Registration Guidelines
UPDATED: February 2024
A INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this document is to expand upon the information in the Registration Regulation, providing further details about the requirements for registration, the application procedure, and the registration process for a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice as either a Psychologist or a Psychological Associate.
If you are currently licensed for the autonomous practice of psychology in a jurisdiction other than Ontario and your registration is based upon either a doctoral degree or a master’s degree, and you are planning to move to Ontario and begin practicing psychology, you may:
- Qualify under Section 8. of Regulation 74/15, for a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice as a Psychologist; or
- You may qualify under Section 19. of Regulation 74/15, for a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice as a Psychological Associate.
Interim autonomous practice is intended to be a time-limited, temporary period during which the member completes the requirements for issuance of a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Autonomous Practice as either a Psychologist or a Psychological Associate in Ontario.
B TERMS
Applicant: refers to someone who has applied for registration but has not yet had their application evaluated;
Interim Autonomous member: refers to a holder of a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice;
Autonomous member: refers to a holder of a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Autonomous Practice;
College: refers to the College of Psychologists of Ontario;
Member: refers to a Psychologist or Psychological Associate, registered by the College to practise either autonomously or under supervision;
Registration Regulation: refers to Ontario Regulation 74/15, Registration.
C OVERVIEW OF NON-EXEMPTIBLE REQUIREMENTS
In order to qualify for a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Interim Autonomous Practice as either a Psychologist or Psychological Associate in Ontario, the applicant must be registered for autonomous practice as a Psychologist or Psychological Associate, be in good standing, and have:
- practised the profession of psychology at any time during the two years immediately before the date of the application for registration in Ontario, and their registration is in a jurisdiction:
a. with which the College has entered into a written reciprocity agreement as of the date of the application; or
b. that is considered by a panel of the Registration Committee to have registration requirements equivalent to those of the College for a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Autonomous Practice as either a Psychologist or Psychological Associate; or - holds a current Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) awarded by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).
Other Requirements for Issuance of a Certificate of Registration
Good Character
All applicants to the College of Psychologists of Ontario are required to complete a Declaration of Good Character as part of their application. The Declaration of Good Character requires applicants to provide details about their past conduct. Information about the criteria used by the College when evaluating an applicant’s Good Character is found in Appendix E of these guidelines
Section 3. 1. of the Registration Regulation specifies that an applicant must provide details of any of the following that relate to the applicant:
- A conviction for a criminal offence or an offence related to the regulation of the practice of the profession.
- A finding of professional misconduct, incompetency or incapacity, in Ontario in relation to another health profession or in another jurisdiction in relation to the profession or another health profession.
- A current proceeding for professional misconduct, incompetency or incapacity in Ontario in relation to the profession or another health profession.
Language Fluency
Section 3. 2. of the Registration Regulation specifies that an applicant must be able with reasonable fluency to speak and write either English or French.
Applicants who have submitted a complete application and for whom all required documentation has been received by the College on or before August 31, 2015 will be deemed to have met this requirement upon successful completion of the professional examinations (EPPP, JEE and Oral Examination) required for registration.
As of September 1, 2015, applicants may meet the requirement by:
1. Providing documentary evidence in the form of a transcript sent directly from the educational institution to the College, indicating that the applicant’s highest level psychology degree was completed in either Canada, or the USA; or
2. Providing documentary evidence in the form of a transcript sent directly from the educational institution to the College, indicating that the applicant’s highest level psychology degree was completed in a country other than Canada or the USA, where the language of instruction was in either English or French; or
3. Providing a written confirmation sent directly from the educational institution to the College, verifying that the applicant’s highest level psychology degree was completed in either English or French; or
4. An applicant may provide a report, sent directly from the language testing agency to the College, verifying that the applicant has achieved the minimum scores indicated on one of the standardized language fluency tests approved by the College. An applicant must meet minimum scores in each area of one test and test results will be considered valid for two years from the date the test was administered.
| TESTS AND MINIMUM SCORES REQUIRED TO MEET THE LANGUAGE FLUENCY REQUIREMENT COLLEGE OF PSYCHOLOGISTS OF ONTARIO | |||||||
| English | French | ||||||
| Test | TOEFL internet based test (iBT) | IELTS (Academic or General Training) | CELPIP General | PTE Core (Pearson Test of English) | TEF (Test d’évaluation du français) | TCF (Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada) | |
| Required score(s) | Writing: 27 Speaking: 24 Listening: 24 Reading: 24 | Writing: 7 Speaking: 7 Listening: 7 Reading: 7 | Writing: 8 Speaking: 8 Listening: 8 Reading: 8 | Writing: 79-87 Speaking: 76-83 Listening: 71-81 Reading: 69-77 | Writing: 349 Speaking: 349 Listening: 280 Reading: 233 | Writing: 12-13 Speaking: 12-13 Listening: 503-522 Reading: 499-523 | |
OR
5. An applicant may provide to the Registration Committee other compelling evidence of language fluency. This could be, for example, providing documentary evidence in the form of an academic transcript of other post-secondary education completed entirely in English or French, or that the applicant was registered and practiced the profession in an English or French practice environment for a minimum of the equivalent of two years full-time, which could be confirmed through proof of registration sent directly from the psychology regulatory body, letters(s) from employer(s) or supervisor(s) etc. All such documentation must be sent directly to the College as a hard-copy original document, PDF, or fax.
6. An applicant may be exempted from the requirement if they cannot meet it through the means described in 1., 2. or 4. above and has a documented disability1 that would affect their ability to meet the requirement by completing a standardized language fluency test, as described in 3. Such exemption will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Registration Committee.
Eligibility to Work in Canada
Section 3.3. of the Registration Regulation, specifies that, in order to be issued with a Certificate of Registration the applicant must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of the profession. Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of Canada may meet the requirement by holding a valid work permit, for example. For information respecting authorization to work in Canada go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/ .
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1 The Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act defines “disability” as:
a. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
b. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
c. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
d. a mental disorder, or
e. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; (“handicap”).