Psychologists – Applicants

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Registered Psychologist

The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC grants registration to applicants who meet the registration requirements and standards established by the Health Professions Act (HPA), the Psychologists Regulation and the College Bylaws. The College confirms an applicant meets these standards through a careful review and validation of an applicant’s education, training and practice experience as well as requiring oral and written exams. All applicants are required to provide references from three licensed/registered psychologists. The College also requires a criminal records and national police records check and will examine an applicant’s history for any investigations, discipline or limitations on practice in other jurisdictions. The application process is detailed and thorough and ensures College registrants meet the high standard required to protect public health and safety.

Application Process

Selecting the Application Type

  • The first step is determining which type of application to make. This is based on several variables including where an applicant was educated, whether they currently hold registration in Canada or the US and other certifications. Applicants should carefully review this section of our website to determine which application is appropriate for them. They may also wish to consult this flow chart that sets out the various pathways to registration.

Document Collection

  • Once an applicant submits an application form, required enclosures and fee, the College does an initial review of the documentation to determine whether any immediate clarification is needed or if anything is missing. All applicants will receive an initial letter to acknowledge their application, any clarification required, outstanding items and the expiry date of their application.
  • During this phase, the College requests and/or files documentation received from third parties (e.g., referees, criminal records review program, transcripts, etc.) and reminds applicants of any outstanding information required in order to review their file.
  • The onus is on applicants to ensure that all required documentation is sent to the College.    

File Review

  • Once all documentation has been collected, the College reviews the application file to determine whether any additional information is required or if there are issues requiring further exploration. If there are no further questions and the file is determined to meet the basic registration criteria for their application category, the applicant will receive a letter permitting them to proceed to the examination phase of the process.
  • Applicants cannot proceed to the examination phase until it is determined that their education, training and experience and other general registration requirements have been met for the application type.

Examinations

  • Depending on the category of application that has been made, applicants are required to complete one or more examinations. More information regarding the required examinations can be found here.

Placement on the Register

  • Once all required examinations have been completed and applicants have received written notice that they’ve passed they will be informed that their file will go to the Registration Committee for a motion to place them on the Register. Once a motion has been made, the College sends an invoice for registration fees and a form for completion. Upon receipt of the completed form, fee and verification of professional liability insurance, the College will issue a registration number and certificate and the applicant will be added to the register as a registered psychologist.

To learn more about the application timeline, click here.

The standard for entry to practice as a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia is the completion of a Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) or American Psychological Association (APA) accredited doctoral degree in psychology completed in residence and a CPA or APA accredited 12-month pre-doctoral internship, or the equivalent. You can find more information about the doctoral program and internship requirements in the College Bylaws Schedule here and coursework information here. Find more information about CPA and APA accreditation here.

NOTE:  The Registration Committee considers that a doctoral program or pre-doctoral internship holding any form of conditional accreditation status with the CPA or APA, including “accredited, on probation” or “accredited, on contingency” status, is not deemed to be accredited for the purposes of the criteria in the College’s bylaws. An applicant who completed their degree or internship while the CPA or APA accreditation status of their doctoral program or internship was “on probation”, “on contingency” or subject to other conditions may be required to provide additional evidence to satisfy the Registration Committee that their degree or internship meets the criteria of the college bylaws.

Please select the type of application you will be making and follow the instructions below:

 

Educated in Canada or the United States

  • If you were trained in Canada or the US and have completed a CPA/APA accredited doctoral degree in psychology completed in residence and a full-time CPA/APA accredited 12-month internship, or the equivalent, then these are the steps you must complete to confirm eligibility. If your program of study or internship was not CPA or APA accredited and completed in residence, your application will require more information and may take more time to complete.
  • Complete the application process here 

Currently Registered in a Canadian jurisdiction

  • The Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) facilitates the mobility of workers across the country. Applicants currently registered in another Canadian jurisdiction as the equivalent of a registered psychologist may apply through a streamlined registration process in accordance with the BC Labour Mobility Act, the Agreement on Internal Trade, and the College’s Bylaws.
  • Complete the application process here

Currently licensed in the United States with SPQ or NRHSP Credential

  • Applicants who hold licensure in a United States jurisdiction as the equivalent of a registered psychologist and are either currently registered with the National Register of Health Service Psychologists (NRHSP) or currently holding a Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) issued by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) can apply through a streamlined registration process.
  • Complete the application process here 

Educated and/or licensed outside Canada or the United States

  • Applicants who have not completed their training in Canada or the United States and are not currently registered in either jurisdiction will require additional steps and resources to complete their application process. The College works to fairly and efficiently evaluate all applications to determine if they meet the standards for entry to practice in British Columbia.
  • Complete the application process here

Temporary (Visitor) registration

  • This class of registration is intended for applicants currently licensed or registered for active practice in another jurisdiction in Canada or the United States and wishing to practice in British Columbia on a temporary basis (e.g., providing expert testimony).
  • Complete the application process here

School Psychologist

The Minister of Health has approved changes to the Psychologists Regulation under the Health Professions Act (HPA), which brings school psychologists under the regulation of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC). The changes remove the exemption for non-registrant use of the title “school psychologist” and require all school psychologists to be registrants of CHCPBC after May 1, 2024. The changes also establish the restricted activities of psychology diagnosis and school psychology diagnosis for registered psychologists and school psychologists respectively.

