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August 2005
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Establishes Program to Facilitate Certification of Foreign Architects in the United States
Washington, DC—Member boards of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) voted overwhelmingly in favor of establishing the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) program at the 2005 NCARB Annual Meeting and Conference held recently in Miami Beach, Florida. This program marks a major step forward in facili-tating architectural practice by foreign architects in the United States.
The BEFA program will be operational in early 2006 and is intended for foreign architects who have acquired a minimum of seven years experience in their country of licensure in responsible control of a comprehensive practice. Foreign architects who successfully demon-strate this required experience through review of a dossier and an interview by an NCARB committee will meet the BEFA requirements and will be eligible for NCARB certification.
As with any NCARB certificate, granting of the certificate will serve as NCARB's recom-mendation that the holder be granted licensure by a member board without further exami-nation of credentials. The BEFA process is rigorous and will require demonstrated, compre-hensive practical experience, as well as knowledge of U.S. codes and laws before an NCARB Certificate is granted. Foreign architects without such experience who have immigrated to the United States and are practicing here can become certified by satisfying the education requirement through an Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) evaluation and passing the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
About NCARB
NCARB comprises the architectural registration boards of all 50 states plus those of the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
NCARB assists its member state registration boards in carrying out their duties and provides a
certification program for individual architects. NCARB's mission is to work together as a council
of member boards to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public and to assist member
boards in carrying out their duties. In order to achieve these goals, the Council develops and recommends
standards to be required of an applicant for architectural registration; develops, and
recommends standards regulating the practice of architecture; provides to member boards a
process for certifying the qualifications of an architect for registration; and represents the interests
of member boards before public and private agencies.
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