Tri-National Agreement
with Canada and Mexico

NCARB has established reciprocal registration for architects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico through a Tri-National Agreement as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In July, leadership and executive staff from NCARB, the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), and the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de La República Mexicana (FCARM) met to review the current Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement.

In August, delegates from Canada and Mexico met in Washington, DC, in support of a pilot dossier review of Mexican applicants for U.S. reciprocity. As part of the pilot, the BEA Committee interviewed three Mexican architects.

Recognition in Canada

A new Mutual Recognition Agreement between NCARB and CALA took effect on January 1, 2014, updating our long-standing relationship with Canada. Architects in jurisdictions participating in the new agreement must have a valid license to practice architecture in their home country, plus 2,000 hours (approximately one year) of post-licensure experience.

“The new agreement respects each country’s rigorous path to licensure, and serves as a bold model for mutual recognition agreements in the future,” said 2013-2014 NCARB President Blakely C. Dunn, AIA, NCARB. “It is a great accomplishment, and we are pleased to be able to continue our long-standing recognition and exchange of professional credentials with Canada.”

In order for U.S. or Canadian architects to take advantage of this opportunity, their principal place of practice and the jurisdiction they are seeking licensure in must have signed the agreement.

UIA Professional Practice Commission

In December, NCARB Sr. Architect/Advisor to the CEO Stephen Nutt, AIA, NCARB, CAE, attended a meeting with the International Union of Architects (Union Internationale des Architectes or UIA) Professional Practice Commission in Israel. The commission is responsible for developing international standards of practice.

International Delivery of the ARE

In September, the Council began delivering the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) at Prometic test centers in London and Abu Dhabi. Several months later, the exam became available in Hong Kong. To celebrate, AIA’s Hong Kong chapter invited NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong to tour the test center and speak to U.S. interns and architects living in the area. The push to expand international delivery is part of an ongoing effort to facilitate the path to licensure for candidates living abroad.