• REGULATORY STATEMENT NUMBER: RESA 24-010

  TITLE: International Credentials Recognition

  LEGISLATION: Real Estate Services Act (“RESA”)

  DATE: June 27, 2024

  DISTRIBUTION: All Prospective International Real Estate Licensee Candidates

PurposePermanent link to this section

This Regulatory Statement establishes the Superintendent of Real Estate’s (“the Superintendent”) requirements for recognizing the credentials of international real estate licensing candidates applying to be licensed in British Columbia.

Background InformationPermanent link to this section

Section 19 (1) of the International Credentials Recognition Act (“ICRA”) states that a regulatory authority must make information about its international credential assessment process available to the public on a website maintained by or on behalf of the regulatory authority.

Section 10 (b) (ii) of RESA provides that an applicant for a licence must meet the education and experience requirements established by the Real Estate Services Rules (“the Rules”).

Section 8 (4) of the Rules provides that the Superintendent may waive, based on an applicant’s previous knowledge or training, the qualification requirements for a course, an examination, or a course and its corresponding examination.

Section 7 (1) of the Rules provides that an applicant for a new licence must achieve a level 7 or higher on each of the applicable parts to the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program – General Test, administered by Paragon Testing Enterprises Inc.

Section 7 (2) (a) of the Rules provides that an applicant is deemed to have satisfied the English language proficiency requirement if they graduated with a bachelor’s degree or higher from a degree program at an accredited university, college, or technical institute where English is the primary language of instruction, or has been licensed to engage in real estate services in another Canadian jurisdiction with an English language proficiency requirement after satisfying that jurisdiction’s requirement for English language proficiency.

For information on general education requirements, relicensing, extra-provincial qualification requirements (for licensees from other Canadian jurisdictions), and other application requirements, please see BCFSA’s Regulatory Statements webpage.

RequirementsPermanent link to this section

English Language Proficiency

Applicants seeking a new licence from an international jurisdiction must meet BCFSA’s English language proficiency requirements unless exempted by BCFSA under Section 7(2)(a) of the Rules.

Prior Experience, Training, or Knowledge

Candidates from the United States of America, New Zealand, or Australia

For the purpose of administering Section 8 (4) of the Rules, the Superintendent recognizes the previous real estate experience, knowledge, or training that an international candidate from these jurisdictions has obtained. If an individual has attained an equivalent real estate licence, an equivalent level of experience providing real estate services, or holds a relevant international credential, the individual may apply to have some or all of the standard educational requirements for licensing waived. See Appendix A for a list of possible education waivers based on the level of international knowledge and training/credentials.

Candidates from Other International Jurisdictions

BCFSA acknowledges that in certain jurisdictions, a formal licensing regime may not exist for the provision of real estate services. In such cases, BCFSA reserves the right to consider an individual’s experience, credentials, and any other relevant qualifications on a case-by-case basis. BCFSA will review each education waiver request from such jurisdictions with careful consideration, taking into account the unique circumstances and regulatory requirements of the individual’s jurisdiction of origin.

For a complete chart of all exemptions based on previously attained international credentials, please see Appendix A.

Attachments/Templates/FormsPermanent link to this section

• Appendix A

Additional InformationPermanent link to this section

For inquiries related to licensing education requirements, please email [email protected]

^{Regulatory Statements establish the form and content of a regulatory submission; prescribe the manner of meeting or enforcing a requirement existing in an enactment; and/or provide the regulator’s view of the laws that BC Financial Services Authority administers. Regulatory Statements are made pursuant to a requirement or power contained in provincial legislation. Compliance with a Regulatory Statement is therefore mandatory. Regulatory Statements may refer to law, practice, or background existing at the time of publication. If relying on the legal information contained in a Regulatory Statement, confirm that any references to the law, including enabling legislation, are up to date and obtain independent legal advice, when needed. Regulatory statements are effective on the date of their publication, unless stated otherwise.}

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