Labor and mobility support agreement

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.

Candidates holding a legal authorization from a Canadian province (member of a professional order/regulatory body from another Canadian province)

In Canada, all regulatory bodies governing the profession of occupational therapy support the mobility of occupational therapists across Canada. In order to meet their obligations under the Agreement on Internal Trade, Chapter 7, they entered into a Labor and mobility support agreement (LMSA). This agreement establishes the conditions of recognition for occupational therapists holding a legal authorization to practice in a given provincial jurisdiction. In Quebec, this agreement is implemented by a regulation made under the Professional Code.

Application for a license under the Règlement sur les autorisations légales d’exercer la profession d’ergothérapeute hors du Québec qui donnent ouverture au permis de l’Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec

Depending on your status:

  • I have never obtained a license from the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec and I hold a legal authorization to practice the profession of occupational therapist from a Canadian province (member of a professional order / regulatory body of a other Canadian province) which has no limitations or restrictions. You can submit an application to the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec, by following the procedure described in the next section .
  • I have never obtained a license from the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec and I hold a legal authorization (member of a professional order / regulatory body from another Canadian province) with limitations or restrictions (for example : provisional license).
    OEQ may not be able to accept your application. Contact us before starting your process;
  • • I already hold a license from the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec and I hold a legal authorization to practice the profession of occupational therapist from a Canadian province (member of a professional order / regulatory body from another Canadian province ) which does not contain any limitation or restriction. Contact us to receive the information and forms appropriate to your situation.

Requirements for obtaining a license as a person holding legal authorization from a professional order / occupational therapy regulatory body in another Canadian province

  • 1. Arrange with the occupational therapy regulatory body in the Canadian province where you are currently registered to have the following forms completed:
     Formulaire de confirmation des termes de l’entente sur les mesures de soutien à la mobilité de la main-d’œuvre
    The first section will need to be completed by yourself, then you must forward the form to the regulatory body of which you are currently a member. Subsequently, the regulatory body must return the completed form and required documents directly to the OEQ.
    • Form : Authorization for Release of Information (Regulatory History)
    The first section will need to be completed by yourself, then you must forward the form to the regulatory body of which you are currently a member. Subsequently, the regulatory body must return the completed form directly to the OEQ.
    Documents can be sent to us by email at admission@oeq.org as long as they come directly from the regulatory body. They can also be sent to us by mail at the following address:
    Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
    2021 Ave Union, bureau 920
    Montréal (Québec) H3A 2S9

  • 2. Send by email or mail (see contact information above) the following documents to the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec:
     License application form – LMSA

    You must send the duly completed form to the Order, along with the other required documents. Please pay special attention to the exact spelling of your first and last names, which must match that of your official documents;
    • Proof of legal authorization to practice the profession 
    You must provide proof that you are currently registered with an occupational therapy regulatory body in a Canadian province. This authorization must indicate, if applicable, any limits, restrictions or conditions of practice imposed on you by the regulatory body;
    • 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, you may be eligible for a temporary license (see below).

    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.
    If you cannot provide such proof, check "not applicable" on the form.

    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.

    • I am or have been a member of a regulatory body other than the one concerned in point 1.

    Complete the Form : Authorization for Release of Information (Regulatory History) 
    If you are a member or have been a member of a regulatory body in Québec, Canada or elsewhere in the world, you must have this form completed by each of these bodies.
    The first section will need to be completed by yourself, then you must forward the form to any regulatory body of which you are or have been a member. Subsequently, the regulatory body must return the completed form directly to the OEQ.
    NOTE: This is the same authorization form for the transmission of information as in point 1. You must have this form completed by each of the regulatory bodies concerned;
    • 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 criminelle
    If 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. 
    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. 

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.

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

If you have any question: contact us