Applicants

Who can become a registrant of the College?

Graduates of an approved/accredited social service work (SSW), bachelor of social work (BSW) or master of social work (MSW) program are eligible for registration with the College. Please visit our lists of approved social work programs and social service work programs offered in Ontario.

If you are a graduate of a social work outside Canada or the United States, please click here for relevant information.

For more information on how to apply if you do not have a social work degree or social service worker diploma, please visit one of the following webpages:

• Graduate of non-social work program
• Graduate of non-social service work program

I hope to get a job in the agency where I did my placement. The job title isn’t social worker/social service worker, and the agency doesn’t require registration with the College. Do I still need to register?

The College doesn’t have the legal authority to require employers to hire only registered professionals. As an individual, however, you must ensure that you are in compliance with the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998. This means that even if the agency doesn’t require registration, you must be registered if you use the title “social worker”, “social service worker”, “registered social worker” or “registered social service worker” (or their short forms or French equivalents), or if you represent yourself or hold yourself out as a social worker or social service worker.

I am currently enrolled in a community services worker program at a career college in Ontario. Will I be eligible upon graduation to apply for registration as a social service worker and/or as a social worker?

No. Programs from career colleges do not meet the education requirement(s) for registration in either category of the College (SSW or SW). This applies to any application for registration.

Accumulating post-graduate work experience does not alter this.

I am currently enrolled in a social work/social service work program. Are there ways for students to get involved with the College? Can I join the College as a student registrant?

The College does not have a student registrant category. However, the College reserves space at our Educational Forums for social work and social service work students each year. To find out more information regarding the upcoming Educational Forums, follow the College on social media.

How do I apply for registration with the College?

Applicants should first read all information related to the requirements for registration found on the Information for All Applicants webpage. 

Applicants can then complete the application process, including pay their application and registration fees through the Online Portal.

For more information regarding the application process for social work and social service work applicants, please visit one of the following webpages:

• Register as a social worker
• Register as a social service worker

Why do I have to wait until I graduate to apply for registration with the College?

Only those with specific academic qualifications are eligible for registration with the College. This is one of the ways that the College fulfills its mandate to protect the public from unqualified, incompetent or unfit practitioners. As a student, you are still in the process of completing those requirements. Applicants must have completed a diploma from an approved social service work program, or accredited bachelor or master of social work program.

If you are in the process of completing your degree or diploma and would like more information on how to register once you graduate, please click here.

What is the cost of registration for a new graduate?

Please visit the registration fee chart for more information.

How long does it take to process my application for registration?

Once all of the required documentation for your application is received, including payment of your registration and application fees, the application process takes approximately three to six weeks to complete.

The application process can be delayed if the College does not receive all of the required documents from you or from a third party on your behalf (i.e. academic institution, employer, etc.).

Important note: The typical time for processing an application through the equivalency stream is a minimum of eight months after all required documentation has been received. These applications are complex and receive a detailed review.  Currently the College is experiencing an exceedingly high volume of applications which may affect the timelines for evaluation. Please contact equivalency@ocswssw.org for more information.

Do I need to pass an entry-to-practice exam in order to join the College?

Not at this time. However, on September 10, 2021, College Council passed a motion to approve entry-to-practice exams for social work and social service work applicants to the College. The development and implementation of the exams will take several years, and it is anticipated that the exam requirement will not be fully implemented until 2027.

For more information on the implementation of entry-to-practice exams, visit the College’s webpage.

How can I access my application file? How long do you keep my record? Can you return my submitted documents to me?

The College does not return any original documents submitted for the purposes of registration. However, at your written request, the College will provide a copy of submitted documents, unless the Registrar believes that to do so may jeopardize the safety of any person. Currently, all records are kept indefinitely and may be stored in a secure location off-site. The College can release a copy of your record to a third party if you provide your consent.

Are there any variables that would slow down the normal registration/evaluation process?

Any of the following circumstances would slow down the registration/evaluation process:

• Incomplete paper-based applications – Please double check your application before sending it to the College to ensure that it is completed.
• Receiving transcripts from the applicant and not directly from the educational institution(s).
• Receiving transcripts lacking information (e.g., no indication if a degree/diploma was conferred/transfer credits without any indication as to what credit value they carry).
• When applicable, not receiving the academic institution’s official course descriptions for courses on the transcript(s).
• When applicable, not providing a third-party evaluation assessment, which includes a “Credential Equivalency/Authentication Report and a Course-by-Course Analysis”, directly to the College.
• Failure to provide additional documents requested by the College.
• Receiving documents in a language other than English or French.

Can I apply to become registered if my social work degree is from a university in the U.S.?

If you obtained your degree in social work from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), you will likely meet the academic requirements for a general certificate of registration for social work.

Visit the CSWE website to find out if your social work program is accredited.

If your social work degree is not accredited by CSWE, please go to Graduates of Non-Accredited Canadian and American Social Work Programs.

Can I apply to become registered if my social work degree is from a university outside of Canada and the U.S.?

If you have not already had your academic credentials evaluated by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW), please do so first before applying to the College. You will likely meet the academic requirements to be issued a general certificate of registration for social work if the CASW determines that you have the minimum equivalent of a bachelor of social work obtained from a CASWE-accredited social work program. The CASW website provides the information you need to start the credential evaluation process of your international social work degree.

