Canada graduates (outside Quebec)

Occupational therapy, the Order and the Law

The occupational therapy profession is regulated throughout Canada, and each province has its own professional regulatory body. To practice the profession in Quebec, you must be a member of the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (the Order). Under the Professional Code (a Quebec law), the Order is the body mandated to ensure protection of the public by overseeing the practice and competence of occupational therapists.

The Law states that any person who wishes to use the title “Occupational Therapist” or “ergothérapeute” in French or to engage in any professional activity restricted to occupational therapists must:

  • be licensed by the Order, and
  • be entered on the Roll of the Order.

Only registration on the Roll of the Order gives you the right to use the title of ergothérapeute or Occupational Therapist, the abbreviation “erg.”, or the initials “O.T.” or “O.T.R.” and to carry out the activities reserved under the Professional Code for occupational therapists. This means you cannot identify yourself as being an occupational therapist until you have obtained the right to practice the profession in Quebec through registration on the Roll of the Order. If you use the title of occupational therapist while you are not a member of the Order, you could be prosecuted for unauthorized use of the title.

Conditions required to obtain a license

A person is deemed to have the appropriate knowledge of the French language if:

  • she/he has received, full time, no less than three years of secondary or post-secondary instruction provided in French, or if
  • she/he has passed the fourth or fifth year secondary level examinations in French as the first language, or if
  • from and after the school year 1985-86, she/he obtained a secondary school certificate in Québec, or if
  • she/he obtained a certificate issued by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), following the successful completion of the OQLF exam.

Obtaining a temporary license

The Order can issue a temporary license valid for a period of 1 year and renewable up to 3 times to a candidate graduating from outside Québec who is unable to provide proof of knowledge of the French language. For all the details relating to the temporary license and the French language examination from the Office québécois de la langue française, please consult this document.

Recourse

Admission Commissioner

The Admission Commissioner is an independent governmental entity attached to the Office des professions du Québec. The Commissioner is responsible by law for receiving and investigating any complaint from a person relating to admission to a profession. The recourse may be against the Order as well as other persons or organizations involved in the admission process. For more information

Please choose one of the following options, depending on your situation:

  1. License application

    This path applies if you obtained a diploma in occupational therapy from a Canadian university outside Quebec less than 3 years ago.

    Such a diploma may be recognized under the 1st paragraph of section 2 of the Règlement sur les normes d’équivalence aux fins de la délivrance d’un permis de l’Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec.

    If you have not yet completed your study program, you can apply for a license approximately 1 month before the end of your studies. This preliminary step will speed up the processing of your file.

    To apply for a license, you must send the following documents using one of the following methods:

    • By email to: [email protected]
      It is preferable to send your application by email in order to speed up the process. Please include in your email a scanned copy of your duly completed check (or money order) as proof of payment, then mail it to us. If your name does not appear on the payment, please include a note in the envelope showing your full name. If you know the start date of your employment, please indicate it in your form or email.
    • By regular mail to:
      Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
      2021 Union Avenue, suite 920
      Montréal, Qc H3A 2S9

    • License application form

      Weblink to License application form
      You must send the completed form to OEQ, along with the other required documents. Please pay particular attention to the exact spelling of your first and last names which must match that of your official documents.

    • Certified true copy of the degree or certificate of achievement

      A certified copy of the degree in occupational therapy is required. If your degree has not yet been issued by the university, a letter that provides proof of completed studies issued by the director of the occupational therapy program of your university will be accepted. The person responsible for the program will send it directly to the Order.

    • Proof of knowledge of the French language

      You must provide proof of knowledge of the French language in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the French Language (section 35). If you cannot provide such proof, check "not applicable" on the form.

    • I am or have been a member of a regulatory body 

      If you are, or have been, a member of a regulatory body in Quebec, Canada or elsewhere in the world, you must have the Authorization for Release of Information form filled out by each of these organizations. The first section must be completed by you (the applicant) and then sent to the regulatory body or bodies concerned, that will be responsible for returning the completed form directly to the Order.

    • Form for reporting a disciplinary decision (if applicable)

      Link to the form: Déclaration d’une décision disciplinaire 
      If you have been the subject of a disciplinary decision rendered in Québec or elsewhere corresponding to one of the statements appearing on the form, you must complete it and return it, as indicated, to the Secrétaire générale;

    • Form for reporting a criminal decision (if applicable)

      Link to the form: Déclaration d’une décision criminelleIf you have been convicted by a Canadian or foreign court finding you guilty of a criminal offense, you must complete the form and return it, as indicated, to the Secrétaire générale;

    • Form for reporting a penal conviction (if applicable)

      Link to the form : Déclaration d’une décision pénale
      If you have been the subject of a decision rendered in Québec or elsewhere corresponding to one of the statements appearing on the form, you must complete it and return it as indicated to the Secrétaire générale;

    • Payment of the fees required for the study of the file

      The fees charged for the study of the application are $ 114,98 ($ 100 + $ 5 GST + $ 9,98 QST) [CAD] non-refundable. The methods of payment accepted are: personal check or money order, payable in the name of the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec. Other fees: these fees do not include the costs relating to registration on the Roll of the Order.

      Note: It is preferable to send your application by email in order to speed up its processing. Please include in your email a scanned copy of your duly completed check (or money order) as proof of payment, then mail it to us.

     

    Progress of the file

    Your license will be issued when we have received all the required documents and your file is compliant. Allow about 5-10 business days. You will then receive an email informing you of your license number as well as the instructions for entering the Roll of the Order.

    Warning
    Only registration on the Roll of the Order gives you the right to use the title of ergothérapeute or Occupational Therapist, the abbreviation “erg.”, or the initials “O.T.” or “O.T.R.” and to carry out the activities reserved under the Professional Code for occupational therapists. This means you cannot identify yourself as being an occupational therapist until you have obtained the right to practice the profession in Quebec through registration on the Roll of the Order. If you use the title of occupational therapist while you are not a member of the Order, you could be prosecuted for unauthorized use of the title.

  2. If you have held a degree in occupational therapy from a Canadian university for more than 3 years and you do not have a legal authorization to practice the profession issued by an institution in a Canadian province (not a member of a professional order/regulatory body from another Canadian province), please see our web page Demande de permis + de 3 ans.

  3. If you hold a diploma in occupational therapy from a country other than Canada and you do not have a legal authorization to practice the profession issued by an institution in a Canadian province (not a member of a professional order/regulatory body from another Canadian province), please see our International Candidates web page.

  4. If you already hold an OEQ license, please see our web page Mon inscription au Tableau de l’Ordre

  5. If you have a legal authorization to practice the profession of a Canadian province (member of a professional order/regulatory body from another Canadian province), please see our Labor and mobility supply agreement web page