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P: 416.972.9882
F: 416.972.1512
E: General Inquiries
W: www.ocswssw.org

Information for all Applicants
(Other than applicants registered as a social worker in a Canadian Province (other than Ontario), the Northwest Territories or the Yukon)

This website is set out to guide you to the correct application form and registration guide based on your academic qualifications. If you are uncertain about which application form to select, please contact the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the “College”) at (416) 972-9882 or 1-877-828-9380 or e-mail Registration for further information or to request an application form, registration guide, and, if applicable, a supplemental form. An application package will be mailed to you within one week from the date the College receives your request.

If you are already registered as a social worker with one or more Canadian social work regulatory authorities¹, please use the link:

Applicants registered as a social worker in a Canadian Province (other than Ontario), the Northwest Territories or the Yukon.

Before downloading and completing an application form, please ensure you read all of the following information.

CRITERIA FOR REGISTRATION

Satisfy the following general requirements (see EXCERPTS FROM ONTARIO REGULATION 383/00 reproduced in the Registration Guide for full requirements):

non refundable $75 application fee,
registration fee,
must be able to speak and write either English or French with reasonable fluency,
must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or be authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be,
must disclose any current proceeding in relation to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity and other similar proceeding (for example, a complaint or discipline proceeding) in any jurisdiction,
must disclose any findings of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity in any jurisdiction,
must disclose any findings of guilt in relation to criminal or other offences,
your past and present conduct must afford reasonable grounds to believe that you
- are mentally competent to practise social work or social service work, as the case may be
- will practise social work or social service work, as the case may be, with decency, integrity and honesty and in accordance with the law
- have sufficient knowledge, skill and judgment to practise social work or social service work, as the case may be.
Must have obtained the academic qualifications for social work or social service work, as the case may be, or the academic qualifications and experience performing the role of a social worker or social service worker, as the case may be, in accordance with the requirements set out in Ontario Regulation 383/00
Must have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be, within the five years immediately before the date of the application or otherwise satisfy the Registrar that you are competent to perform the role of a social worker or social service worker, as the case may be. This requirement does not apply to an applicant who has obtained the academic qualifications, or the academic qualifications and experience, required for registration with the College within the five years immediately before the date of the application

HOW TO APPLY

Carefully read the Registration Guide that accompanies your application form.
Print and complete all sections of the application form and sign and date the form.
Forward the completed, signed and dated application form. If applicable to your application, download, complete and sign and date the Supplemental Form Regarding Competence to Perform the Role of a Social Worker or Supplemental Form Regarding Competence to Perform the Role of a Social Service Worker with payment of the application and registration fee to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. A photocopy, facsimile or electronic copy of the application or supplemental form will not be accepted.

The review process will only begin after the College has received all your documents and fees. The College will contact you if more information is required.

If you have questions about the application process, you may contact the College at 416-972-9882, or toll free 1-877-828-9380, or by email registration@ocswssw.org

THE APPLICATION ASKS FOR THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Contact Information:
If the Registrar issues a certificate of registration to you, certain information provided on the application, including your name, business address(es), business telephone number(s) and name of your employer or business, will, in accordance with the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 and the by-laws of the College, be contained in the register of the College. Information on the register is information that is available to the public.

Please note that if you provide your home address as your business address, your home address is information which will be available to the public. If disclosure of your business address(es), business telephone number(s) or name of your employer or business may jeopardize your safety, please advise the Registrar in writing. The Registrar will assess whether there is a basis for the information not to be made public. In addition, if you use a pseudonym in your practice of social work or social service work because it is necessary for your personal safety, please advise the Registrar in writing. In both cases, provide written details

Language Proficiency:
You must demonstrate the ability to speak and write either English or French with reasonable fluency. If you answer “No” to all 6 questions, you are required to undertake additional language proficiency testing and submit the scores to the College.

Documents:

Translation of Documents: If any of your documents (for example, academic records) are in a language other than English or French, you will need to have these documents translated before they are submitted to the College. You are responsible for all costs associated with the translation(s).
Depending on your individual circumstances, you may need to submit additional documents with your application form and/or arrange to have original documents mailed directly to the College by your academic institution or another organization. If an original document cannot be obtained, contact the College to discuss acceptable alternatives and the next steps.

