Audiologists – Registrants

What is Certified Practice?

CHCPBC’s first priority, as mandated by the BC government, is to protect the public by ensuring clients and patients receive safe, ethical, and competent care for the full range of services, including activities deemed higher risk by the Ministry of Health.

As set by the Ministry of Health, the Speech and Hearing Health Professionals Regulation outlines the higher-risk practices that require certification before a registrant can perform them independently. Certified practices involve above entry level requirements but may or may not involve restricted activities.

Certified Practice (CP) certificates provide registrants with independence and autonomy in specific practice areas that involve above entry level requirements. To be granted certification, registrants must first complete the relevant certification program. The Certified Practice & Above Entry Level Practice Standard of Practice (PDF) outlines overall certification program requirements and the overall certification process.

Certification Programs

There are 10 CP Certification programs for above entry level clinical practices. Read the prerequisites and program objectives for each CP Certification program (PDF).

Applying for Certification

Only Full registrants of CHCPBC may apply to commence and complete the program for a CP certificate. Certification is not available to Conditional, Temporary, or Non-practising registrants.

Each Certification Program details the specific prerequisites and the levels of supervision required during training. The Supervision Standard of Practice (PDF) describes what each level of supervision entails. All CP certificate supervisors must meet the qualifications for supervision outlined in the Supervision Standard of Practice and in some instances must be pre-approved by the College. See Certification program supervisors below for more information.

Different Certification Programs have different prerequisites and objectives, which registrants must understand and adhere to. All prerequisites must be met before the certification program commences. Full registration status must also be granted before an applicant may commence the certification program.

The timeframe for completion of a certification program can vary based on an individual applicant’s program needs and objective requirements within a particular certification program. Applications will be rejected if all prerequisites were not met prior to commencing the program and/or program objective(s) are not satisfactorily completed.

Registrants with questions about certification program prerequisites and program objectives should contact CCHPBC by email: certification@chcpbc.org.

To apply for commencement of a certification program, download and complete the Application for Certification form (PDF). Then log in to the Registrant Portal, navigate to “Certified Practice”, and click “Yes” next to “Apply for a Certified Practice certificate” to submit the completed form and pay the $100 application fee (per certificate). Once pre-approved by the Registration Committee, you will be issued a copy of the certification program, which outlines the objectives that must be completed under supervision.

Important: All certification programs must be completed within three years of receiving CCHPBC pre-approval to initiate the program.

Certification program supervisors

Important: It is the responsibility of the registrant completing a certification program to ensure their supervisor is appropriately qualified, in line with the Supervision Standard of Practice (PDF). Eligibility criteria include that the supervisor themselves holds the relevant CP certificate and has done so for at least six months. All CP certificate supervisors must meet the qualifications for supervision outlined in the Supervision Standard of Practice and in some instances – for example where the proposed supervisor is not a CHCPBC registrant – must be pre-approved by the College. Instances of an applicant training under a supervisor who does not meet the certified practice supervisory qualification requirements may be referred to the Inquiry Committee and would be subject to possible disciplinary action.

Once the certified practice program commences, a formal request to change or add certification program supervisors is required. To request a change to, or addition of, a certification program supervisor, registrants must download the Request for Additional Certification Program Supervisor form (PDF). Submit your completed form to certification@chcpbc.org.

Registration Committee review

Final decision-making authority with respect to granting certification rests with the Registration Committee. The Committee will provide reasons for its decision and the registrant will be notified.

Review of completed certification programs falls under two broad categories:

• Standard reviews – where it is clear that each of the certification program requirements is met.
• Non-standard reviews – where it is unclear that one or more of the requirements is met.

The Registration Committee delegates authority to the CHCPBC Registrar to approve standard applications; however, non-standard applications must be reviewed by the Registration Committee. These applications generally take longer to be processed given it can take time to gather any additional relevant information and have the Registration Committee consider the matter.

When a registrant is granted certification, the College will advise them of the expiry date of that CP certificate. This expiry date will be on March 31 in the third year following the year that the certificate was issued. When CP certificates are renewed, they are valid for three full years.

Certification renewal

CP certificates must be renewed before the end of the March 31 registration renewal period in the registration year they expire. Renewal of CP certificates is contingent on:

• Holding Full registration classification.
• Making the required declarations, including declaring continued provision of the services authorized by the certificate.
• Completing and reporting a minimum of 4 Continuing Competency Credits (CCCs) as relevant to the area of practice pertaining to that CP certificate.

Important: Continuing to practice under the scope of an expired CP certificate constitutes unlawful practice, which is subject to disciplinary action by the College.

For more information  

Questions about Certified Practice should be sent to certification@chcpbc.org.

