The Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program opens doors for foreign-trained architects.
For architects whose education and training took place in another country, obtaining certification to practise in Canada once meant the prospect of returning to school to obtain an entirely new degree. Today, the Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) program helps architects who are new to Canada and lack a degree from an accredited university to obtain certification based on their existing credentials—without retraining. Iraqi-Canadian architect Basma Sahib of Architecture49 shares her experience with the program.