Occupational therapists who have completed their OT education outside of Canada – including Canadians who traveled outside Canada for their OT education – and who want to register for practice anywhere in Canada (except Quebec), must first apply to the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO) to complete the Substantial Equivalency Assessment System (SEAS) process. Once deemed Substantially Equivalent by ACOTRO, applicants may apply to a provincial regulator to continue the registration qualification process.
What is SEAS?
SEAS is a process to determine the extent to which an internationally-educated occupational therapist’s (IEOT’s) educational qualifications and competencies are substantially equivalent to those of a Canadian-educated occupational therapist. SEAS is a multi-stage assessment approach that:
- examines the education that IEOTs originally completed,
- allows IEOTs to demonstrate what they know and can do, and
- ensures IEOTs are familiar with the Canadian legislation, ethics and standards of practice as they relate to occupational therapy practice in Canada.
SEAS has four main components:
- Review of the Academic Credential Assessment (ACA)
- Profession-Specific Credential Assessment (PSCA)
- Jurisprudence Knowledge Assessment Test (JKAT)
- Competency Assessment
As part of SEAS, all internationally educated occupational therapists will also be required to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency.
For more information about the SEAS process and its associated requirements and fees, please visit ACOTRO. For more information on how to register in Quebec, please visit OEQ.
After Successfully Completing SEAS
After successfully completing SEAS, you are eligible to apply to ACOT. The process for this is as follows:
- ACOT will contact CAOT to confirm the applicant’s eligibility to write the national occupational therapy certification exam (NOTCE).
- A completed online application form – Apply for Registration and Permit – Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT).
(If the applicant has not written the national exam, they will be placed on the Provisional Register if they are looking to apply before passing the exam. Provisional Registration requires the applicant to have employment, and a General Registered OT supervisor lined up)
- A Criminal Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check from Canada. This must be from within the past 6 months.
- A Criminal Record Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check (or equivalent) from country where the applicant is/was a citizen of.
- eLearning Mandatory Module for Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada to reflect the broad range of skills and abilities required of all occupational therapists in Canada at every stage of their career. All occupational therapists are expected to stay informed and understand how to apply these competencies to their practice. Applicants can access the eLearning module here: eLearning Module and will also need to fill out the proof of completion form.
- Proof of professional liability insurance in Alberta. Please submit the page of the policy that includes a full name, the dates that it is active, and the dollar amount of coverage (it must be no less than 5 million dollars in coverage).
- Regulatory History Form from the board the applicant is/was registered with, and an Employer letter stating their practice hours.
Fees are a $150.00 for the application, plus the Registration Fee that is prorated throughout the year. (https://acot.ca/registration/schedule-of-fees/)
Once ACOT receives all required documents, please provide 5-10 business days to process your registration.