And Now There Are 40

The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), on behalf of the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), is pleased to announce that there are now 40 US states signed onto the new Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between CALA and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

The MRA, for the reciprocal registration of architects between the USA and Canada, came into effect January 1, 2014. To be eligible, an architect must be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States or Canada, and their principal place of practice must be in a jurisdiction that is a current signatory of the MRA to seek registration/licensure in the other country. Their registration/license must be in ‘good standing’ and they must have completed at least 2,000 hours (approximately one year of full-time employment) of post-registration/licensure experience practicing in their home country.

Architects that were originally licensed in Canada or the USA through a foreign reciprocal registration agreement, including the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) Program, will not be eligible under this agreement. Those registered/licensed to practice architecture in one or more Canadian jurisdictions will require NCARB certification to avail themselves of the agreement. Further information can be found in section 3 of NCARB’s Certification Guidelines.

At this time, all 11 Canadian jurisdictions and 40 US states are signed onto the MRA. The remaining US jurisdictions are continuing to consider implementation and the list of signatories will be updated accordingly.

For more information and the current list of signatories, please visit the AIBC website.