NCARB Certificate holders can expand their practice through our longstanding relationship with Canada. NCARB and the Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC) (formerly the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA)) have a Mutual Recognition Agreement that enables architects to pursue reciprocal licensure between the two countries.

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Want to become licensed in the U.S.? The first step is starting your NCARB Record!

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Qualifications

To be eligible for reciprocal licensure under this agreement, you must:

  • Be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • Be licensed and in good standing in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction
  • Hold an active NCARB Certificate
  • Maintain your principal place of practice in a signatory jurisdiction
  • Have at least 2,000 hours of post-licensure experience in your home country

Note: Architects who are licensed in their home country through another international reciprocal licensing agreement (or the previous Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program) are not eligible under this agreement.

Pursuing a License Through the Agreement

After confirming you meet the agreement’s requirements, follow these steps to begin the process:

  1. Review the list of signatory jurisdictions to confirm that both your current jurisdiction (principal place of practice) and the jurisdiction you would like to be licensed in are participants.
  2. Contact the board where you would like to be licensed to ensure that you meet their specific requirements. You can find contact information for each Canadian provincial association through ROAC.
  3. Contact NCARB’s Customer Relations team to start the process. NCARB will request a “Letter of Good Standing” from the board, and then we will forward you the “Attestation” for your records.
  4. Once NCARB has these documents, we will be able to complete the evaluation and provide you with further instructions.
  5. Log in to your NCARB Record and select “Request Transmittal of your NCARB Record.”

To learn more about this agreement and the requirements for NCARB certification, read the Certification Guidelines.