Only registrants of the College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia may make a psychology diagnosis or a school psychology diagnosis after May 1, 2024. This change is in the interest of public safety and aligns the services provided by school psychologists with the requirements and expectations of other professionals regulated under the HPA. A copy of the revisions to the Psychologists Regulation is available at: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0304_2022

The revised Psychologists Regulation establishes that all school psychologists must be registrants of the CHCPBC after May 1, 2024. The British Columbia Association of School Psychologists (BCASP) and the CHCPBC collaborated to map out an expedited process for BCASP members to obtain registration as school psychologist registrants of the CHCPBC. This application stream is now closed.

Application Process

Selecting the Application Type

  • The first step is determining which type of application to make. Applicants make application on the basis of where they were educated.

Document Collection

  • Once an applicant submits an application form, required enclosures and fee, the College does an initial review of the documentation to determine whether any immediate clarification is needed or if there is anything missing. (Note that an application does not commence until the College receives, at minimum, the application form and fee). All applicants will receive an initial letter to acknowledge their application, any clarification required, outstanding items and the expiry date of their application.
  • During this phase, the College requests and / or files documentation received from third parties (e.g., referees, criminal records review program, transcripts, etc.) and reminds applicants of any outstanding information required in order to review their file.
  • The onus is on applicants to ensure that all required documentation is sent to the College.

File Review

  • Once all documentation has been collected, the College reviews the application file to determine whether any additional information is required or if there are issues requiring further exploration. If there are no further questions and the file is determined to meet the basic registration criteria for their application category, the applicant will receive a letter giving them permission to proceed to the examination phase of the process.
  • Applicants cannot proceed to the examination phase until it is determined that their education, training and experience and other general registration requirements have been met for the application type.

Examinations

  • Applicants are required to complete three examinations and an Orientation Workshop. More information regarding the required examinations and workshop can be found here.

Placement on the Register

  • Once the required examination(s) and workshops have been completed and applicants have received written notice that they’ve passed they will be informed that their file will go to the Registration Committee for a motion to place them on the Register.  Once a motion has been made, the College sends an invoice for registration fees and form for completion.  Upon receipt of the completed form, fee and verification of professional liability insurance the applicant will be added to the register as a licensed school psychologist.

Please select the type of application you will be making and follow the instructions below:

 

Educated in Canada or the United States

  • Applicants who completed their training in Canada or the United States.
  • Complete the application process here

 

Educated outside Canada or the United States

  • Applicants who completed their training outside Canada or the United States.
  • Complete the application process here 

Application Documents

Registered Psychologist Documents

School Psychologist Documents

Review by health professions review board (HRPB)

BC’s Health Professions Act (HPA) allows you to request the Health Professions Review Board to review a decision of the Registration Committee within 30 days of notification of the decision.

The Health Professions Review Board website provides information about their role and how to request a review.

English Language Proficiency Policy

Requirement: English Language Proficiency

Applicability: All applicants for registration are required to provide evidence that demonstrates their proficiency in English.

Principle(s): Effective communication is essential for the provision of competent, safe, and quality psychological services. Language proficiency enhances public protection by ensuring that registrants can communicate effectively with clients and other members of the healthcare team. For these reasons, the Registration Committee believes that applicants must provide evidence of language proficiency in English.

Most applicants will meet this requirement by virtue of the fact that their highest level psychology degree was completed at an English language university. In these cases, the transcript serves as evidence and no further documentation is required. 

Applicants who did not complete their degree at an English language university can learn more about how they can demonstrate proficiency in English by reading the English Language Proficiency Policy.

Extensions

Applications expire two years after receipt of the signed and notarized application form, subject to any extension(s) the College may grant, upon a request for an extension from an Applicant, with payment of an extension fee, as detailed below.

Applicants may, in writing, request a four-month extension of the two-year application period. Such requests must be made at least one month prior to the expiry date. Applicants may be granted a maximum of three extensions. The fee for each extension request is set out in the Fee Schedule, posted on the College’s website.

This fee may be waived, and/or the extension period extended, in extenuating circumstances such as an applicant`s serious medical condition with confirming documentation or where the applicant has spent significant time, actively responding to College generated queries or directives.  Currently, the College does not grant waivers on the basis of recent maternity or paternity.

Examinations

To request to take one of the examinations please contact exams@chcpbc.org with the correct form completed:

  1. Are you looking to apply as a registered psychologist or school psychologist
  2. Which exam you are requesting to take:

Registered Psychologist Requests

School Psychologist Requests

Re-Application

A former applicant may re-apply within two years of an application expiring or closing by submitting a new application form and fee. The re-application will carry forward the following documentation from the previous application: 1) references, 2) transcripts, 3) Written Jurisprudence Examination (WJE) scores, and 4) Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) scores (if applicable).

Certificates of professional qualifications, all criminal record checks, and at least one reference must be current (i.e., the referee must have had contact with the applicant within five years immediately preceding the date of application).  Re-applications will be reviewed according to the registration requirements in place at the time the applicant re-applies.

Regardless of what documents an applicant must re-submit for application purposes, the College may rely on previous information provided by any applicant, at its discretion, for any purpose consistent with its objectives, including assessing any application for registration and dealing with any post-registration disciplinary matter.

Applicant FAQs

These FAQs are intended to be useful in understanding the College’s mandate, policies, and procedures. Readers are advised that policies and procedures change. The College endeavours to update its FAQs and the website as efficiently as possible. The application of some procedures may depend upon the circumstances of a matter and therefore, may not occur the same way in every instance. The FAQs are for information purposes only and may not be relied upon as legal advice. To the extent that there are any inconsistencies between these FAQs and the provisions of the Health Professions Act or Part 4 of the College’s Bylaws, the provisions of the Act and Bylaws take precedence.

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