Citizenship:
You must be a Canadian citizen, or a permanent resident of Canada, or be authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be, in Ontario. If you answer “None of the above”, provide further information with your application form. The College may contact you for further information.

If you are authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of social work or social service work in Ontario, you must submit with your application form a copy of your valid work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

CONSENT TO THE RELEASE OF INFORMATION FROM THE REGISTER FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES

Please indicate whether or not you consent to the release of information pertaining to you for the purpose of research by checking the appropriate box. If you do not complete this section, the College will assume that you do not consent. Completion of this section enables the College to respond to requests for information contained in the Register from persons or organizations conducting research. In accordance with the policy approved by Council respecting such requests, with your consent, the only information contained in the Register that may be released includes some or all of the following: your name, category of membership, name of your business or employer, your business address and your business telephone number.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

This question asks you to list the academic qualifications you have obtained from a social work or social service work program or equivalent program.

It is your responsibility to contact the academic institution from which graduation occurred and request that ORIGINAL verification of academic qualifications be forwarded directly to the College by Canada Post. A photocopy, facsimile or electronic copy of the documentation will not be accepted.

Note: Academic institutions may request your written authorization in order to release the academic verification to the College.

The College requires only one relevant degree or diploma for each class of registration.

The College accepts original official transcripts with the institution seal and/or stamp mailed DIRECTLY from the academic institution.

If your social work program has been submitted to the Canadian Association of Social Workers (the “CASW”) for an evaluation, ensure that the CASW forwards the written evaluation directly to the College by Canada Post.

PRACTICE OF SOCIAL WORK OR SOCIAL SERVICE WORK

You must have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be, within the five years immediately before the date of the application or otherwise satisfy the Registrar that you are competent to perform the role of a social worker or social service worker, as the case may be.

This requirement does not apply to an applicant who has obtained the academic qualifications, or the academic qualifications and experience, required for registration with the College within the five years immediately before the date of application.

This question asks you if you have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be, within the five years immediately before the date of your application. If your answer is “yes”, you must provide the name(s) of your employer(s); their address(es); your dates of employment; your position title(s); and your duties and responsibilities within the last five years. If you engaged in the practice of social work or social service work in private practice within the last five years, you must provide the name of your private practice; your business address; the dates of your private practice; the nature and focus of your private practice; the average number of clients seen by you each month. You must also enclose an original business card, letterhead or other original evidence that confirms your private practice.

If your answer is “no”, and you have not engaged in the practice of social work or social service work, as the case may be, within the five years immediately before the date of the application, you must download, complete, sign and date and submit with your application, the Supplemental Form Regarding Competence to Perform the Role of a Social Worker or the Supplemental Form Regarding Competence to Perform the Role of a Social Service Worker.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions, you must provide full details respecting the matter to which you answered ‘yes’ on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to your application.

INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION BOTH AS A REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER AND A REGISTERED SOCIAL SERVICE WORKER

If you wish to apply for registration in both the social work category and the social service work category, you must complete two separate application forms and, if applicable, two supplemental forms, and submit two application fees. ONLY one registration fee is required. The College will assign only one reference number for both applications.
Members are eligible to vote in only one membership category. Indicate on both application forms the one membership category in which you prefer to vote if you are issued certificates of registration in both the social work and social service work categories.

APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION FEES

Ensure that the application and registration fees are included with the application form.

The College membership year is January 1- December 31. The Registration Fee is pro-rated on a quarterly basis, depending on the date that the Registrar issues a certificate of registration. A refund, if owing, will be issued at the time of registration.

Payment may be made by cheque or money order, payable to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, or through Visa or MasterCard.

A charge of $25 will be levied on each cheque/credit card that is not honoured.

Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with the application.

THE REGISTRAR'S REVIEW

Upon review of the application form and any supporting documents the Registrar may:

determine that you have met the requirements set out in the registration regulation and issue a certificate of registration to you;
issue a certificate of registration to you subject to terms, conditions or limitations to which you have consented;
determine that you have not met the requirements set out in the registration regulation and propose to refuse to issue a certificate of registration to you;
propose to impose terms, conditions or limitations on a certificate of registration to which you have not consented.

Based on your academic qualifications, please click on the appropriate link below for further information and to download a registration guide and application form: