In order to practice occupational therapy in B.C., individuals must meet the requirements of the COTBC. Registration requirements are listed below. If you are a recent graduate of a Canadian Occupational Therapy program, please take note of the special provisions for your application.
Application Forms
New applicants must provide evidence they meet the set requirements by completing the following application form and all other required documentation. The registration form guide offers help completing forms and lists all registration fees.
The application and accompanying documentation must be mailed to the COTBC with full payment. Use the checklist on the application form to ensure your application is complete, including all signatures, forms, required documentation, and payment. This will facilitate the timely processing of your application. Anticipate three to four weeks for your application to be processed.
Remember to forward the COTBC Authorization for Release of Information to each regulatory organization where you have previously held or currently hold a registration or license to practice.
Evidence of reasonable oral and written fluency in English is required if your first language or your language of OT instruction are not English. For more information regarding English fluency requirements, click here.
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Examination
Applicants must successfully complete a national examination administered by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) in order to finalize their registration with the COTBC.
If you have not completed the examination, you are eligible to apply for registration with the college in the "provisional" category, given that: (1) you can provide verification of your eligibility to sit the exam and (2) you are registered for the next available sitting. The college accepts the letter provided by the CAOT called "Statement of Candidacy to Write the Exam" as proof of eligibility. Please contact the CAOT directly, prior to initiating your application, to arrange to have this letter issued.
Provisional Registration
As a provisional registrant you may legally work as an occupational therapist in BC. Provisional registrants must practice under the general supervision of an occupational therapist registered with COTBC with full registration. General supervision must be in place until the provisional registrant has met all requirements for full registration.
Provisional registrants must ensure that the supervising OT complete the "Employer Acknowledgement Form" and return the signed original to the College. For more information on general supervision, please review the document entitled "Guidelines for General Supervision of Provisional Registrants" and the "Employer Acknowledgement Form - Explanatory letter."
Once you have successfully completed the CAOT exam, you must submit verification of successful completion to the college. Upon providing this documentation to the college, your registration status will be changed to full registration with no conditions.
Fees
The college’s registration year is from July 1 to June 30. There is a one-time non-refundable application fee of $225.00 required with your application. New applicants registering with the College during the registration year are required to pay the annual registration fee or pro-rated portion as follows:
| July 1 – October 31 |
$350.00 |
| November 1 – February 28 |
$235.00 |
| March 1 – June 30 |
$120.00 |
Renewal of your registration is required on July 1 each year. The annual registration fee must be received no later that July 31 to avoid a late fee penalty.
- All fees must be paid in Canadian Dollars.
- Refund Policy: There is no refund of the application fee or the initial registration fee.
Insurance
Professional liability insurance is mandatory for registration. Refer to the form guide for information on the documentation required.
If you are a new graduate of a Canadian Occupational Therapy Program
To assist new graduates, the college recognizes that some of the required documentation may not be immediately available. For example, the official transcript from the university or the statement of candidacy letter from CAOT verifying your eligibility to write the exam may not be available. To this end, the college has established the following process to ensure your registration can be completed in a timely manner.
If your official transcript is not yet available
An original letter from your occupational therapy program head or designate, which confirms that you have met all the requirements (including fieldwork) for graduating with a degree in occupational therapy, is accepted as interim verification that you meet the educational requirement for registration. Check with your division/programme head about how to provide this to the college.
Include a copy of your transcript request with your application to the college. Note that you will still be required to have an official transcript on file with the college. An official transcript must be forwarded from the university to the COTBC when it is available.
If your CAOT “Statement of Candidacy” letter is not available
You must provide verification that you have registered to write the exam. If CAOT has not provided a "Statement of Candidacy" letter or some other verification regarding your eligibility to write the exam, a photocopy of your application to write the exam is accepted by the college.
Indicate clearly, under the exam section on your college application form, the date that you are registered to write the exam.
Application Approval
The Registration Committee is responsible for granting registration. The committee typically meets monthly to consider new applications. However, the committee has established an alternate meeting process to consider applications. This means, that when the College receives a complete application, including the letter from your University program confirming your recommendation to graduate, the Registration Committee will consider the application before its next scheduled monthly meeting, and your registration will be expedited. This process is established for the purpose of timely approval of applications from students graduating from Canadian programs.
For the Registration Form Guide for New Graduates from Canadian Programs click here.
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