Independent Practice Certificate

The Ontario Labour Mobility Act became law in December of 2009. Labour mobility refers to the revised Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) signed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to make it easier for professionals and tradespeople, investment and goods to move across the country. 

Under the terms of labour mobility, professionals and tradespeople certified in one Canadian jurisdiction will be considered to have met the requirements for certification in other Canadian jurisdictions without having to undergo material additional training or assessment or meet additional experience requirements. 

Labour mobility applies to people who are registered to practice an occupation by a regulatory authority of a Canadian province or territory. 

Under labour mobility, certified professionals and tradespeople will be recognized as qualified for that occupation by all other provinces and territories without any additional training, experience, examination and assessments. 

The exceptions include language proficiency and evidence of good character. A letter of professional standing is one example of evidence of good character for applicants to College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. 

The College certifies about 50 physiotherapists from other Canadian jurisdictions every year. 

The College will issue a Certificate of Registration authorizing Independent Practice to registered physiotherapists registered elsewhere in Canada.  

All registered physiotherapists have a set of minimum terms, conditions and limitations on their certificates of registration to ensure that they are legally able to work in Canada; that they have enough practice hours to maintain their clinical skills: and that require them to be tested periodically to ensure they understand the rules that govern practice.

Physiotherapists registered and practicing in other provinces must apply to the College through the PT Portal and submit an application for Independent Practice. 

Applying under the labour mobility provisions means that you do not have to send as many documents as those applying through the normal registration process.

For those applying for an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration, the following documents are required: 

• Application Form

• Evidence of Canadian citizenship (i.e. valid Canadian passport, birth certificate or citizenship card), permanent resident status, or a valid work permit. A photocopy of this document is required.

• Evidence of Name Change (i.e. a photocopy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree or official name change document) if applicable.

• Proof of registration and professional standing from the jurisdiction where you are registered as a physiotherapist. This can be done through a regulatory history form or letter of professional standing. This information should be dated within the last six months.

• The appropriate fees (non-refundable $114 application fee and pro-rated registration fee).

It takes 15 days to review and process a complete application. 

No. The labour mobility act only applies to physiotherapists registered in other Canadian provinces.

If you are registered with the Ordre Professionnel de la Physiothérapie du Québec and your status is “Temporary” or “Regular”, you can apply to the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for an Independent Practice Certificate of Registration. Under the Labour Mobility Act, you do not have to take the PCE. If there are any terms, restrictions or conditions on your certificate in Quebec these may also apply in Ontario. If you have any professional conduct history in Quebec this will be considered at the time of application. 

Graduates of a physiotherapy program at a Quebec university within the last five years who have taken their full education program at a Quebec University or having completed all of the requirements for additional training ordered by the OPPQ are not required to have practiced as a physiotherapist in Quebec prior to registering in Ontario.  

If you obtained your physiotherapy degree outside of Canada, you must prove that you are proficient in either English or French. You can do this by completing a language proficiency test such as:

Accepted Language Tests

- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General (CELPIP G)
- International English Language Testing System General Training (IELTS GT)
- International English Language Testing System Academic (IELTS AC)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Test d’évaluation du français (TEF): TEF Canada, TEF Quebec and TEF 5 épreuves
- Test de connaissance du français (TCF): TCF Canada, TCF Quebec and TCF Tout Public

Exemptions: If your qualifying education was done in the Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, or France, you are exempted from this requirement. 

Labour mobility allows regulators to require that applicants meet language proficiency requirements and provide evidence of their conduct history. Any concerns regarding either of these requirements would be considered by the Registration Committee.