Step 1: Pick a Province

Step 1

The first step in the PLAR process is to research the provinces and decide where you want to live and work. Each Canadian province has a regulatory board responsible for licensing opticians; you must register with your province’s regulatory board. 

In Ontario, opticians must register for a single license that covers both eyeglasses and contact lenses to practice, but in most other provinces you will register for eyeglass and contact lens licenses separately. In those provinces, Contact Lens Practitioner is an additional designation beyond your eyeglass license. In British Columbia, you may also register for Automated Refracting. NACOR administers PLAR for all the provincial regulatory boards except Quebec.

Step 2: Application and Document Review

Step 2

Next, you must apply for PLAR through the regulatory body in your province of choice. You will submit your application form and documents for approval. 

You can find the application forms and required documents for each province here: 

British Columbia

British Columbia

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Alberta 

Alberta

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Manitoba

Manitoba

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency

New Brunswick

New Brunswick

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form (English)

PLAR Application Form (French)

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Click here for the PLAR Application form:

PLAR Application Form

Documents to submit:

  • Completed application form  
  • Two passport photos 
  • Details of work experience 
  • Letters of personal reference and professional competency 
  • Transcripts of formal education 
  • Additional documentation
    • Professional examination results 
    • Letters of registration or licensure from outside of Canada 
    • ICES, IQAS or WES 
    • Language proficiency 

Ontario

Ontario

If you want to become licensed in Ontario, contact the College of Opticians of Ontario for application information.

Quebec

Quebec

If you are interested in becoming licensed in Quebec, contact the Ordre des opticiens d’ordonnances du Quebec.

When you complete your PLAR application you must choose what areas you want to be licensed in (eyeglasses, contact lenses, automated refracting).

After your documents have been reviewed, if your application is successful you may then move on to the next step.

Step 3: Complete the PLAR Skills Assessment

Step 3

The next step is to complete an online skills assessment, called the Competency Gap Analysis (CGA). The CGA is a multiple choice assessment based on the National Competencies for Canadian Opticians. The CGA consists of four sections:

  • Professional Practice
  • Eyeglasses and Low Vision 
  • Contact Lenses
  • Refraction

The CGA will help determine any gaps in your knowledge that you need to improve on. It is important to note that the CGA is not a test that you pass or fail. The CGA is a way for us to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses according to National Competencies for Canadian Opticians

The CGA is supervised by NACOR and takes place entirely online; because this assessment is virtual, you can complete the CGA from your home country if you are not currently living in Canada. 

The cost for the CGA is $350.00 plus applicable taxes for each section. 

For more information on the competencies assessed in each section of the CGA and the time limits for each section, consult the blueprint.

Step 4: PLAR Results

Step 4

NACOR will send your CGA results to the regulatory board in the province where you want to become a licensed optician. The provincial regulatory board will then send you a Reasons and Decisions letter. Your PLAR results will tell you if your skills and knowledge are “Above”, “At”, or “Below” those of a recent Canadian graduate. If the CGA determines you are already “At” or “Above” the level of a recent graduate, you will be eligible to write the national exam (you can skip Step 5 and move on to Step 6).

 If you rank “Below” on any of the competencies, you will be assigned bridging that you must complete before you will be eligible to write the national examination.

The bridging modules are available for you to review on the NACOR website.

Step 5: Upgrading

Step 5

If you are assigned bridging modules, you will have one year to complete them. The bridging modules are located on the NACOR website and can be accessed anytime.

Note: At the end of your bridging module, you will find an accompanying post-test. You must pass the post-test to complete the bridging module. Once all of your assigned bridging is complete, you will be eligible to take the National Exam.

Step 6: National Exam

Step 6

To become a licensed optician in Canada, you must first pass the National Optical Sciences Exam. The National Exam is a practical examination you must take to prove your competence. There are two separate exams, one for eyeglasses and one for contact lenses; you must take the eyeglasses exam before you can take the contact lenses exam.