Registrants who wished to renew their registration for 2024/2025, as Registered Audiologists (RAUDs), Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioners (RHIPs), or Registered Speech-Language Pathologists (RSLPs) in BC, and maintain their Full, Conditional, and/or Non-practising registration, had a registration renewal deadline of March 31, 2024.

In addition, registrants with certification(s) (Certified Practice certificates) expiring on March 31, 2024 who wished to renew the certification(s), were required to renew them by that deadline.

Renewal of registration and certification is done on the Registrant Portal.

Registration renewal requirements

The following are annual registration renewal requirements that must be met in order to be eligible to renew your registration:

Before renewing, please ensure the following registration renewal requirements have been met before the deadline:

• You hold valid professional liability insurance.
• You have completed the online learning courses for Jurisprudence and Client Consent (mandatory for all registrants registered with the College on or after April 1, 2023). 
• Any outstanding fees and/or fines have been paid.
  

If you are a Non-practising registrant wishing to renew as a Full registrant, there may be additional requirements for you to meet before your status can be granted (for example, providing updated information documentation such as proof that you meet the College’s Quality Assurance (QA) requirements, verification of registration from another regulator, and updated proof of your eligibility to work in Canada). 

Registrants intending to request a status change were advised that there is no guarantee that status changes can be processed before the registration renewal deadline if requested too close to the deadline. Registrants planning a registration classification status change who did not request the status change sufficiently in advance were advised to renew in their current registration classification(s) and request a status change after April 1, 2024.

Consequences of not renewing your registration by the deadline

Registrants who did not renew their registration with CSHBC by the deadline of March 31, 2024, had their registration cancelled automatically, regardless of the reason they failed to renew. Once a person’s registration is cancelled, the person becomes a former registrant and is not legally entitled to practise or use a reserved title in BC. 

Registration reinstatement

Registrants who intended to practise in the 2024/2025 registration year but who did not renew their registration by March 31, 2024, were required to apply for reinstatement. Applications for reinstatement were accepted between April 1 and April 30, 2024. During the reinstatement application period, you cannot practise or use a reserved title until your application has been approved. Applications for reinstatement received after midnight on April 30, 2024, were not accepted.

Reinstatement applicants must pay a reinstatement fee of $500 per registration, in addition to regular renewal fees.  

Unlawful practice & unlawful use of reserved titles

Practising, or using any of the reserved titles set out under the Speech and Hearing Health Professionals Regulation, after the registration renewal deadline, without renewing your registration(s), will be in contravention of the Health Professions Act and constitute unlawful practice and/or unlawful use of a reserved title.

The College actively enforces against unlawful practice and unlawful use of a reserved title as part of its legislated public protection mandate. The College may take legal action against anyone who engages in unlawful practice or unlawful use of a reserved title. 

Certification renewal requirements

Renewal of certification(s) is contingent on:

• Making the required declarations, including declaring continued provision of the services authorized by the certificate.
• Completing and reporting a minimum of four (4) Continuing Competency Credits (CCCs) as relevant to the area of practice pertaining to that certificate.
  
• Completing and reporting a minimum of twenty (20) practice hours as relevant to the area of practice pertaining to that certificate. Given that a certificate may expire sooner than three (3) years from the April 2, 2024 effective date of the prescribed practice hour requirement, the specific practice hour requirement will be determined on a pro-rated basis as outlined below:
  

  Expiration date of CP certificate	Minimum practice hour requirement
  March 31, 2025	7 practice hours
  March 31, 2026	14 practice hours
  March 31, 2027	20 practice hours

For more information about the practice hours requirement specific to certification renewal, please refer to the Notice to the Professions (PDF) dated April 3, 2024.

Registrants who did not renew their expiring certification(s) by the deadline must cease engaging in the relevant certified practice(s); continuing to perform these activities would constitute unlawful practice, subject to legal action by the College. In addition, such registrants must not indicate that they hold certificates that have expired.

Certification reinstatement

Registrants who did not renew their expiring certification(s) by the deadline, could apply to reinstate them. Applications for certification reinstatement were accepted between April 1 and April 30, 2024. Registrants must pay a reinstatement fee of $50 per certificate in addition to the certification renewal fee.

During the reinstatement application period, registrants are not legally entitled to perform the relevant activity(ies) in BC until they receive notification from the College that their application has been approved. Applications for certification reinstatement received more than 30 days after the certificate was cancelled will not be accepted.

After more than 30 days, registrants must re-apply for the relevant certification under the College Bylaws.

For more information

See the Registration & Certified Practice Certificate Renewal policy (PDF) for information regarding renewal requirements, and the consequences of not meeting these.

Under the College Bylaws, all Full, Conditional, Temporary and Temporary (teaching) registrants must at all times maintain professional liability insurance that (i) is in the amount of at least $2,000,000 per claim and in a form satisfactory to the Board, and (ii) covers the registrant and any non-registrant to whom they delegate an aspect of practice, against liability arising from an error, omission or negligent act that occurs in the practice of their profession. 

