Members
Members can obtain a Certificate of Standing or a Letter of Standing from the College. There are two steps:
- Complete and return the Consent Authorization Form to the College
- Make a payment for either a Letter of Standing or Certificate of Standing. If you are unsure which item you require, please check with the third party that requires the Letter or Certificate.
The College of Optometrists of Ontario will not prepare and release these documents without a member’s or former member’s prior written consent.
Processing Time
It may take up to 10 business days to process a Letter or Certificate of Standing.
The College prepares and sends electronic copies of Letters and Certificates of Standing. Before placing an order for a Letter(s)/Certificate(s), make sure that you confirm with any third-party recipients that electronic copies are accepted. If electronic copies are not accepted, confirm the mailing instructions within your Consent Authorization Form. Otherwise, you may be responsible for ordering another Certificate at your own cost.
Fees
| Item | Fee | HST | Total |
| Certificate of Standing | $105.00 | 13.65 | 118.65 |
| Letter of Good Standing | $32.00 | 4.16 | 36.16 |
Schedule of Fees and Penalties—Effective January 1, 2020. All of the following fees are in Canadian funds and subject to 13% HST.
Applicants
Applicants who are licensed or registered to practise optometry or any other regulated health profession anywhere outside Ontario, must arrange for the licensing body where they practised to complete a Certificate of Standing outlining their status in all jurisdictions.
The Certificate of Standing must be dated no more than six months before your Certificate of Registration is issued. The Certificate of Standing must be dated no earlier than six months before the date you become registered. For example, if you complete all the requirements for registration on September 1, the Certificate of Standing must be dated on or after March 1 of that same year. If you provide a Certificate of Standing and then take longer than six months to complete the other requirements for registration, you will be required to arrange for a new Certificate of Standing to complete your application for registration.
A Certificate of Standing form validates the following:
- that an applicant is currently or has been registered to practise optometry in another jurisdiction and if they have good standing status; and
- whether they have licence revocations or suspensions, quality assurance, continuing education, disciplinary action, findings, or allegations of professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity.
Who fills out the Certificate of Standing Form?
A Certificate of Standing form is available from the College or on the College website (under Resources/Forms).
The form must be completed by the regulatory optometry authority or any other regulated health profession in each jurisdiction where you practised and emailed directly to registration@collegeoptom.on.ca or mailed to the College for verification.
If you currently live outside of Canada, it may be helpful to have the Certificate of Standing form completed by the appropriate governing authority in your country before immigrating to Canada.
Visit the Applicants section on the College website to learn more about application requirements for registration.