It's not "necessary" to graduate in the US in order to be a US-RPE. But on the other hand, as metengr describes, it's not required under ASME Code that the responsible engineer be a US RPE, but can be the equivalent in other jurisdictions (Canadian PEng, UK Chartered Engineer, etc.).
Here's a general outline of registration in the US:
Each of the 50 states (and some various territories) licenses engineers within that jurisdiction. There is a national council (NCEES) that provides standard examinations that are used by most states, and provides a sort of clearinghouse to ease reciprocity between jurisdictions.
A summary of what most jurisdictions will require is given here:
This page indicates:
Steps to become a P.E.
While each state licensing board has its own laws regarding engineering licensure, there is a general four-step process for licensure candidates:
1.Earn a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program.
2.Pass the FE exam.
3.Gain acceptable work experience (typically a minimum of four years). In most cases, this must be completed under the supervision of a P.E.
4.Pass the PE exam in the appropriate discipline.
The ABET (
is an accrediting agency that stipulates minimum standards for engineering education...requirements placed on the engineering school to meet the minimum standards.
It is the requirement to have a degree from the ABET-accredited school that is often the sticking point for PE registration. But the state PE licensing boards can review education from foreign schools for equivalence and compliance. (Even in the US, not all engineering schools are ABET-accredited.)
The ABET website provides a list of ABET-accredited schools in a number of countries around the world. Certainly having a degree from one of the listed schools would then make US registration much easier. (From randomly checking, I saw one school in Singapore, 3 in Philippines, none in Russia, two in Kazakhstan, and numerous other countries are listed.)
Glancing at my own state's list of licensees, I see Australia, Canada, Jordan, Korea, and a few other countries represented.
On the other hand, the reason each state registers (licenses) engineers within the state is to assure a minimum standard for engineering work performed
within that state, they have no reason to care about what happens in other states, or other countries. (And for that matter, not all engineers are registered, likely not even 1/4 of all engineering graduates obtain licensing.) A state receiving an application from outside the US might wonder why the applicant is applying in the state (but they might not care in the end).
Also, out of 50 states and 5 other US jurisdictions, how would someone outside the US decide which one to register in? Best to keep to your local jurisdiction unless there is some pressing need to do otherwise.