If the CASW evaluation concludes that your academic credentials don’t meet the minimum requirements, please visit Graduates of Non-Accredited Social Work Programs for more information.

Why do I need to have my non-social work international academic credentials evaluated?

The College requires an evaluation report that confirms the equivalency of your credentials to a Canadian credential.  This helps the College assess whether you are qualified to practise social work/social service work in Ontario.

This evaluation only confirms the equivalency of your credential to a Canadian credential (e.g., baccalaureate or master’s degree). The evaluation report does not confirm if your credential is substantially equivalent to a social work degree from a CASWE-accredited social work program, or to a social service work diploma offered in Ontario at a College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Do I have to be a Canadian citizen to work as a social worker/social service worker in Ontario?
You must be either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of social work or social service work in Ontario. If you are authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to practise social work or social service work in Ontario, you must submit with your application form a copy of your valid work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Following a review of your application and work permit, you may be asked to sign an Undertaking, Agreement and Acknowledgement (UAA) if the Registrar is satisfied that the other registration requirements have been met. By signing the UAA, you undertake and agree that you will comply with the conditions imposed on your work permit and will notify the College about any changes or updates to your work permit.

Are there any steps in the registration process that can be started outside of Canada?

Yes. If you have been educated outside Canada and the U.S. but not in social work:

• Have your academic institution send your official transcript(s) to a provincially mandated or provincially recognized third-party evaluation agency such as World Education Services (WES) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) to be evaluated.
• Have your official documents translated into either English or French prior to sending them to an evaluating agency.
• Request that the third-party evaluation agency send a Credential Equivalency/Authentication Report and a Course-by-Course Analysis or Specialized Report directly to the College for every degree you obtained.
• Arrange for the evaluation agency to receive your documents directly from your academic institution.

The evaluation completed by the third-party evaluation agency will let you and the College know if you meet the academic qualification to register with the College.

Why is the College requesting information about my physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner?

As of January 1, 2018, the Registration Regulation, Ontario Regulation 383/00, made under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 was amended to revoke and replace clause (i) of paragraph 3 of subsection 5(2) with the following provision:

5(2) The following are registration requirements for a certificate of registration in any class:

…

1. The applicant’s past and present conduct must afford reasonable grounds for the belief that the applicant,
   1. (i) – does not have any physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect his or her ability to practise social work or social service work, as the case may be, in a safe manner.

This registration requirement is consistent with the registration requirements of many other regulatory bodies in the province.

Is the information about my physical or mental condition or disorder a new requirement for registration?

No, this is not a new requirement. It is an improvement to wording that existed in the Registration Regulation prior to January 1, 2018. Since it began operations in 2000, the College has had the authority to request information from applicants in order to ensure they were “mentally competent to practise social work or social service work.”  The amendment to the Registration Regulation now puts the emphasis on the ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner.

If I answer “yes” to the question about whether I have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner, I am asked to provide an explanation. What should I include?

Please provide as much information as is necessary to explain the ways in which your physical or mental condition or disorder could affect your ability to practise in a safe manner.  This may include a description of functional limitations and restrictions.  You may wish to include steps that you are taking to ensure you will be able to practise in a safe manner and/or accommodation you may require in order to practise in a safe manner.

If I answer “yes” to the question about whether I have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner and provide an explanation, will I be asked to provide any other information?

It depends.  You may be asked to provide relevant supporting documentation.  Relevant supporting documentation depends on the nature of the physical or mental condition or disorder and its impact on your ability to practise in a safe manner.

Examples of potentially relevant supporting documentation may include: an opinion from your health care provider as to whether the condition or disorder will impact your ability to practise safely; letters of reference; clinical evaluations; and/or evidence of rehabilitation/recovery.

How will the College assess the information I provide?

The College will review the information provided in the application and determine whether additional information is needed, whether the registration requirement is met and/or whether further steps are required. Applicants must provide the College with enough information to demonstrate that they can practise social work/social service work in a safe manner.

How will the College handle my personal information?

The College takes its responsibilities with respect to confidentiality of your personal information, including personal health information, very seriously. Among other things, the College adheres to strict confidentiality and record management practices with respect to the application process.

What if I am not sure whether my physical or mental condition or disorder could affect my ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner?

If you think that there is a possibility that your physical or mental condition or disorder could affect your ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner answer “yes” to the question on the application form and provide any relevant information so that the College may consider this.

If the College later discovers that you answered “no” to the question on the application form when you did have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect your ability to practise social work and social service work, this may have serious consequences, similar to the consequences for misrepresenting information on your application.

If I answer “yes” to this question on the application, will I be refused registration?

If you answer “yes” to this question, you will be contacted by the College. You may be asked to provide more information and/or take steps that would allow you to meet the registration requirement.

If the College proposes to refuse your application, you will be provided with notice, written reasons, an opportunity to request a review and an opportunity to provide written submissions.

Does this requirement for registration apply to current registrants of the College?

It only applies to registrants of the College if a registrant is applying to move into specific registration classes, e.g. into the inactive class, or into the general class from the inactive class.

If you have any further questions or comments, please contact the Registration Department at registration@ocswssw.org.