Categories of Registration
The College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO) offers three categories of registration:
- General registration
- Provisional registration
- Temporary registration
Most applicants will apply for general registration with the College. General registration is issued to applicants who meet all our registration requirements(opens in a new tab). General registrants can practice without restriction.
Some applicants may have special circumstances where they need to apply to our other categories:
Provisional Registration
Provisional registration may be issued to applicants who are waiting to write the National Occupational Therapy Certification Examination(opens in a new tab) (NOTCE) and have an offer of employment.
Provisional Registration Checklist
To be eligible for provisional registration, applicants must:
be registered for the next available sitting of the NOTCE(opens in a new tab).
have an offer of employment where they will be supervised by an occupational therapist who has held general registration for at least one year.
submit a completed Provisional Registration Supervision Agreement (English(opens PDF)(opens in a new tab) | French(opens PDF)(opens in a new tab))
if being supervised virtually, submit a Provisional Registration Supervision Plan(opens PDF)(opens in a new tab) with the Supervision Agreement.
successfully complete the examination within the specified timeframe.
meet all other registration requirements.
If you meet these requirements, you can apply for provisional registration with COTO.
Learn more about provisional registration(opens in a new tab)
Temporary Registration
Temporary registration may be issued to occupational therapists who are registered in:
- another province, or
- country,
but need to practice in Ontario on a temporary basis. Temporary registration can only be issued to occupational therapists who have an offer of employment that is no longer than 4 months in a 12-month period.
Temporary registration is not available to current COTO registrants.
Temporary Registration Checklist
To be eligible for temporary registration, applicants must:
hold valid registration in a jurisdiction with education and clinical requirements equivalent to those of the Ontario.
meet the language fluency, suitability to practise, professional liability and work eligibility requirements.
have an offer of employment that does not exceed 4 months within a 12-month period
submit a completed Supervision Acknowledgement Form(opens PDF)(opens in a new tab)
If you meet these requirements, you can apply for temporary registration with COTO.
If your offer of employment exceeds 4 months within a 12-month period, you must apply for general registration with COTO.
For more information, see: