Mutual Recognition Agreement Between Canada and the United States

Canada/U.S. Mutual Recognition Agreement

An updated Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Canada and the United States took effect on January 15, 2026, updating the longstanding relationship related to reciprocal licensure between the two countries.

All 11 of the Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC), including the OAA, are participants to the MRA, along with most of the U.S. Member Boards of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The agreement provides for the reciprocal registration of eligible Architects.

Those considering licensure under the MRA should contact the appropriate provincial/territorial/state licensing board to understand their individual process for reciprocal registration. U.S. Architects who wish to be licensed in Ontario should review the Reciprocal Application and Guidelines for Architects licensed in the United States.

To be eligible for reciprocal licensure under this agreement, you must be licensed and in good standing in a participating U.S. jurisdiction or Canadian province/territory—note that participating licensing boards may have specific requirements. U.S. architects must hold an active NCARB Certificate.

This mutual recognition agreement applies to holders of an unrestricted, active licence and does not extend to licences that are non-practising or subject to any terms, conditions, or limitations. Additionally, Architects who are licensed/registered in their home country through another international Mutual Recognition Agreement are not eligible under the MRA.

Understanding MRA Eligibility

Being licensed and in good standing with the OAA are requirements for eligibility under the MRA. However, good standing alone does not establish eligibility. The MRA is a licence-for-licence agreement based on the significant and substantial equivalence of qualifications at the point of licensure. As such, it applies to active, unrestricted architectural licences. Accordingly, an Architect who holds a licence subject to restrictions (e.g. terms, conditions, or limitations) may not be eligible to use that licence as the basis for reciprocal licensure under the MRA.

The MRA is not intended to provide an alternative pathway to expand the scope of an individual's existing licence. This distinction reflects the licence-for-licence nature of the MRA—the licence presented for recognition must be of a type and scope for which significant and substantial equivalency can be established in the participating jurisdiction.

U.S. to Canada Process

If you are a U.S. Architect seeking licensure in Canada, follow the steps below.

Verify you qualify for the MRA by contacting NCARB.
Contact the Canadian jurisdiction (find information via ROAC) to determine compliance with local requirements.
Submit transmittal request to a Canadian jurisdiction via MyNCARB Portal.
Complete an Attestation Letter that acknowledges current licensure and good standing, date of licence and jurisdiction, confirmation of eligibility for MRA, and discipline history (if applicable).

NCARB then verifies registration and discipline records with the U.S. jurisdiction. Upon confirmation of registration information and completion of Attestation Letter, NCARB will also upload records to transmittal portal for Canadian jurisdiction review. The Canadian jurisdiction examines the transmitted records and continues its-specific application process.

Canada to the U.S. Process

If you are a Canadian Architect seeking licensure in the United States, follow the steps below.

Verify that the applicable U.S. jurisdiction participates in the agreement and confirms compliance with any jurisdiction specific requirements. Contact information for the U.S. licensing boards is available on the NCARB website.
Complete NCARB’s online application and pay fee.
Provide Canadian registration information.
Complete Attestation Letter that acknowledges current licensure and good standing, date of licence and jurisdiction, confirmation of eligibility for MRA, and discipline history (if applicable).

NCARB then receives an email notification to review the Canadian applicant. It verifies applicant registration via the Canadian jurisdictional website directory. If evaluated successfully, an NCARB Certificate is issued to the Canadian Architect.

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

Fees

Canadian Architects must:

establish an NCARB Record and pay a prescribed fee in U.S. dollars;
pay a transmittal fee to have NCARB Record transmitted to the U.S. jurisdiction where licence is sought; and
pay additional licensure fees to the relevant jurisdiction (these fees may vary between states).

U.S. Architects must:

pay a transmittal fee to have NCARB Record sent to the Canadian province or territory of choice;
pay a processing fee of $500 to the relevant Canadian jurisdiction; and
pay the additional application and licensure fees, which are set by the individual jurisdictions.

CONTACT

Office of the Registrar
416.449.6898 Ext: 285 or 297
licence@oaa.on.ca

REFERENCES

CALA - Bulletin December, 2014
CALA - Bulletin January, 2015

As an architect, do you want to provide architectural services to the public?

Once your application has been approved and you are an OAA architect, you must be the holder of a Certificate of Practice with the OAA in order to offer and/or provide architectural services to the public. For more information about Certificates of Practice, click here.

APPLICATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Reciprocal Application and Guidelines for Architects licensed in the United States