Frequently Asked Questions

The CACB doesn’t license/register. In addition to the Academic Certification which is the first step towards licensure, the CACB administers on behalf of the Regulators the BEFA Program as an alternative pathway to licensure.

The practice of architecture is regulated in Canada. Anyone looking to offer services as an architect in Canada must be licensed.

Licensing for professional practice falls within the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories.

Prior to registration with any of the provincial/territorial associations of architects in Canada, broadly experienced foreign architects must successfully complete the BEFA process. With the BEFA Certificate, you can apply for licensure to the Provincial/Territorial Association you have chosen to register with. Other pathway to licensure include CACB Academic Certification.

Every province/territories has its own requirements for licensure. For example, when applying for licensure in the province of Quebec, you will have to write the French language exam at l’Office québecois de la langue française.

The Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) have formed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) that came into effect January 1, 2014. If you are a registered architect in the US you may apply for Canadian licensure in the Provincial/Territorial jurisdiction you wish to practise in. The regulatory organizations of Architecture in Canada / Regroupement des Ordres d’Architectes du Canada (ROAC) and the United Kingdom’s Architects Registration Board (ARB) signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), effective on May 14, 2025. The MRA stated the two parties will agree to recognize UK and Canadian qualifications which are in scope of the MRA for the purposes of registration, this agreement is administered by AIBC.

The Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) have an internal reciprocity agreement. This agreement facilitates individual registration/licensing in another jurisdiction, if individual is currently registered/licensed in one or more jurisdictions that are signatories to the agreement.

The Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects (BEFA) program streamlines the process for foreign architects to become certified for licensure in Canada.

It is an alternative pathway for applicant who already hold a license and vast experience abroad.

When BEFA Certification is issued by CACB, it will serve as a recommendation for recognition as an equivalent to successful completion of the Canadian Education, Experience, and Examination Standards that are in place for licensure by a provincial or territorial licencing body.

With the BEFA Certificate, you can apply for licensure to the Provincial/Territorial Association you have chosen to register with.

You will be required to assess your competence against the Canadian Standards of Practice in the following 12 competency areas:

1. Programming
2. Site and environmental analysis
3. Schematic design
4. Engineering systems – structural, mechanical, electrical, civil
5. Building cost analysis
6. Code research
7. Design development
8. Construction documents
9. Bidding and contract negotiation
10. Construction phase – office and site
11. Management of the project
12. Professionalism and professional practice

The 12 competency areas are defined here.

Regardless of the geographic location of an Architect’s office (or from where the applicant does the work), the Architect must apply for and maintain licensure/registration in the jurisdiction where the project is physically located.

Fees associated with the BEFA program can be found here.  All fees are non-refundable. You are also responsible for all expenses you incur when applying to the BEFA program. Expenses could include translation costs, certification or notary costs, and travel and accommodation costs if you need to travel to attend the panel interview.

Additionally, you may be required to pay additional fees should it be determined that you require a re-assessment, based on the results of the self-assessment application that you submitted electronically or the panel interview that you attended.

The BEFA program is a multi-step process (Eligibility, Self-assessment and Interview). The fees are paid at the beginning of each step. Payments can be made online with credit card or by mailing a bank draft, money order or certified cheque. CACB does not accept cash or personal cheques. No refunds will be issued once CACB has started the assessment process.

Since the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects (BEFA) program does not comprise writing an exam, the program fees are not eligible to be claimed as a tax allowance.

You may consider the following programs here.

Foreign architects can apply for BEFA Certification if they can demonstrate that they meet all of the mandatory requirements.

Foreign architects qualify for BEFA Certification through a three-step process which includes the review of your eligibility, the completion of an on-line self-assessment and an interview with licensed architects.

Before getting to the self-assessment stage, applicants must submit documents that demonstrate that they fulfill the BEFA eligibility requirement.

Please review eligibility and application process, we cannot confirm / pre-assess eligibility prior without official online application and certified true copies are received.

Applicants are responsible of ensuring they are eligible before applying to BEFA

Applications are completed and submitted online.

