sponsorship: airlines and MROs regularly sponsor final-year students with a hiring commitment

International students

• No federal aid. Private lenders such as MPOWER Financing and Prodigy Finance
• Institutional scholarships: $2,000–$18,000, varies widely by college
• Home-country funding: government scholarship programs in several countries
• Part-time work: 24 h/week during terms, full time during scheduled breaks
• Co-op earnings where the program includes a paid work term
• On-campus employment: no separate work permit required

Which Path Fits Your Profile?

Canadian high school graduate

Public college approved ATO diploma, two years. Strong options: BCIT, SAIT, Centennial, Canadore, ÉNA, NSCC, RRC Polytech, SIIT. Apply early — September intakes fill between January and March. Target co-op for paid, documentable experience. Budget $48K–$72K.

Career changer, 25–45

Check PLAR at your target college for recognition of prior mechanical or trade experience. RRC Polytech’s apprenticeship model is the strongest fit with a trade background — you earn while you qualify. The S rating is the fastest route to a first licence at 10–14 months of training, but note it still requires 36 months total experience. Budget $32K–$60K.

International student

Verify the DLI’s PGWP eligibility and your program’s CIP code before applying — this is now the most common point of failure. Budget the language test early; CLB 5 is required. Have first-year tuition plus living costs ($28K–$40K) available for the permit application. Realistic sequence: 2 years study → PGWP → 1 year skilled Canadian work → CEC eligibility.

Foreign licensed mechanic (FAA / EASA / other)

Assume no exemption from basic training. Unless you were licensed before 1990, 566.07(1) is closed to you and your file goes through the 566.07(2) assessment. Get your transcripts, hour breakdowns and course curriculum in order first — that documentation is what TC evaluates — then request a gap assessment from an ATO; ÉNA, BCIT, SAIT and Centennial all handle these enquiries. Assemble your type training records separately: under AWM 566.02(2)–(5) those can be recognised, and they are the part of your background Canada credits directly. Prepare specifically for the regulatory exam; CARs content has no equivalent in your current system. Begin reconstructing your Appendix B evidence now, signed and dated with aircraft type and registration. Timeline: 2–4 years, depending on the size of the assessed training gap.

What Separates the People Who Finish From the People Who Stall

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert my FAA A&P to a Canadian AME licence?

No. Canada has no conversion process and no bilateral agreement on the acceptance of basic training. All applicants must meet the conditions of initial issuance in CAR 403.03 and AWM 566.03, and under AWM 566.07(1)(e) every applicant — whatever foreign licence they hold — must pass the Transport Canada examinations for the rating sought. The basic training exemption in 566.07(1) is a legacy provision limited to licences held before 1 January 1990 (airframe and engine), 1 September 1985 (avionics) or 1 September 2001 (structures); everyone licensed after those dates is assessed case by case under 566.07(2). Your documented experience can count toward the 48-month requirement if properly evidenced, and your type training can be recognised separately under AWM 566.02(2)–(5).

Will Transport Canada recognise my foreign type training?

Often, yes — this is the one element of a foreign background Canada credits directly. Under AWM 566.02(2)–(5), a foreign aircraft type training course can be recognised for the purposes of CAR 571.11 if you held a contracting-state licence when you completed it and are applying for initial issuance of a Canadian licence; if you already held a Canadian licence and had been resident abroad for at least a year; or automatically, where the training organization was approved by an authority with which Canada has a bilateral agreement or technical arrangement covering type training. The Minister confirms recognition in writing.

How much experience is required for a Canadian AME licence?

The M1, M2 and E ratings each require 48 months of total aviation maintenance experience, including 12 months of specialty experience and 6 months on civil-registered aircraft. The S rating requires 36 months total, including 24 specialty and 6 civil.

Do you need a medical certificate to be an AME in Canada?

No. Transport Canada does not require a medical certificate for an AME licence. The documented requirements are citizenship, minimum age 21, basic training, knowledge through examinations, experience and skill. Individual employers may impose their own fitness or drug-and-alcohol policies.

How long does it take to become a licensed AME in Canada?

About four to four and a half years on the standard route: a two-year approved diploma granting 18 months of credit against the 48-month requirement, then roughly 30 months of documented experience. The application may be filed once all but six months of the total is acquired.

How much do aircraft maintenance engineers earn in Canada?

The national median for NOC 72404 is CAD $39.00 per hour — about $78,000 a year full-time — with a low of $24.48 and a high of $52.88 (Job Bank, 2023–2024). Alberta averages $38.42/hour, or $82,018 a year.

Is the M2 rating worth it over M1?

M2 covers everything not built to the M1 certification standards — the transport-category and turbojet fleet. Note that both M1 and M2 already carry privileges for all turbine-powered helicopters and SFAR 41C aeroplanes, and the experience requirement is identical at 48 months. There is no time saving in choosing M1, which is why most candidates target M2 directly.

What is the difference between approved and acceptable training?

