​​RESA 23-006​ - ​​Applying for a Real Estate Licence: Extraprovincial Qualification​

• REGULATORY STATEMENT NUMBER: RESA 23-006

  LEGISLATION: Real Estate Services Act (“RESA”); Labour Mobility Act​

  DATE: ​​March 22, 2023​

  DISTRIBUTION: ​​All Prospective Licensees

Purpose

This Regulatory Statement sets out the qualification requirements needed to become licensed in British Columbia for real estate licensees originally licensed outside of the province (extraprovincial licensees).

Background Information

Section 3 (1) of the Labour Mobility Act states that a worker who holds an extraprovincial certification may apply to the applicable B.C. regulator (BC Financial Services Authority (“BCFSA”)) for certification in relation to the B.C. equivalent occupation and after obtaining that certification may practice under B.C.’s applicable regulations, bylaws, rules, resolutions, and measures.

The Real Estate Services Act, Part 2, Division 3, outlines the qualifications for how to obtain a British Columbia real estate licence for all new applicants, including extraprovincial applicants. Further, Part 2, Division 3 of the Real Estate Services Rules outlines the English language proficiency requirements, educational requirements, and experience qualifications required of applicants for licensing as representatives, managing brokers, and associate brokers, including applicants that are or have previously been licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction or other jurisdiction.

For applicants who are or have previously been licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction, BCFSA provides specific parameters required for qualification to become licensed in B.C., as outlined in this Regulatory Statement.

Representative Applicants from Other Canadian Jurisdictions

An applicant who is currently licensed to provide real estate services in another Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards¹ equivalent to those in B.C., or has been actively licensed in the past twelve (12) months, is eligible to apply for licensing in B.C. under the Labour Mobility provisions in Chapter 7 of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (“CFTA”) for the same level and category of licence for which they are licensed in their home/originating jurisdiction. The applicant must submit the following with their licence application:

• A licensing history from the jurisdiction in which you are or were licensed;

• An Out-Of-Province Certification form which can be found in IRIS; and
• Proof you satisfy the English Language Proficiency Requirement.²

An applicant for a representative level licence who has completed the required licensing education in the previous twelve (12) months in a Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards equivalent³ to those in B.C., will be required to complete the Applied Practice Course, if applicable, for the category of real estate services they wish to be licensed to provide.

An applicant who has previously held the equivalent to a representative level real estate licence in another jurisdiction is eligible to request a waiver from the applicable licensing course if they were licensed for a minimum of one (1) year within the past three (3) years in a Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards equivalent to those in B.C.⁴ This includes previously licensed rental property managers from Alberta and Saskatchewan, and strata managers from Alberta and Ontario.

An applicant who has held a real estate licence in another Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards inequivalent⁵ to those of B.C. is eligible to request a waiver from the applicable licensing course and examination if:

• They have completed the required licensing education in the previous twelve months in a Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards equivalent to those in B.C. They will be required to complete the applicable Applied Practice Course; and
• They completed the B.C. rental property management licensing course and examination and have been providing rental property management services in a Canadian jurisdiction without rental licensing requirements for no more than two (2) years since passing the examination.

<sup>1. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon Territory. This includes licensed rental property managers from Alberta and Saskatchewan.
2. Individuals who have held a real estate licence in Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory are deemed to satisfy the English Language Proficiency Requirement because an equivalent requirement exists in those jurisdictions. Applicants from all other Canadian jurisdictions must satisfy the English Language Proficiency Requirement, as set out in section 7 of the Real Estate Services Rules.
3. & 4. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon.
5 Northwest Territories and Nunavut.</sup>

Managing Broker Applicants from Other Canadian Jurisdictions

An applicant is eligible to request a waiver from the broker licensing course if:

• They have been actively licensed to provide trading services at the broker level in a Canadian jurisdiction without occupational standards⁶ equivalent to those in B.C. for a minimum of two (2) years in the past five (5) years.

An applicant who has held a broker level real estate licence in another jurisdiction is eligible to request a waiver from the applicable licensing course if:

• They were actively licensed to provide rental and/or strata services in the applicable provinces, or trading services at the broker level in another Canadian jurisdiction with occupational standards equivalent to those in B.C. for a minimum of two (2) years in the past five (5) years.

^{6 Northwest Territories and Nunavut.}

Additional Information

For inquiries related to licensing education and qualification requirements, please visit BCFSA’s “Moving a Licence to B.C.” or email [email protected].