Saturday, June 25, 2011

Work Abroad

I am a U.S. B.Arch student who is interested in working internationally. I want to work in a variety of locations, probably at one firm with offices in many places throughout the world, or that just does jobs in many locations. What sort of licensing, certificate or accreditation might I look at to help me meet this goal?  Do you have any recommendations about types of Architecture course work to pursue? I saw a reference to a "broadly experienced foreign architect" but it was fleeting.

Thanks for any information you can give.
________

Congrats on your interest in working abroad.

Your best bet will be to secure employment in a U.S. based firm that has offices throughout the world or other locations.  Whether or not you can get transferred to the international office is dependent on the firm.  In those instances, the firm will do the paperwork to allow you to work abroad.

If you simply wanted to work in an overseas, I would think you would need a work visa from the country.  To determine that process, you would need to contact the country directly.  It is a difficult process just as it is difficult for a foreigner to work in the U.S.


"broadly experienced foreign architect" (BEFA) is a process for a foreign architect to become licensed in the U.S.  Visit --
http://www.ncarb.org/Getting-an-Initial-License/Foreign-Architects.aspx -- for more details.

Best in your international work search.

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