A Transferring Forest Professional (TFP) is a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) or Registered Forest Technologist (RFT) in good standing from another Canadian jurisdiction who transfers to Forest Professionals BC (FPBC). 

Labour Mobility Agreements

In compliance with the agreements below, regulatory bodies such as Forest Professionals BC are required to mutually recognize the qualifications of forest professionals from other Canadian jurisdictions: 

• Federal Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA); 
• Forestry Professional Regulators of Canada (FPRC) mutual recognition agreement for registered professional foresters (RPF) and forest engineers (P.Eng); 
• Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) between British Columbia and Alberta; and 
• New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) between British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. 

Professional Foresters

• If you are an RPF from another Canadian jurisdiction, you may qualify for recognition as an RPF in BC and be entitled to full practice rights in BC. 
• FPBC also recognizes forest professionals holding licences in good standing from regulatory authorities in other international jurisdictions and in compliance with BC’s International Credentials Recognition Act (ICRA). 

Forest Technologists

• If you are a Registered Professional Forest Technologist from Alberta or Saskatchewan, you may qualify for recognition as a RFT in BC and be entitled to full practice rights in BC. 
• If you are transferring from a province other than Alberta or Saskatchewan and want to become an RFT in BC, you are not eligible for transfer and must go through our RFT registration process.  

Eligibility for Registration

To apply as a TFP under the provisions of the labour mobility agreements, you must be fully registered (RPF or RFT) in good standing with one of the following Canadian regulatory bodies: 

• Alberta Association of Forest Management Professionals 
• College of Alberta Professional Foresters 
• College of Alberta Professional Forest Technologists 
• Association of Saskatchewan Forestry Professionals 
• Ontario Professional Foresters Association 
• Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec 
• Registered Professional Foresters of Newfoundland Labrador 
• Association of Registered Professional Foresters of New Brunswick 
• Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia 

Note: If you are a trainee or a conditional registrant of a listed organization or if your organization is not listed, you are not eligible to transfer. To become a registrant in BC, you must enrol as a trainee and complete Forest Professionals BC’s registration requirements. 

How to Apply for Registration with Forest Professionals BC

Forest professionals who are not registered with Forest Professionals BC must first create a profile in the Forest Professionals BC registrant portal before completing and submitting the application form.

1. Log in to the FPBC registrant portal.
2. Enter personal and contact information to create a profile.
3. Select “Applications” from the top-line navigation. This will open the application form.
4. Select the certification you are seeking: Transferring Forest Professional-RPF or Transferring Forest Professional-RFT.

As part of your application, you will need to provide the following information:

• Educational background, such as degree or diploma, date when it was completed, name of the educational program, name of the educational institute, and country in which you completed your education.
• Employment information, including whether you are currently employed or unemployed.
• Indictable Offence Declaration. Indictable offences are the most serious of criminal offences such as murder, break and enter, theft over $5,000, assault, aggravated sexual assault, drug trafficking, and other serious criminal acts. Forest Professionals BC Bylaw 14 allows the Board to reject an application for registration from anyone who has been convicted of an indictable offence or other serious criminal offences.
• Police background check. As part of its public protection mandate, FPBC applies due diligence when confirming the identity of applicants seeking admission to the profession. All new FPBC applicants must upload a complete, recent police information checks (PIC) with their application. If you have not completed a PIC with myBackCheck.com before, use this link to create your account. You will automatically be assigned with Association of BC Forest Professionals, the legal name of Forest Professionals BC. If you have completed a PIC with myBackCheck.com within the past six months, log in through the link above and select your record to be sent to Forest Professionals BC. Police information checks completed more than six months ago are not accepted.

You must also upload the following documents to complete the application:

• Current curriculum vitae (CV).
• Reference. Provide the name of a confidential reference confirming your experience and practice activity in your previous jurisdiction. Forest Professionals BC will contact your selected reference directly.
• Confirmation of previous registration. Arrange to have the regulatory body you are transferring from confirm that you are a current registrant in good standing. The regulatory body must send the confirmation letter directly to admissions@fpbc.ca.

You must provide a credit card when submitting your application to pay the application fee online. This card should be saved in your profile, as it will also be used to pay the pro-rated registration fee upon approval.

A full listing of all fees is available in the schedule of Forest Professionals BC registration and application fees.