Licensing: Occupational Therapists – Canada

Citizenship:

• Canadian Occupational Therapists

• Occupational Therapists from the US or Mexico

• Occupational Therapists from Outside North America

Or are you looking for …

• CAOT and Canadian Provincial/Territorial Occupational Therapist Licensing Bodies

Or do you want to find occupational therapy jobs in Canada?

Canadian Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapy practice is a regulated profession in all provinces, but not the territories. For more information, see the links to the regulatory bodies below. Following completion of an accredited OT program, most regulators require that candidates pass the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) Certification Examination.

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Occupational Therapists from the US or Mexico

If an individual trained outside of Canada graduated from a school recognized by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), then the person does not have to have an equivalency assessment conducted of their qualifications before they write the CAOT certification exam. However, all provinces (except Quebec) require that internationally educated OTs pass the CAOT certification examination as one of the requirements for registration.

Visa information: OTs are covered under NAFTA. If you are a citizen of the USA or Mexico, you are eligible for a visa. Permanent Residents of the USA or Mexico are not eligible under NAFTA.

You can obtain an Employment Authorization (NAFTA Professional Status) from any Canadian port of entry, US-Canadian border crossing, or Canadian Consulate (or in Canada, if you are already in the country as a visitor). No sponsorship is required. Job Offer Validation is not required. However, you will still need to provide proof of an offer of employment from your employer in Canada. You must also meet the minimum education, experience, and licensing Requirements set for your profession.

Your documentation* you present must indicate:

• the professional level activity you will carry out

• your job title

• summary of your job duties

• starting date and expected length of temporary stay

• arrangement for remuneration.

*This documentation can include: a signed contract between you and an employer; a letter from your prospective employer confirming that employment has been offered and accepted; a letter from your current employer stating that you are entering another NAFTA member country to render services pursuant to a signed contract between your employer and an enterprise in that country.

The duration of the Employment Authorization is set for an initial period of one year. An unlimited number of one-year extensions may be subsequently obtained so long as you can show that the employment remains temporary, and that you continue to be qualified to work in your profession.

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Occupational Therapists from Outside North America

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." As of when this was last updated (see date below the box), occupational therapists are included on the lists for British Columbia and Quebec.

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

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Canadian Provincial/Territorial Occupational Therapists Licensing Bodies

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