Sometimes individuals who want to be licensed as Architects in Ontario assume they must begin gaining experience from the start after arriving in Canada. In many cases, this is not true. If you gained post-graduate architectural experience prior to coming to Canada, you may be able to use it toward the practical experience requirement for licensure in Ontario.

Qualifying international experience can be documented in your Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) logbook and provisionally accepted as part of your qualifications for licence. Having your previous experience recognized may reduce the amount of time to become licensed—contact iap@oaa.on.ca for more information or visit the OAA Website.

Understanding the Experience Requirements
To meet the experience requirement for licensure, individuals must complete 3,720 hours (two years) of qualifying practical experience. However, those who have logged at least 2,800 hours of the required experience are eligible to write the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) while continuing to gain the remaining experience required for licensure.

International experience may contribute toward both milestones, provided it is provisionally accepted by the OAA.

How International Experience Can Help

Your international architectural experience may allow you to:
• include pre-IAP work experience in your logbook;
• reach the 2,800-hour threshold needed to become eligible to write the ExAC licensing examinations;
• receive credit toward the 3,720-hour practical experience requirement for licensure and;
• reduce (or even eliminate) the amount of experience you need to complete after arriving in Canada.

Further guidance is provided in Appendix B of the IAP Manual.

Experience Assessment
Individuals who completed their architectural education outside of North America and include post graduate international work experience as part of their licence application are required to attend an assessment with the Experience Requirements Committee (ERC). This is an important step because it provides a structured process to evaluate the competencies you have gained through your pre-IAP international experience, helping ensure your prior learning and experience are appropriately recognized.