Employed as a PSW in Ontario
HSCPOA’s Path 2: Employed as a PSW in Ontario (legacy pathway) provides a way for as many long-standing Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in the province to become registered. HSCPOA’s legacy pathway will close on December 1, 2027.
You are eligible for Path 2: Employed as a PSW in Ontario if you have been employed as a PSW in Ontario in the past three years, AND meet the requirements of either option A or B (listed below):
A. Experience Only: You did not complete formal PSW education and learned your PSW skills on the job. You must have been employed as a PSW (or equivalent) within the past three years in Ontario and worked a minimum of 600 hours, OR
B. Experience Plus Education: You completed your PSW education in Ontario before July 1, 2014, OR you completed your personal care provider education outside Ontario. Option B does not require a minimum of 600 hours of employment in the past three years, but the PSW’s prior education must have been at least 600 hours long.
Path 2 requires your employer to complete a Confirmation of Employment and Personal Support Worker Skills Form and send this form directly to HSCPOA at: registration@hscpoa.com. Your employer must fall under one of the categories of employers listed on the form.
Closure of Path 2
While PSW registration with HSCPOA is currently voluntary in Ontario, the Ministry of Health may make registration mandatory in the future.
HSCPOA’s best advice for PSWs who are only eligible through Path 2 is to become registered before December 1, 2027.
After December 1, 2027, once Path 2 has closed, a PSW educated in Ontario before July 1, 2014, must upskill to qualify for registration with HSCPOA under Path 1: Ontario PSW Education. Applicants who completed a 600-hour personal support services education program outside Ontario in Canada, who are not eligible for HSCPOA’s Labour Mobility registration pathway, or those internationally educated, can apply through Path 4: Competency Assessment.
Long-Term Care Settings
PSWs working in licensed long-term care homes in Ontario must meet the PSW qualifications under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021. HSCPOA has developed a resource to aid in understanding HSCPOA Registration for PSWs Employed in Long-Term Care Settings.
Documentation Requirements:
Confirmation of Employment and Personal Support Worker Skills form from a current employer, or an employer the applicant worked for in the previous three years. Consult your employer if a streamlined approach is being used;
A certificate or diploma demonstrating you have successfully completed a personal support services education program, if applying through option B;
A transcript from your personal support services education program, if applying through option B;
NOTE: If your certificate/diploma or transcript does not confirm your personal support services education program was at least 600 hours long (including both class time and practical experience time), you must submit other supporting documentation;
Proof of language proficiency, as required in the Language Proficiency Policy;
Government-issued Photo ID – a driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued photo identification (Canadian provincial health cards are not accepted);
Headshot photo – for confirmation of identification;
Criminal Record Check (Criminal Record and Judicial Matters (CRJM) or Vulnerable Sector Check), within the past 12 months
Name change documentation, if applicable;
Letter of Standing – If you are currently or were previously registered with another profession or occupation inside or outside of Canada (excludes membership in a professional association).
ATTENTION APPLICANTS: The documents you submit in your HSCPOA application will be verified. Falsifying any information may result in HSCPOA refusing your application for PSW registration.
Resources:
View Instructional Video: HSCPOA’s Path 2 – How To Apply
For more details, please refer to HSCPOA’s Application Guide for PSWs.
