NCARB and ARB Mutual Recognition Agreement Information

We have agreed initially that only accredited UK qualifications and qualifications which meet NCARB’s education requirements will be in scope.

UK to US applicants need to have secured UK prescribed qualifications at Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 level and be registered and in good standing with ARB. Applicants should first check to determine whether they have qualifications that are within scope of the agreement.

Only accredited qualifications issued by school of architecture in the UK are in scope, and you will need to have obtained the full suite of Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications in order to apply for certification by ARB. If you have ever undertaken Prescribed Examinations with ARB, registered through the EU route to registration; obtained a masters-level Irish qualification followed by a UK Part 3; or obtained UK Part 1 and Part 2 and an Irish professional practice qualification, you are not eligible to use this route.

Applicants will also then need to set up an NCARB Record and provide ARB with their NCARB Record Number before they start their full application. Information about how to do this is below.

UK to US architects will also need to complete any jurisdiction-specific requirements specified by a participating NCARB member registration board.

US to UK applicants require a current NCARB Certificate confirming successful completion of a professional degree following in architecture from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) or the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB); and have completed NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program; and have passed the NCARB Architect Registration Examination or the equivalent. US applicants must also be currently licensed/registered in good standing by one or more NCARB Member Board(s) that is a participant to the Agreement.

As part of the application process, once NCARB has transmitted the NCARB Certification to ARB, ARB will contact the applicant and inform the applicant of the additional requirements which must be satisfied. This includes US to UK applicants passing ARB’s UK Adaptation Assessment before being admitted to the UK Register.

No nationality/citizenship requirements apply under the agreement, but it is the responsibility of applicants to obtain and continue to have at all times lawful authorisation to work in the Locality in which they are seeking to be licensed/registered i.e. the United States or the United Kingdom.

NCARB is a non-profit organisation made up of the architectural licensing boards of 55 US states and territories. While each jurisdiction is responsible for regulating the practice of architecture within its borders, NCARB develops and administers national programs for candidates pursuing architectural licensure and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate.

Individual US jurisdictions decide whether to participate in the MRA.

NCARB has published a list of the jurisdictional registration boards that are participating in the agreement at this point in time.

More than three quarters of the jurisdictional registration boards are participating in the agreement, but not all are. Jurisdictional registration boards not initially participating in the agreement will have the option to join the MRA at any point.

Applicants initially need to apply to NCARB for a certificate, for which a fee will be payable and set by NCARB. There is then a fee for the ARB UK Adaptation Assessment of £2950.00.

Successful applicants will then need to pay ARB’s usual registration fee when applying to join the Register. Fees vary according to the time of year in which the application is made and are published at: arb.org.uk/architect-information/applying-for-registration-for-the-first-time/fees/

UK architects will need to contact NCARB for details of the fee that NCARB will charge for recognition on receipt of the ARB certificate. There  will additionally be fees to register in the relevant jurisdiction.  These will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and are set by them. NCARB will be able to advise further on this https://www.ncarb.org/contact-us

We are unable to provide advice on these matters. Please see UK Government’s information resource at: gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

The MRA does not accommodate UK architects who have joined the UK Register through another reciprocal agreement, such as that operated for EU applicants, so you will not be eligible to make use of the MRA.

The MRA accommodates only those who have fulfilled all of the requirements to qualify for NCARB certification and does not provide for the ‘freestanding’ recognition of a US professional degree in architecture. Individuals who have completed a US professional degree will need to either fulfil the additional requirements necessary to secure an NCARB certificate, or apply for recognition through ARB’s Prescribed Examination route, and additionally undertake a UK Part 3 qualification through a UK school of architecture.

Only fully-qualified architects holding the full suite of ARB accredited Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 qualifications issued by schools of architecture fall within the scope of the MRA. This means you will not be eligible under the MRA.

The MRA applies only to ARB registrants holding ARB accredited qualifications at Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 levels issued by UK schools of architecture. This means you will not be eligible under the MRA.

The full text of the signed agreement can be downloaded here.