Approved means the course is delivered by an ATO certificate holder under CAR 403 Division II; graduates receive a certificate with a TC approval number and are eligible for knowledge credit (technical exam waiver) and experience credit. Acceptable means the course only satisfies AWM 566.07(2) — no credit of any kind, and every technical exam must be written.

Can international students work while studying?

Yes — up to 24 hours per week off campus during academic terms and full time during scheduled breaks. On-campus work is uncapped. Since April 1, 2026, mandatory co-op placements no longer require a separate work permit.

Are there age limits?

Minimum 21 at licence issuance, no maximum. Career changers in their 30s, 40s and 50s are common in this trade.

My licence hasn’t expired — can I sign a maintenance release?

Only if you are current. Under AWM 566.05 you may not exercise the privileges unless, within the preceding 24 months, you passed the regulatory examination or spent at least six months performing maintenance, supervising it, or instructing within an ATO. Validity and currency are separate concepts.

Which NOC code applies to me for immigration?

72404 for aircraft mechanics and inspectors (M and S work) and 22313 for avionics technicians (E work). Both are TEER 2 and both are in the Express Entry Transport occupations category reintroduced on February 18, 2026.

Is ICS Canada still accepting students?

No. ICS Canada stopped accepting enrolments on October 30, 2024. Students enrolled before then were expected to complete by October 29, 2026, and certificates or transcripts issued after April 30, 2027 will not be accepted by TCCA.

Is It Worth It in 2026?

For the right candidate, yes — with accurate expectations.

The honest version: COPS projects roughly 9,500 openings against 9,600 job seekers over 2024–2033. That is a balanced national market with a demographic tailwind, not a gold rush. The genuine leverage is regional — northern bases, regional carriers and MROs outside Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver struggle to attract and keep licensed staff, and they pay and promote accordingly. Candidates who start there build a licence, type training and seniority faster than anyone waiting for a slot at a major.

And the requirement that actually decides who finishes is not the exams. It is the task record. Start it on your first day.

Sources

Transport Canada

• AME licensing overview
• Obtaining an AME licence
• Canadian AME Licensing General Information — full requirements table
• Renewing an AME licence
• Approved / acceptable training courses (currently active)
• AWM Chapter 566 — full text
• AWM 566 Appendix A — experience requirements
• AWM 566 Appendix B — sample maintenance tasks
• AC 566-003 — design of the AME licence
• MSI No. 18 — military training assessment
• TP 14038 — study and reference guide, technical examinations
• TP 3043 — study and reference guide, regulatory requirements examination (referenced at AWM 566.03(5))
• Examination booking

Labour market

• Job Bank — NOC 72404
• COPS / ESDC — NOC 72404 projections 2024–2033
• alis Alberta — 72404 wages

Immigration

• PGWP eligible CIP codes — transport
• Designated Learning Institutions list
• Apprenticeship grants — current status

Comparative

• 14 CFR Part 65 — FAA mechanic certification
• EASA — Part-66 licence validity and recency

About the Author

Javier Acuña is an aviation maintenance consultant and instructor with more than 30 years across airlines, MROs, aviation schools and regulatory compliance. He is the accountable manager of an approved maintenance organization, teaches aviation maintenance at institute level, and works across FAA, EASA, ICAO and national regulatory frameworks, with certifications in ISO 9001, AS9100, AS9110 and SMS. He founded AeroMaintenanceHub to close the gap between what maintenance training teaches and what the regulator and the hangar floor actually require.

• YouTube: @aeromaintenancehub — regulatory breakdowns, exam preparation and licensing walkthroughs
• Courses and community: aeromaintenancehub.com

Regulatory data verified September 15, 2026 against Transport Canada, ESDC and IRCC primary sources. Canadian aviation regulations, immigration rules and the approved training list change without notice — confirm the current position on the linked official pages before making financial or immigration decisions.

Update log
September 16, 2026: corrected the scope of the AWM 566.07(1) basic training exemption — it is a legacy provision limited by date, not a list of recognised licences; added 566.07(1)(e), under which no applicant is exempt from the Transport Canada examinations; added recognition of foreign aircraft type training under AWM 566.02(2)–(5); added TP 3043 as the regulatory examination study guide; separated the 1,800/1,000-hour approved ATO curriculum minimums from the 1,000/550-hour acceptable-training thresholds.
September 2026: corrected the experience requirements to 48 months (M1/M2/E) and 36 (S) per AWM 566 Appendix A; added SAIT, SIIT, Sault College, BCIT Basic S and three further approved programs; corrected the labour outlook to moderate risk of shortage per COPS; updated wage data to the Job Bank 2023–2024 reference period; corrected NOC to 72404 / 22313; removed the medical certificate requirement, which does not exist; removed the discontinued apprenticeship grants; added the AWM 566.07(1) basic training exemption, the Appendix B skill requirement, the examination rules and the FAA/EASA comparison.