When renewing their registration, registrants must submit a declaration confirming they have the required insurance in place. If they do not have the required insurance, they will be unable to renew their registration.

Non-practising registrants applying to convert back to Full registration status will also need to submit a declaration confirming they have the required insurance. If they do not, their status change application will not be approved.

Note that employers such as health authorities, school districts, and other government agencies typically have insurance in place for their employees that meets the College’s requirements. Registrants are responsible for checking the details of any insurance provided by their employer and confirming that it meets these requirements. If it does not, they must obtain your own professional liability insurance. Note that the College does not provide insurance advice or recommend insurers to registrants; this is outside of the scope of the College’s role as a regulatory body.

Registrants can change registration classifications from:

• Full to Non-practising registration 
• Non-practising to Full registration
• Conditional to Full registration

General guidelines on how to change registration classification

Important: Registrants wishing to change registration classifications:

• during the current registration year (April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025) should do so in the Registrant Portal under “Registration Change Request”, and follow the steps outlined below.
• for the next registration year (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026) should do so in the Registrant Portal under “Registration Renewal” during the registration renewal period. Do not use “Registration Change Request” during the registration renewal period, which typically starts at the beginning of February and concludes at the end of March. If approved, change requests submitted via the Registrant Portal during the registration renewal period are valid on April 1, the start of the registration year. This date could be later, depending upon the date that the renewal is approved.

Changing from Full to Non-practising

Different registration change requests have varied steps. Registrants who are converting from Full to Non-practising registration should understand the implications of converting to Non-practising, and what is involved in converting back to Full registration.

Registrants who change to Non-practising registration should also understand that they are still subject to Quality Assurance (QA) Program requirements. Non-practising registrants are subject to Continuing Competency Credit (CCC) and Practice Hour (PH)  requirements. Registrants who fail to meet CCC or PH requirements must submit and obtain approval for a deficiency plan.

Changing from Full to Non-practising registration requires either:

• submitting a registration change request in the Registrant Portal (for the current registration year); or
• renewing a registration in the Registrant Portal (for the next registration year).

Both include a declaration that the registrant will not practise while holding Non-practising registration.

Note: No refunds of registration fees are provided. Paid Full registration fees are not refunded when a registrant converts from Full to Non-practising registration. 

Changing from Non-practising to Full

The process for changing from Non-practising to Full registration is more involved:

• Registrants must submit the relevant application and pay the Full registration fee of $950 for the entire year. For those submitting a registration classification change application for a second and third registration, an additional fee of $150 applies for each additional Full registration. Fees are prorated every quarter; after each quarter that passes, the fee drops by $237.50 for the first registration or by $37.50 for each additional Full registration. Registrants are charged the Full registration fee with fee differences credited back by the College. 

Note: Fees already paid towards Non-practising registration cannot be used towards the Full registration fee. 

• After a registration change request has been submitted, CSHBC staff will contact registrants individually with further instructions and requirements. Requirements will differ depending on the registrant’s circumstances and history with the College. 

After submitting the application and paying the fee, remaining requirements include:

• Proof of entitlement to work in Canada.
• Verification of registration from any other health regulatory body(ies) a registrant is or has ever been regulated by. This must be dated within 60 days of the application and specify the particulars of any cancellation, suspension, limitation, or conditions on the registrant’s entitlement to practise or any investigation, review, or proceeding that could lead to one of those outcomes.
• Proof of completion of the requirements of the College’s QA Program, consisting of Continuing Competency Credit (CCC) and Practice Hour requirements, including providing a Record of Employment (ROE) or a completed Confirmation of Practice Hours form (PDF). For more information, see the Notice to the Professions on QAPP Program requirements that apply to Non-practising registrants.
• Proof of professional liability insurance
• Completion of a set of disclosure and declaration questions regarding the registrant’s fitness to practise and good character.

Important: Registration classification change requests are considered complete only when the College confirms with the registrant in writing that their application has been approved.

Changing from Conditional to Full registration

There is no application required to change from Conditional to Full registration. 

Once a Conditional registrant completes their professional entry-to-practice examination(s), the College will automatically convert a Conditional registrant to Full registration. The College will confirm with the registrant when this change has been made. 

See the Conditional Registration Requirements (PDF) and Entry-to-Practice-Examination Requirements (PDF) policies for further information. 

Use of reserved titles

Registrants must at all times use reserved titles in compliance with the Health Professions Act and the Speech and Hearing Health Professionals Regulation. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary and legal action by the College. 

Authorization to practise

Only Full registrants and Conditional registrants (when under supervision) may practise their profession. 

Non-practising registrants are not authorized to practise. Unlawful practice is taken very seriously by the College and is subject to disciplinary and legal action.