Within Canada
With the exception of Yukon and Nunavut, all Architects working within any Canadian jurisdiction must be registered with the regulator of that jurisdiction. An Architect practicing in Yukon or Nunavut must be registered in at least one Canadian jurisdiction.
NWTAA is a signatory of the Reciprocity Agreement of the Regulatory Organanizations of Architects (ROAC), which uniformly recognizes credentials and eligibility for an individual's registration across Canada and allows for licensing between the territorial & provincial regulators with a minimum of barriers. The agreement is applicable to all Architects in good standing in their originating or primary "home" jurisdiction.
While this agreement facilitates an expedient registration, regulators may still require conditions to be met or reject applications where the public interest is at risk.
The reciprocity agreement aligns with the provisions of the federal/provincial/territorial Agreement on Internal Trade.
Architects registered in another jurisdiction outside of Canada may be eligible to apply for registration in Canada under the terms of a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). These MRAs are formal agreements between architectural regulators in different international jurisdictions to mutually recognize the architectural credentials and qualifications of their registrants, and to provide a pathway for them to obtain registration across participating jurisdictions. Registration under the terms of an MRA is a streamlined process. Eligibility requirements vary for each MRA. Today, Canada has agreements in place with the United States, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and soon-to-be ratified agreements with Europe (ACE) and the UK.
Alternatively, architects who do not satisfy the requirements of the BEFA program may have their education certified by the CACB, which then allows for enrollment in the Internship in Architecture Program (IAP).
ROAC, encouraged by the Government of Canada, continues to actively explore and negotiate recognition agreements with other countries.
