Licensing: Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy

Citizenship:

• Canadian Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals

• Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals from Canada or Mexico

• Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals from Outside North America

Or are you looking for …

• The CAMRT & Canadian Provincial/Territorial Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Licensing Bodies

• information on Medical Imaging Specialty Certificates – Canada

Or do you want to find medical imaging or radiation therapy jobs in Canada?

Canadian Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals

Radiographers: To be eligible for certification, candidates must successfully complete an accredited medical radiation technology program in their discipline. Candidates must be registered with a provincial association of medical radiation technologists to write the initial Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) radiological technology exam, the national standard for those entering the profession. Candidates also must submit a "summary of clinical competence." (Those interested in working in Quebec must pass the examination specific to the province, offered by the Ordre des Technologues en Radiologie du Québec.)

Nuclear Medicine: To be eligible for certification, candidates must successfully complete an accredited medical radiation technology program in their discipline. Candidates must be registered with a provincial association of medical radiation technologists to write the initial CAMRT NMT exam, the national standard for those entering the profession. Candidates also must submit a "summary of clinical competence." (Those interested in working in Quebec must pass the examination specific to the province, offered by the Ordre des Technologues en Radiologie du Québec.)

Sonographers: The new body, the Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP) has, since spring 2006, offered a certification exam for sonographers. For more information, see the CARDUP website and/or Medical Imaging Specialty Certificates – Canada.

CT Techs: This is a considered a specialty certification. Before writing the CAMRT's specialty certificate Computed Tomography Imaging (CTIC) exam, individuals must hold a basic CAMRT credential in nuclear medicine, radiography, or radiation therapy. For more information, see the CAMRT's CTIC page and/or Medical Imaging Specialty Certificates – Canada.

MRI Techs: This may be a first discipline (i.e., basic modality) or second discipline certification. In the case of second discipline, before writing the CAMRT MRI exam, individuals must hold a basic CAMRT credential in nuclear medicine, radiography, or radiation therapy.

Radiation Therapists: To be eligible for certification, candidates must successfully complete an accredited medical radiation technology program in their discipline. Candidates must be registered with a provincial association of medical radiation technologists to write the initial CAMRT radiation therapy exam, the national standard for those entering the profession. Candidates also must submit a "summary of clinical competence." (Those interested in working in Quebec must pass the examination specific to the province, offered by the Ordre des Technologues en Radiologie du Québec).

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Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals from the US or Mexico

Those trained outside of Canada must have their education assessed, their work experience verified, and their language abilities tested (if English is not a first language) before they can write the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) exam in any of the disciplines of magnetic resonance (first discipline), nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, or radiological technology. The CAMRT exams are the national standard for those entering the professions of MRI, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, and radiological technology. For more information, see the CAMRT's page on Internationally Educated Medical Radiation Technologists.

CT is offered as a subspecialty exam by the CAMRT. Sonographers are not examined by the CAMRT, but via the Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP).

Note that in some cases, applicants must be registered with a provincial association of medical radiation technologists before being able to write the CAMRT exam. Currently, this pertains to Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. (Those interested in working in Quebec must pass the examination specific to the province, offered by the Ordre des Technologues en Radiologie du Québec).

Visa information: Medical imaging professionals and radiation therapists are not covered under NAFTA. You are required to have a Canadian Employment Authorization before being allowed employment in Canada. Sponsorship is often required. Note that Human Resources and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (HRSDC/SC) maintain regional lists of occupations under pressure. What this means is that if an occupation is on the list for the region, employers in the region will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a qualified foreign worker, which saves them time. However, the employer will still have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (also known as an employment confirmation) from SC, which can take weeks. So in a case in which a few provinces have a certain career listed as an "occupation under pressure," but the others do not, a person would more likely find success in finding a job if s/he were to apply for licensure in one of the provinces in which their career is an "occupation under pressure." As of when this was last updated (see date below the box), medical radiation technologists (which includes those working in general radiography, mammography, nuclear medicine, MRI, CT, and radiation therapy) are included on the lists for Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, while medical sonographers are included on the lists for Alberta and British Columbia.

You can also find more information at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

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Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals from Outside North America

CT is offered as a subspecialty exam by the CAMRT. Sonographers are not examined by the CAMRT, but via the Canadian Association of Registered Diagnostic Ultrasound Professionals (CARDUP).

Visa information: You are required to have a Canadian Employment Authorization before being allowed employment in Canada. Sponsorship is often required. Note that Human Resources and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (HRSDC/SC) maintain regional lists of occupations under pressure. What this means is that if an occupation is on the list for the region, employers in the region will not be required to undertake lengthy or comprehensive advertising efforts before being eligible to apply to hire a qualified foreign worker, which saves them time. However, the employer will still have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (also known as an employment confirmation) from SC, which can take weeks. So in a case in which a few provinces have a certain career listed as an "occupation under pressure," but the others do not, a person would more likely find success in finding a job if s/he were to apply for licensure in one of the provinces in which their career is an "occupation under pressure." Currently, medical radiation technologists (which includes those working in general radiography, mammography, nuclear medicine, MRI, CT, and radiation therapy) are included on the lists for Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, while medical sonographers are included on the lists for Alberta and British Columbia.

You can also find more information at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

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The CAMRT & Canadian Provincial/Territorial Medical Imaging & Radiation Therapy Licensing Bodies

CAMRT, A, B, M, N, O, P, Q, S, Y