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Certification 📜 Will AICP help a non-USA candidate getting a job across the world

Vishal Jain

Vishal Jain

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Dear folks,

I have recently cleared the AICP exam. I am from India. Did my master's in urban planning and have 4+ years of planning experience from a reputed company in India.

I wanted to explore jobs outside India.
Being an AICP now, i want to know if AICP will help me get a job in USA, Canada or Middle East countries. If yes, how to approach planning firms in these countries.


Request your guidance.

Thanks
 
If you did the AICP apprentice program where you take the test during college you still have to do a couple years of planning experience to earn the AICP title. Which would mean you're most likely already working in the US. Good or bad, the test alone doesn't count for much. I like to think AICP helps get a job in the US and would be at least respected in Canada. For countries outside of North America I would think it's a curiosity on your resume or CV. I'm not sure how well known it is outside our borders.
 
I have a total planning experience of 4 years from India after which i gave the AICP exam. So,i do have an AICP title. But, i am trying to find the worth of AICP by looking for job in international market.
 
It's not going to hurt but honestly I don't know how much it's going to help. USA probably isn't going to be great given the current restrictions on immigration if you need a work visa.
 
Wait, how were you able to take an American certification exam with education and work experience from another country? Don't you have to attend a PAB accredited school (which are almost exclusively in the U.S. I think?)? Or is that waived if you have enough experience?

Regardless, I echo @kjel. Probably won't help in Canada or other non-US countries since it's a US certification. It might help in the US, but honestly I've only ever heard of international candidates getting planning jobs in the U.S. directly through the student pipeline after completing a U.S. planning master's degree, not directly as a foreign worker. Perhaps you could try the international planning angle? Like aiming for jobs in international aid non-profits or think tanks? Generally those are located in Washington, DC, but hire people from all over the world. But again, most of the people I know who went this route did so after graduating from a U.S. based master's program in planning or policy.

Plus, as you probably know, the U.S. currently has a lot of immigration and travel restrictions.
 
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