On October 1, Canada’s Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC), Mexico’s Comité Mexicano para la Práctica Internacional de la Arquitectura (COMPIAR), and the United States’ National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) launched an updated Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement, increasing access to international practice opportunities for architects in North America.
The updated agreement recognizes the level of competency established through each country’s initial licensure/registration processes and removes several post-licensure barriers to eligibility, such as:
- Reducing the required number of years of post-licensure experience from 10 to five, expanding eligibility to architects who have been licensed/registered more recently. The updated agreement also allows three of those five years to be in either of the other two jurisdictions (i.e. only two years in the home jurisdiction). This means that the remaining years may take place within either of the other two countries represented in the Agreement under the supervision of an architect licensed/registered in that country.
- Accepting architects who obtained their license/registration through various routes, including alternative qualifications pathways. This expands access to international reciprocity to a wider pool of architects.
- Removing the citizenship requirement, allowing architects who are not citizens of their home country to seek reciprocal licensure/registration.
By addressing these barriers, ROAC, COMPIAR, and NCARB are enabling more qualified architects to take advantage of an increasingly global marketplace, while maintaining the essential level of rigor needed to protect the public.
Read the full press release: Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. Launch an Updated Reciprocity Agreement for Architects
Register to Attend the Upcoming Webinar
An overview of the changes to the agreement, including eligibility and process requirements, as well as the steps to apply for reciprocal licensure in Canada, Mexico, or the United States, will be presented at a live webinar on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 2 p.m. ET.
Panelists will also host a live Q&A session to address questions about the agreement and international licensure opportunities.
Learn More and AIBC Contact
To learn more about earning a license/registration to practice architecture abroad, including specific eligibility requirements, please visit Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC). Additional information can also and the AIBC website, or email registration@aibc.ca.