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Application Fees & Timelines

Your online application can be submitted prior to having met all requirements. However, your College registration will not be issued until all requirements have been met.

You may not begin working* as an occupational therapist or calling yourself an occupational therapist until you are registered with the College and have received written confirmation and a registration number.

*Working as an occupational therapist includes participating in orientation or training at the workplace.

Applicants are subject to the requirements in place at the time of application.



Important Information

Vulnerable Sector Check

All applicants (including former registrants) must submit a current Vulnerable Sector (VS) Check to the College as part of their application. It may take 1 to 12 weeks or longer to receive the results of a VS Check from the police. Each police service has different processing times. We suggest applying for the VS Check well in advance of your required registration date, but not more than 6 months before.

Please visit our VS Check webpage for full details.


Application Timelines

  • Once all documents are received, applications take approximately 10 days to process.

  • If there is doubt about whether you meet all of the registration requirements, your application will be referred to the Registration Committee for review.

    If your application requires a review, you will be contacted by College staff and provided with details about the reason for the review. You will also be given the opportunity to make submissions to support your application.

    In cases where applications are referred to the Committee, longer timelines may apply.

  • Applications for registration are valid for one year.

Application Fees

For more information about COTO fees, see: Fees and Tax Receipts