You will be required to submit proof of licensure/registration along with a most recent detailed resume/CV of your experience in a chronological order. Include details including years in position, name of company as well as role and responsibilities.

Yes.  However, you must obtained at least six (6) months of relevant Canadian architectural work experience by the time of your assessment interview.

The seven (7) years of post-licensure-experience can be accumulated anywhere in the world including Canada; there are no geographical restrictions.

Obtaining CACB Academic certification does not exempt you from any phase of the BEFA program if you choose to start it. The BEFA eligibility step requires you to send proof that you are licensed to practice in a foreign jurisdiction and proof of your educational background. Applicants who have applied for and obtained CACB Academic certification, will not be required to send proof of their educational degree since CACB already has this information on file; you will need to provide proof that you possess a license to practice architecture in a foreign jurisdiction as well as proof that you have at least seven (7) years of post-licensure experience. However, CACB Academic certified candidates will still have to go through the same phases as all the other BEFA applicants, pay the same fees and be subject to the same timelines.

There are two paths to acquire architectural certification in Canada; Academic Certification or BEFA Certification. You should consider their options and choose your preferable path very carefully because the fees are non-refundable.

You can register for the BEFA Program as an intern however you are not required to complete the BEFA Program if you are doing the internship program.

The Canadian Architectural work experience must be gained under the personal supervision and direction of a registered/licensed architect within the Canadian province or territory in which you intend to be licensed/registered. Relevant Canadian Architectural work experience is that which exposes you to the practice and regulatory requirements of architecture in Canada.

If registration/licensure was not required to practice as an architect in your jurisdiction(s) of origin, the equivalent of registration/licensure will be considered.

You will have up to two (2) months to complete the Eligibility phase of the BEFA program.

Applicants may submit a request for extension including written justification with the CACB.

Once all the required eligibility documentation is received (submitted online), a BEFA applicant file will be created and your eligibility will be verified by a BEFA employee. If successful, you will be contacted by email and, after you pay the self-assessment fee, you will be given access to the BEFA self-assessment application on the website.

Once your Eligibility is successful, you will have up to six (6) months to apply to the Self-assessment phase.

The web page is not sufficient evidence. We need to receive a certified true copy of the original for the proof of the Registration.

CACB Academic certified foreign architects will not be required to send proof of their educational degree since CACB already have this information on file.

The program requires that either you have already this experience or you will gain it by the time you will be invited to an interview. This last option means that you have to satisfy this requirement during the step of Self-assessment. You have also the option to wait until you gain this experience and then apply for BEFA Certification. This work experience cannot be gained more than three (3) years before the date scheduled for the assessment interview.

You will have obtained at least six (6) months of relevant Canadian architectural work experience by the time of your assessment interview.

The CACB does not have direct contact with architectural firms/employers, hence we are unable to help BEFA applicants find jobs. Our best advice would be to contact immigrant serving agencies in your area. You can also contact the provincial architectural association in the province of your residence to find out if they can provide any resources and/or help towards securing a job.

Relevant Canadian Architectural work experience is that which exposes you to the practice and regulatory requirements of architecture in Canada.

The Canadian architectural work experience must be gained under the personal supervision and direction of a registered/licensed architect within the Canadian province or territory in which you intend to be licensed/registered.

As soon as your eligibility has been confirmed and your assessment payment has been processed, you will be invited to apply to the self-assessment phase of the BEFA certification process.

Demonstration of Competency

In this second phase of the BEFA certification process, you are required to;

• complete a Project Resume template to provide an overview of your career. You are to highlight your major projects on which you were directly involved in; and
• assess your competence, based on your knowledge and experience, against Canadian Standards in the 12 competency areas.

As far as deciding between the Canadian and the international projects for the self-assessment, you should take two things into consideration. First, try to select projects which demonstrate best and most clearly your involvement and the degree to which they allowed you to develop the respective competencies for which you quote them. Second, it is highly desirable to include at least one Canadian project in the self-assessment to demonstrate that you meet the Canadian experience requirements because you will be questioned about it at the interview.

