As of October 1, 2025, the registration requirements for all College applicants include submitting a vulnerable sector check. This includes previous registrants reapplying for registration and current registrants applying for another category of registration (e.g. a social service work registrant applies for a certificate of registration in social work). Including a vulnerable sector check as a registration requirement is an additional tool to safeguard the public from potential harm. It also aligns the College with other regulatory bodies, including other Canadian social work regulators, most of which have vulnerable sector checks as part of their registration process.
Applicants will not be automatically disqualified from being approved to register with the College if the vulnerable sector check brings up a finding. Each instance will be considered on a case-by-case basis, using an equity lens.
We are committed to implementing this registration requirement in such a way that it does not perpetuate the historical and ongoing harm caused to Black, Indigenous and racialized individuals as a result of racist and discriminatory policing and legal processes.
If there is a finding on the vulnerable sector check, the College will review the information provided by the applicant and determine whether additional background information is required.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some police services in Ontario, including Ottawa Police Services, London Police Services, Halton Police Services and Waterloo Police Services will not issue vulnerable sector checks for the purposes of registering with a regulatory body. If your local police service will not issue you a vulnerable service check, applicants must:
- Apply for and submit a Level 2 Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check instead; and
- Sign an undertaking with the College that states they will submit a current vulnerable sector check when it becomes available (for example, once obtaining employment).
Applicants apply for a vulnerable sector check through their local police service. This includes applicants who live outside Ontario but within Canada.
Each police service has a slightly different application process; you can find details by checking their website or giving them a call.
According to several Ontario police services, on average, it takes ten business days for a vulnerable sector check to be processed. However, each local police service has a slightly different process and timeframe, and applicants should reach out to their appropriate policing organization for more information. For example, during times of high volume, it can take several months for a vulnerable sector check to be processed at certain policing organizations.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to pay for the vulnerable sector check. Each local police organization sets the price for obtaining a vulnerable sector check, and most in Ontario fall between $35 and $75.
The College will consider vulnerable sector checks valid for six months. Applicants can use an already completed vulnerable sector check in their College application, as long as their full College application is submitted within six months of the vulnerable sector check being completed.
Even if the College application is still going through the approval process after the six months have passed, a vulnerable sector check will still be considered valid, as long as the College application was submitted before the six-month period deadline.
Students who completed a vulnerable sector check for their last practicum placement over six months ago can contact the College at registration@ocswssw.org before applying for a new vulnerable sector check.
Vulnerable sector checks are only available to individuals living in Canada. International applicants, including applicants residing in the United States, must request a Certified Criminal Record Check (CCRC) from the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). More information on the application process can be found on the RCMP website.
Applicants who have an accredited degree in social work or accredited diploma in social service work can apply for a vulnerable sector check at any point throughout their application process with the College.
Equivalency stream applicants should not submit a vulnerable sector check with their application. Only equivalency stream applicants who are eligible to move onto the evaluation or registration phase are required to complete a vulnerable sector check. The College will inform equivalency stream applicants if they are eligible to move onto the next step, and that a vulnerable sector check must be submitted at that time.
Questions?
Contact the College’s Registration and Renewals Department:
- registration@ocswssw.org
- 416-972-9882 or 1-877-828-9380 (toll free)