This section provides a summary of the final steps of the SEAS process, including what to expect after receiving your determination and how to proceed in your journey to obtaining full licensure to practice as an OT in Canada.

Steps Following Determination

Once you have completed all the SEAS assessments and a determination has been made as to whether or not you have met substantial equivalency, your next steps are as follows.

If substantial equivalency has been met:

• You will receive a SEAS Determination Report and Certificate of Substantial Equivalency within 30 days of the date of the Determination Committee’s decision or within 30 days of the date of your Competency Assessment (CA) if you met the minimum requirements for all SEAS assessments.
• You will also receive a Release of Information form to permit SEAS to forward your relevant SEAS documents to a provincial regulatory college. You must sign and initial the form where required and indicate the provincial regulatory college where you want your SEAS documents to be sent.
• SEAS will then forward your SEAS documents to the provincial regulatory college within 30 days of receipt of your completed form. Incomplete forms cannot be processed and will be returned.

Note: SEAS will not send documents to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). Please be sure that you indicate a specific provincial regulatory college, and not CAOT, on the Release of Information form. After you have completed and submitted your Release of Information form, you must contact the provincial regulatory college to begin the registration process.

Note: The Certificate of Substantial Equivalency issued by SEAS will be valid for three years for the purpose of eligibility to apply for registration with a provincial regulatory college.

If you are required to complete gap-filling to achieve substantial equivalency:

• You will receive a SEAS Determination Report within 30 days of the date of the Determination Committee’s decision. The Determination Report will outline your gaps and the requirements for gap-filling.
• Gap-filling requirements must be successfully completed within one year of the date of the Determination Report.
• When SEAS receives evidence of successful completion of the required gap-filling, you will have met substantial equivalency. You will receive a Final Determination Report and Certificate of Substantial Equivalency.
• You will also receive a Release of Information form to permit SEAS to forward your relevant SEAS documents to a provincial regulatory college. You must sign and initial the form where required and indicate the provincial regulatory college where you want your SEAS documents to be sent.
• SEAS will then forward your SEAS documents to the provincial regulatory college within 30 days of receipt of your completed form. Incomplete forms cannot be processed and will be returned.

Note: SEAS will not send documents to the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT). Please be sure that you indicate a specific provincial regulatory college, and not CAOT, on the Release of Information form. After you have completed and submitted your Release of Information form, you must contact the provincial regulatory college to begin the registration process.

Note: The Certificate of Substantial Equivalency issued by SEAS will be valid for three years for the purpose of eligibility to apply for registration with a provincial regulatory college.

If you are not substantially equivalent:

You will receive a SEAS Determination Report within 30 days of the date of the Determination Committee’s decision. The Determination Report will outline your gaps.

National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE)

SEAS is the first step in becoming registered to practice as an OT in Canada. If you have met substantial equivalency through SEAS, you can then apply for registration/licensure with one of the PROVINCIAL REGULATORS in Canada. As part of the registration process, the provincial regulator will provide you with permission to write the NOTCE, which is a step in obtaining full licensure to practice in Canada.