Registration Requirements and How to Meet Them

To practise as a Respiratory Therapist in Ontario, you must be registered with the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario (CRTO). You may not work as a Respiratory Therapist or use the Respiratory Therapist title or designation (e.g., GRT, RRT) in Ontario until you have received written confirmation from the CRTO that your certificate of registration has been issued. Working as an RT includes participating in an employer clinical orientation or training.

This section is designed to help applicants for registration understand the CRTO’s registration requirements.

1. Education

Requirement

An applicant for registration must:

  1. Have graduated from an approved Canadian Respiratory Therapy program; or
  2. Have demonstrated through the CRTO assessment process that he or she has the required entry-to-practice competencies.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

Graduates of approved RT programs:

  • Official (final) transcript of academic record from an approved RT program – you must request that your school send a copy of your final transcript directly to the CRTO.
  • Recent graduates – the CRTO may accept an email confirmation of successful completion of an educational program (e.g., a letter from the program director) before your final transcript is available. However, the official transcript must be received within eight weeks of completing the program.

Applicants educated outside of Canada, please see the Application and Assessment Guide for detailed information about the assessment process.

2. Examination

Requirement

An applicant for a General Certificate of Registration must have completed the Health Professionals Testing Canada (HTPC) examination.

Note: Before completing the approved examination, an applicant may be granted a Graduate (temporary) Certificate of Registration.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

Provide a photocopy of your HPTC exam results letter.

3. Language proficiency

Requirement

An applicant for registration must be able to communicate effectively in English or French in a health care environment.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

You will meet that language fluency requirement if:

  • your first language is English or French; or
  • the language of your RT program instruction was English or French; or
  • you have achieved an acceptable score on a CRTO accepted language test, please refer to our Language Proficiency Policy for approved tests and scores.

4. Eligibility to work in Canada

Requirement

An applicant for registration must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada or be authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of Respiratory Therapy.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

Provide proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residency status or a valid work permit, for example:

  • a copy of a birth certificate, current passport, or Canadian Citizenship Card; or
  • a copy of a valid permanent residency card, or
  • a copy of a record of landing, or
  • a copy of a valid work permit issued under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2001.

If you do not currently meet this requirement, you may still begin the application process.

5. Two-year Currency requirement

Requirement

An applicant for registration must have graduated from his or her RT program within the two years immediately preceding the application for registration unless the applicant was practicing Respiratory Therapy within that two-year period.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

If you have graduated in the past two years, you will meet the currency requirement.

If you graduated more than two years ago, you will need to provide evidence of respiratory therapy practice in the past two years (e.g., complete the Employment Verification Form).

For more information, please see the Registration Currency Requirement Policy.

6. Suitability to Practice / Good Character

Requirement

An applicant for a certificate of registration must:

  1. fully disclose details of any criminal offence of which the applicant has been found guilty, including any offence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) or the Food and Drugs Act (Canada).
  2. fully disclose details of every professional misconduct, incompetence, incapacity or other similar proceeding that he or she is the subject of and that relates to his or her registration or licensure in Ontario in another profession or in another jurisdiction in respiratory therapy or another profession.
  3. fully disclose details of every finding of professional misconduct, incompetence, incapacity or other similar finding that he or she previously has been the subject of while registered or licensed in Ontario in another profession or in another jurisdiction in respiratory therapy or another profession.
  4. In addition, the applicant must satisfy the CRTO that his or her past and present conduct afford reasonable grounds for belief that the applicant,
    1. is mentally competent to practise respiratory therapy,
    2. will practise respiratory therapy with decency, integrity and honesty and in accordance with the law, and
    3. will display an appropriately professional attitude.

How to demonstrate that you meet the requirement?

As part of your application, you will be required to answer a series of questions about your suitability to practice. For example, you will be asked about:

  • any offences and bail conditions
  • your RT practice;
  • practice in other professions;
  • your conduct as a student
  • your ability to practise Respiratory therapy safely and ethically.

If you hold (or have held) a license or registration to practise respiratory therapy outside of Ontario, and/or if you hold (or have held) a license or registration to practise another profession, you need to complete the Registration Verification Form. Please forward the form to the appropriate organization and have them complete it and return it directly to the CRTO.

If you have been practising as a Respiratory Therapist (or in a related filed) in the last five years, you need to complete the Employment Verification Form. Please forward the form to all your employers in the last five years, and have them complete it and return it directly to the CRTO.

If the Registrar has concerns about your ability to practise respiratory therapy safely and ethically, your application will be referred to the Registration Committee for a review. For more information, please refer to the Determining Applicants’ Suitability to Practice Fact Sheet. 

Applicants who do not meet the CRTO registration requirements will be referred to the Registration Committee for consideration.