ACLS Modernizes Entry-to-Practice Pathways for Canada Lands Surveyors (CLS) with a New Onboarding Period, Updated Direct Entry Process, and Labour Mobility Changes to Better Support Surveyors Entering CLS Practice

November 27, 2025 – Association of Canada Lands Surveyors (ACLS) has approved a set of major updates to its entry-to-practice framework, designed to modernize candidate assessment, align with national labour mobility legislation, and reinforce the profession’s long-standing commitment to public protection.

These changes – affecting Direct Entry candidates, Labour Mobility candidates, and all newly licenced or returning to practice Canada Lands Surveyors (CLS) – have been in the works for months and were recently adopted by ACLS Council at its November 24, 2025, meeting.

1. Eliminating the Jurisdictional Exams Under Labour Mobility

With the federal Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act removing the jurisdictional examination requirement, ACLS has taken the opportunity to redesign how it assesses preparedness for practice, for all candidates. Rather than weakening standards, the new approach focuses on early support, structured feedback, and clear expectations for anyone entering practice on Canada Lands.

2. New Onboarding Period for All Newly Licenced or Reinstated Licences (Effective December 1, 2025)

ACLS Council has approved a new Onboarding Period, a structured process to support all new licences or reinstated licences (when a licence has lapsed for five years, or more). Instead of relying solely on pre-licensure testing or waiting for practice review within the standard five-year window, the Onboarding Period ensures that surveyors enter practice with immediate practical support and ongoing coaching.

Key features include:

• Early engagement and tailored learning, including access to webinars, courses, and a mandatory Getting It Right (GIR)
• Mandatory practice review, providing constructive feedback for a minimum of two cadastral surveys, with flexibility to review more cadastral surveys and/or alternative survey products to demonstrate application of standards and knowledge.
• No fixed timeframe, recognizing that the volume and timing of work on Canada Lands varies across practitioners. The goal would be to complete the Onboarding Period within six (6) months to two (2) years; however, the timeline would be flexible and subject to the work available for review.
• Completion based on demonstrated competency, confirmed by the Practice Review Management team.
• Flexibility to pause, ensuring surveyors who step away from practice can resume the Onboarding period seamlessly.

At a time when many regulators nationwide are updating their entry-to-practice models, ACLS’s new Onboarding Period is intentionally forward thinking and supportive rather than punitive – it’s an on-ramp, not a roadblock. The Onboarding Period helps Canada Lands Surveyors transition to strong and efficient practice, strengthening and reinforcing consistency across the profession, and reinforces public trust.

ACLS will launch the Onboarding Period as a pilot for all new licences and reinstated licences (when a licence has lapsed 5 years or more) issued on or after December 1, 2025. ACLS Council will undertake a full review of the Orientation Period after two years, to ensure it is providing the right support and achieving the desired outcomes.

3. New Process for Direct Entry Candidates (Effective January 1, 2026)

ACLS Council has also approved significant updates to the Direct Entry (DE) pathway, ensuring candidates build the practical experience and applied knowledge needed to enter practice with confidence. Direct Entry candidates – previously referred to as “regular candidates” – are individuals who have already obtained a CBEPS Certificate of Completion but do not possess a licence to practice land surveying within a province.

Major changes for DE Candidates include:

• Elimination of current online written exams.
• Introduction of a two-hour Professional Practice Interview conducted by a three-member panel from the Board of Examiners.
• Mandatory Enhanced Getting It Right workshop, available in both English and French (French version will be available shortly).
• Candidates will remain ACLS student members while fulfilling their practical experience requirements.
• A Commission will be issued after successful completion of the practical experience requirements (2 years) and the 2-hour Professional Practice Interview.

This revised approach balances rigor with relevance: more professional dialogue, more coaching, and a clearer connection between academic preparation and on-the-ground practice. Customized fair transition plans will be implemented for those direct entry candidates who have partially completed the written exam process.

Why These Changes Matter

Building on the success of ACLS’s strong record of public protection in the surveying profession, these changes respond to the shifting regulatory landscape across Canada, and ensure that:

• Surveyors entering CLS practice – whether through Direct Entry or Labour mobility – receive consistent, thoughtful and robust support.
• The public, including Indigenous communities, can continue to rely on high-quality, culturally informed survey work on Canada Lands.
• Many more Canada Lands Surveyors will be job ready sooner and able to hit-the-ground-running in support of major capital projects across Canada.

A Forward-Looking, Support-Focused Framework

These updates reflect a broader trend across Canadian regulators: modernizing assessment, supporting candidates earlier, and embedding quality assurance throughout the first years of practice.

ACLS President, Chris de Haan, noted:

“This is a time of meaningful change for surveyors and ACLS is adapting to meet the critical needs of our profession. We’re strengthening our support for new surveyors, improving consistency in practice, and further enhancing our public protection framework. The result is an efficient entry to practice system and CLS support tools that are modern, fair, rigorous, and forward-thinking.”

Implementation Timeline

• Onboarding Period: Applies to all new or reinstated licences issued on or after December 1, 2025.
• Revised Direct Entry Process: Effective January 1, 2026.
• Labour Mobility Changes: Effective January 1, 2026, under federal legislation; ACLS assessment processes have been updated accordingly.

About the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors (ACLS)

ACLS regulates the profession of cadastral surveying on Canada Lands and supports the work of Canada Lands Surveyors across the country. ACLS is committed to public protection, excellence in practice, and modernization of its regulatory framework.

For more information, please visit acls-aatc.ca

For inquiries, please contact: 

Christina Nichols, Executive Director , Association of Canada Lands Surveyors [email protected]