You will be required to highlight your major projects on which you were directly involved in and assess your knowledge and skills.

You can include as many projects as you want to illustrate that you possess the 12 competencies, it is recommended to use between 3-5 projects.

Once you will have completed the project resume template, you will upload it back into the system and then you will be given access to download the 12 competency templates for the self-assessment.

Both, international and Canadian projects are important for different reasons. It is your involvement that counts most and should prevail when you are selecting the projects for the self-assessment.

It is highly desirable to include at least one Canadian project in the self-assessment to demonstrate that you meet the Canadian experience requirements.

Eligible applicants are required to assess themselves in relation to Canadian standards of practice in the following 12 competency areas:

1. Programming
2. Site and environmental analysis
3. Schematic design
4. Engineering systems – structural, mechanical, electrical, civil
5. Building cost analysis
6. Code research
7. Design development
8. Construction documents
9. Bidding and contract negotiation
10. Construction phase – office and site
11. Management of the project
12. Professionalism and professional practice

You will have up to 12 months – from the receipt date of the self-assessment fee – to complete the self-assessment phase. Applicants may submit a request for extension including written justification with the CACB.

The BEFA Coordinator will first review your submission for completeness. When your submission has passed the BEFA Coordinator’s review, it will be forwarded to a Panel Chair for a preliminary review. If successful, your portfolio will be assessed by a three (3) member panel.

When you click the “Confirm Submission” button, your access to the application’s upload and download tools will be disabled and your portfolio will be sent to the BEFA Coordinator and the Assessment Panel.

If the Assessment Panel accepts your self-assessment submission, you will be invited to an interview.

There is no option to be assigned an assessor, a panel chair may recommend a mentor following the panel/chair review.

If the panel accepts your self-assessment submission, you will be invited to an interview. After you pay the interview fee, your interview will be scheduled, and it will be conducted by the panel members that assessed your submission. If you qualify for an interview, you will need to bring up to three projects (in a hardcopy format) with you to the interview session. After the interview takes place, the panel will make a decision and the CACB office will communicate that decision to you, in writing. If you are successful, you will be granted a BEFA certificate.

Upon receipt of the interview fee, you will be notified of the tentative date and location of your interview. Confirmation will be provided to you at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the interview.

The interviews are conducted by the Assessment Panel and will take approximately two (2) hours.

There may be additional fees for the cost of printing material, travel to interview or remedial work.

Interviews are scheduled annually with four sessions at two times of the year.  Two session in the spring and two in the fall. These sessions take place in Western Canada and in Eastern per season.  Often these sessions take place in Vancouver (Western), Toronto or Montreal (Eastern)

Prepare to answer questions and give concrete examples of activities you have been involved in as they relate to all twelve (12) competency areas.

The purpose of the interview is to discuss your submission in more detail, so that the Assessment Panel can obtain clarification where necessary of the experience and knowledge which you have and obtain a better understanding of the extent of your familiarity with certain areas of practice and /or the regulations concerning practice in Canada.

The CACB communicates the decision to you in writing of the results of your interview, within 20 business days following your interview.

If remedial action(s) is required to address a specific competency(ies), the CACB will advise you in writing.

You do have the right to appeal a decision if your application for certification is rejected or you are required to take remedial action.

You have a period of thirty (30) days from receipt of notification to send the CACB a written request to appeal a decision rejecting your application for certification or requiring you to take remedial action. In your request, you must state your reasons for appealing the decision. Appeal Policy

You will be required to pay the appeal costs if your request to appeal is accepted. The CACB will set-up a new assessment panel.

CACB does not maintain lists of companies. CACB is a national body, and our mandate is the accreditation of architecture programs and certification of individuals for the candidates to be able to begin the registration process at any of the eleven (11) provincial or territorial associations that regulate the practice of architecture in Canada.

You may contact your Canadian Consulate or Embassy for employer information, search online job postings, and provincial or territorial architectural licensing authorities for area specific inquiries including salary expectations.