You must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident to be eligible to join the union.
Membership eligibility is achieved via “qualifying credits”. It takes 1 credit to be eligible for APPRENTICESHIP and 3 credits to become eligible for FULL MEMBERSHIP
You may submit your application and supporting documents, or any questions about your eligibility to [email protected]
The first qualifying credit can be:
- An Acting Credit in a professional engagement in an eligible category for which a work permit was paid. You will need to provide a copy of the contract and pay stub from the engagement when making your application.
- An Education Credit: a degree or diploma from an accredited program
- 1600 hours or 200 days of on-camera work from when you joined as a Background Member. To join as a BACKGROUND MEMBER you will need proof of 15 days of on-camera work as a Background Performer in the last 12 months.
The second, and subsequent credits must be Acting Credits.
Background Member Application
(15 Vouchers)
Apprentice Member Application
(1 Credit)
Full Member Application
( 3 Credits)
In order to become a member you need to be a Canadian citizen or have permanent residency status.
The Union can offer Temporary Membership once you have applied for Permanent Residency. As a Temporary Member you do not have member status per se, however you will have a Temporary Member status marker put on your UBCP/ACTRA account. This means you are able to hold a maximum of three (3) qualifying credits to use towards Full Membership once you receive Permanent Residency status.
For further clarity you are still considered a non-Member, non-Canadian when it comes to preference of engagement and work permits.
In order to submit a request for Temporary Membership, please submit the documents listed below to [email protected]
- Confirmation that your application for Permanent Residency is under way (The Canadian Government generally provides a confirmation email that includes a file number)
- Copy of your work VISA issued by the Canadian Government
- Proof of at least one qualifying Acting Credit (Contract and Paystub) obtained within the past 6 weeks
A member in good standing with SAG-AFTRA or Equity UK may apply to be a Full Member of UBCP/ACTRA after having worked on at least one residual bearing role on a UBCP/ACTRA production.
A Canadian Actors Equity Association (CAEA) member may apply to be a Full Member of UBCP/ACTRA after having worked on at least one residual bearing role on a UBCP/ACTRA production. Under a reciprocal agreement, CAEA members are entitled to a $475.00 discount off the UBCP/ACTRA initiation fee.
You will need to submit your current membership card or letter in good standing, proof of qualifying credit (contract and paystub) along with the all the requirements of the Full Member Application to: [email protected]
