Applying as an Intern

You must apply for a certificate of registration as a Registered Intern optician to challenge the National Eyeglass and Contact Lens Examinations. If you have not yet challenged the examinations but wish to do so, you may submit an application for a certificate of registration as a registered intern optician if you:

• have successfully completed and graduated from an opticianry program approved by the College in the three years prior to the date of the application; or 
• were required by the Registration Committee to complete additional training, and have completed this training.

Your certificate of registration as a Registered  Intern optician will remain valid for three years from the date you first became eligible for registration as an intern optician, or until successful completion of national examinations, whichever comes first. To extend your certificate of registration beyond the expiry date, you must apply to the Registration Committee to be granted a renewal or extension.

To apply to the College as a registered intern optician, please complete the application form below and submit the following:

• A passport photo taken within 6 months of the application date. The photo may be sent as a hard copy or in a high-resolution digital format.
• A letter confirming completion of your opticianry program.
• Evidence of successful completion of a practicum or demonstration of practical experience equivalent to the said practicum.  Graduates of approved education programs may submit a letter from their program verifying completion of the practicum. Unaccredited education applicants may submit a Verification of Dispensing Experience Form, confirming that they have acquired practical fitting and dispensing experience outlined in the Practicum Policy.
• Notarized copies of your proof of name and employment eligibility documents.
• If applicable, a Certificate of Standing Form and letters of standing from any governing body with which you are registered in any jurisdiction.
• If applicable, proof of graduation from any post-secondary program you may have completed outside of opticianry.

For application processing times, please refer to the Registration Timelines Policy.

Please note that effective December 1, 2024, paper applications will no longer be accepted except when accommodation is required or for French language applicants.

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Please note that you are not required to provide proof of professional liability insurance as part of your application for a certificate of registration as a Registered Intern optician.

Intern opticians may apply for a certificate of registration as a Registered Optician upon successful completion of the National Eyeglass and Contact Lens Examinations.

Appeals

Registration department or Committee decisions can be appealed to the College’s Registration Appeal Panel (RAP), and further to the Health Professions Review and Appeal Board (HPARB). Applicants are provided with information about the review process when they are issued a decision letter.

Applicants choosing to appeal will not be subject to any repercussions from the College.