New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists

New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists

Internationally Educated OTs

Internationally educated occupational therapists wishing to practice occupational therapy in New Brunswick must be registered with the New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists before beginning any type of occupational therapy practice.

New Assessment Process for Internationally Educated OTs Effective May 1, 2015

As of May 1, 2015, a new assessment process will apply to any applicant who has completed their OT education outside Canada, including Canadians who travelled outside Canada for their OT education. Applicants who want to register for practice anywhere in Canada (except Quebec) must first apply to the Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations (ACOTRO) to complete a new assessment process called the Substantial Equivalency Assessment  System (SEAS) process.

There will be four main components to the process. Learn more about the components of the process on the ACOTRO website under the FAQs tab.

All internationally educated OTs will also be required to demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency.

There is a fee to be paid for the assessment process. A graduated fee payment process is in place, which means applicants unlikely to proceed after the first phases of the assessment process will not be required to pay the remaining substantial portion of the initial required fee.

This assessment process must be completed prior to applying for membership in NBAOT.

Career Pathway Loan Program from the New Brunswick Multicultural Council

The Career Pathway Loan Program works to open up employment possibilities for New Brunswick’s newcomers. The loan is available to immigrants who are looking to have their Foreign Credentials recognized in Canada. There are many newcomers who are under-employed or employed in a field that is not related to their career outside of Canada.

The primary role of this loan is to provide financial aid to newcomers looking to have their Foreign Credentials recognized in Canada. Below is an overview of general information about the loan and eligible clients.

About the loan:

  • An amount of up to $15,000 can be borrowed
  • Interest rate of prime + 1% for the entire term of the loan
  • Interest only payments during period of study
  • Repayment starts 90 days after the completion of client’s Career Action Plan, or when full time employment begins, whichever comes first.
  • Repayment term of up to 5 years
  • Loan payments will be distributed in installments as client makes progress on their Career Action Plan
  • Client’s loan will be registered with a credit bureau so that they can built a credit rating in Canada

Client must:

  • Be a permanent resident, provincial nominee, or a Canadian citizen with foreign credentials
  • Have valid credentials or training from a country other than Canada
  • Be currently unemployed or under-employed.
  • Have sufficient language skills in either English or French
  • Have been accepted into program for which they will use the loan.

You can find additional information on our website (www.nb-mc.ca) under the “Projects” tab.

Please note that, according to both NBAOT and CAOT policy, candidates have three attempts to pass the NOTCE. After three attempts, candidates will no longer be eligible to write the NOTCE. Please review the NBAOT examination policy. If you have questions about this policy contact registrar@nbaot.org

It is strongly suggested that candidates review all NOTCE examination policies (including policies on accommodation and appeals) and resources to ensure adequate preparation to write the NOTCE.

If you have any questions about the NOTCE administration policies or procedures, please contact Ryan McGovern, CAOT Exam and Accreditation Coordinator directly at exam@caot.ca.