The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is seeking feedback from interested parties on the following proposed initiatives:
- Alternative Documentation Policy: The College is developing a policy that will outline when and how applicants may provide alternative evidence of their education and/or experience when standard documentation is not available due to circumstances beyond their control.
- Parallel Registration Processing Plan: The College is also developing a registration plan that would allow applicants to complete multiple registration steps at the same time.
These proposed initiatives aim to streamline the registration process, reduce delays and increase fairness, transparency and accessibility for all applicants, whether trained in Canada or internationally.
How to Share Your Feedback
We invite you to complete this online survey by August 26 to share your feedback. Your input will be carefully reviewed and considered as we work to finalize policies that support a fair and efficient registration process.
TAKE THE SURVEY HERE
Why is the College making these changes?
In 2024, the Ontario Government passed the Working for Workers Five Act, which introduced new legal obligations for professions regulated under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 (FARPACTA) to:
- Accept reasonable alternative documentation when applicants cannot obtain standard documents for reasons beyond their control.
- Enable concurrent (parallel) processing of registration requirements, where appropriate.
The College is taking steps to ensure that the Alternative Documentation Policy and the Parallel Registration Processing Plan are ready for review and approval by the Ontario Government by January 1, 2026.
What do these changes mean for applicants?
The proposed Alternative Documentation Policy will outline:
- When and how applicants can submit alternative forms of evidence of their education or practice experience if the original documents are unavailable due to:
- War, natural disasters, or conflict
- Institutions that are closed, unresponsive, or unwilling to issue documents
- Situations where seeking documents could place the applicant at risk
- What types of alternative evidence will be accepted
- A process for submitting requests, including:
- Acknowledgement of receipt within 10 business days
- Clear timelines for review and decision-making
- Transparent criteria for acceptance or rejection of alternatives
This policy will be particularly relevant for internationally educated applicants who have faced barriers accessing documents from previous institutions.
The proposed Parallel Registration Processing Plan will:
- Allow applicants to complete multiple steps of the registration process at the same time (e.g., credential evaluation by the third party and background checks), rather than waiting for each step to finish before the next can start.
- Provide applicants with options to choose between completing steps one at a time (sequentially) or at the same time (in parallel), where appropriate.
- Provide clear information upfront about:
- What steps can be completed in parallel
- Potential risks (e.g., cost implications if a step must be repeated)
- Clear and transparent timelines
- Fees associated with each component
The plan will aim to reduce delays and allow applicants to move through the process more efficiently, especially when one step takes longer than anticipated.
For questions or further assistance, please email the Registration and Renewals Department at info@ocswssw.org