Fees Associated with Becoming an Optician
The licensing calculator will help you estimate both the costs and length of time required to complete the process of becoming an optician in Canada.
If you are a student at an accredited institution in Canada, only the licensing examination and provincial registration fees will apply to you.
If you are completing the PLAR process, you can adjust each section to see the varying time and costs the process will take depending on your requirements.
The fees for training opticians in Quebec are calculated differently from other provinces in Canada. Please consult the OODQ webpage (Order of dispensing opticians of Quebec)
| Time (Months) | Cost($) | ||
| Document Assessment | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Competency Assessment | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Theory Bridging Program | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Practical Bridging | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Licensing Examination | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Provincial Registration | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Association membership | 0 | $0.00 | |
| Totals | 0 | $0.00 |
Document Assessment
The Document Assessment Fee must be included with your PLAR application in order for the provincial regulatory body to review your application and documents.
Competency Assessment
The Competency Assessment Fee is required to complete the Competency Gap Assessment (CGA) and Case Based Interview (CBI) during the PLAR process.
In some provinces you do not need to be a qualified contact lens fitter in order to become a registered optician. If that is the case you will need to choose ‘Eyeglasses’, but ‘Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses’ would be optional. In other provinces (example: Ontario) you must qualify as a contact lens fitter as well as an eyeglass dispenser in order to register. In this case, you would be required to choose ‘Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses’.
Theory Bridging Program and Practical Bridging
If gaps in learning are identified at any point in the PLAR process you may be referred to complete a specified bridging program before you become eligible to complete the national licensing exam. These programs may be theoretical or practical. Your provincial regulatory body will give you more detailed information about the program(s) you are required to complete.
Licensing Examination
The Licensing Examination fee refers to the National Optical Sciences Examinations, commonly referred to as the NACOR exams because they are administered by the National Association of Canadian Optician Regulators (NACOR).
Every applicant must successfully challenge the National Optical Sciences Exam to become eligible to register as a licensed optician in Canada.
Provincial Registration
Provincial Registration refers to the fee opticians are required to submit annually to the regulatory body for opticians in their province.
Most professionals in Canada are required to seek membership with a professional regulatory body and/or association. Opticians are no different. Every person in Canada who wants to work as an optician must be licensed with a regulatory body in the province they will be working in.
Each regulatory body has their own fee schedule. The following are links to the fee schedules of the provincial regulatory bodies that are available online:
