Internationally Trained Professionals (ITP)

Internationally trained professionals who are licensed as architects outside of Canada may pursue the various pathways toward licensure as an architect in Ontario.

Such pathways include:

• Internship in Architecture Program (IAP); If you are a student at an accredited school of architecture or have a professional degree from one, the IAP may be your pathway to licence in Ontario. To find out more about accredited professional degrees please visit the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB).
  
  
• Broadly Experience Foreign Architect Program (BEFA): An alternative pathway to licensure for foreign licensed architects, the BEFA program is administered by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB). BEFA assesses broadly based experience of foreign architects against the Canadian Standard of Competency for Architects.
  
  
• Mutual Recognition Agreement Between Canada and the United States: The MRA provides for the reciprocal registration of architects who are practising in a jurisdiction that is signatory to the agreement. All Canadian jurisdictions, and a majority of those in the United States are signatories—please use the link above to determine participatory states.
  
• 
  Tri-national Agreement between Canada, United States, and Mexico: The path to the Tri-National Agreement has its origins in the passage of NAFTA in 1994, regarding ways to facilitate the mutual recognition of licensure credentials among United States, Canada, and Mexico.
  
• 
  Mutual Recognition Agreement Between Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Canada, Australia, and New Zealand signed a mutual recognition arrangement that allows for fast-track cross-border registrations of senior architects between the three countries. 
  

If you have any questions, email the Office of the Registrar. You are reminded that you may not use the professional title “Architect” in Ontario unless you are licensed by the OAA.