Internationally educated occupational therapists

You are considered an internationally educated occupational therapist (IEOT) if you:

  • Have completed your occupational therapy education outside Canada (Canadian citizens included), and
  • Are not currently licensed to practice occupational therapy in any Canadian province or territory.

If you meet the above criteria, to practice occupational therapy in PEI you must:

  1. Undergo an assessment of your credentials through the Substantial Equivalency Assessment System (SEAS) administrated by the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO)
  2. Once you have been deemed substantially equivalent by ACOTRO, apply for registration with PEICOT following the steps below.
  3. During the registration process, the PEICOT Registrar will provide you with permission to take the Canadian entry-to-practice exam for occupational therapists - NOTCE, the final step to be fully licenced to practice occupational therapy in Canada. You will be considered a provisional registrant by the time you complete this exam.

PEICOT application process

Apply to register with PEICOT following these steps:

  1. Send proof of completed SEAS to the PEICOT Registrar.
  2. Set up an account in the online registration system - HMS, choosing new applicant as your registration type.
  3. Pay the application fee.
  4. Once the application fee has been received and the PEICOT Registrar approves your basic HMS account, you will get an email notification. Log into your account.
  5. Complete all mandatory information in your profile:
    1. Basic and contact information
    2. Education information
    3. Employment information
    4. Complete and sign the legal statement
  6. Upload required documents:
    1. Birth certificate
    2. Valid government-issued picture ID (in colour)
    3. Certificate of professional liability insurance (miscellaneous tab in your member profile)
    4. criminal record screening results document not older than six months (miscellaneous tab in your member profile)
  7. Provide proof of completed examination requirement (NOTCE):
    1. If you are waiting to write the NOTCE, in your HMS profile under the Education > Exams > NOTCE status section:
      • Click/tap on the blue edit icon
      • Select the In progress (registered) option
      • Enter the scheduled exam date
      • Upload the receipt from CAOT confirming your payment and exam date
      • Click/tap the save button
    2. If you have completed and passed the NOTCE, in your HMS profile under the Education > Exams > NOTCE status section:
      • Click/tap on the blue edit icon
      • Select the Completed option
      • Enter the date you completed the exam
      • Upload your NOTCE certificate of completion
      • Click/tap the save button

      Proof of supervision for provisional registrants
      Until you pass the NOTCE, you will be registered as a provisional registrant and may only practice under supervision. It is your responsibility to arrange a qualified supervisor through your employer. The supervisor must fill out the Supervisor Confirmation Form and email it directly to the PEICOT Registrar.
      Once you have passed the NOTCE exam, you will automatically transition from provisional to general registration.
  8. Pay the general registration fee
    Once the PEICOT Registrar approves your application, your registration with PEICOT will be activated and you will get an email notification to inform you that your registration is complete.
  9. Find your registration certificate and the official payment receipt under payment history in your profile. Print your registration certificate for your records or display.
  10. Immediately after completing the registration, inform yourself on the following:
    1. Check out the continuing education requirement (continued education section in your HMS account)
    2. Check out the practice (currency) hours requirement (practice hours section in your HMS account)
    3. Check out the Quality Assurance program requirement (quality assurance section in your HMS account)
  11. Within three months of initial registration, you must:
    1. Complete the jurisprudence exam (available in the HMS), and
    2. Complete the National eLearning Module on the material from Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada.

More information

Fee schedule
Registration policies