For Internationally Educated Professionals

To legally practise physiotherapy in Manitoba, you must be registered with CPM. To become registered with CPM, you must complete the registration process outlined on this website.

The System

Physiotherapy is a regulated profession in Canada. Each province and territory has its own regulator and registration requirements.

In Manitoba, the regulator is the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM).

Pre-Arrival

Immigrating to Canada and becoming a licensed, practicing physiotherapist can be a challenging process. To learn more about the process, visit the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators website for more information on the life of a physiotherapist in Canada.

Complete this task before you begin the registration process.

The registration process can take a long time and cost a lot of money. Before you spend your time and money on this process, contact your immigration office to ensure that you meet the requirements to immigrate to Manitoba:

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
Immigration and Citizenship Canada 

The government will review your physiotherapy education and experience, and may select you to immigrate to Canada if it is confident you can find work and contribute to the economy. But the government cannot guarantee that you meet the requirements to practise physiotherapy in Manitoba. Only the Manitoba regulator the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM) can determine this through the registration process.

a) Review the following document to learn about the knowledge, skills and attitudes you require to be successful in Canada:
Essential Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada (PDF)

b) Complete the following self-assessment to help you determine if you are likely to meet the requirements to become registered with CPM:
Self-Assessment Readiness Tool (SART©)    (currently unavailable)

SART© is NOT part of the registration process. CPM will not share the information you provide. Your answers are for your self-assessment only and will not be recorded or evaluated by anyone else.

c) Ensure that you have completed a university level, entry-to-practice degree (or credential by another name) in physiotherapy, awarded by a recognized institution authorized to issue credentials equivalent to a degree in Canada.  Diplomas awarded by a non-university institution may be accepted if assessed and determined to be equivalent to at least a Bachelor’s degree in Canada.

d) The Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) has created  Source Country Profiles on their website which will assist future applicants in informed decision-making. The top 10 source countries are listed  and the information includes a comparison of physiotherapy practice between Canada and the source country, a list of educational programs CAPR has assessed in the past 5 years and the Physiotherapy Competency Examination pass rate for previous first time test takers from the source country.  The link to CAPR website Country Profiles page is: https://www.alliancept.org/becoming-credentialled/source-country-profiles/.

There are costs to complete the registration process, such as application and exam fees. Please use the link below to access a PDF list of financial support resources available on the Immigrate Manitoba website:

Financial Supports for Internationally Educated Professionals

Please also visit the Canadian Alliance Of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) website page on the Microloan Program.

Manitoba Careers for Internationally Educated Professionals Program
This program supports internationally educated professionals (IEPs) towards their goal of working in their professional fields in Manitoba. It provides non-repayable financial assistance to help IEPs with assessment and training costs while pursuing registration. To be eligible, individuals must have started the registration process with a Manitoba regulator, and be motivated and able to complete the process in a timely, efficient and continuous manner. For more information and to apply, visit their website.

Recognition Counts
This program provides supports to skilled immigrants wishing to work in their field of expertise or an alternative career in Manitoba. The program offers financial counselling, as well as the opportunity to apply for a loan of up to $30,000 with Assiniboine Credit Union to help with the cost of having qualifications recognized in Manitoba and obtaining related employment. To learn more, visit their website.

Manitoba Student Aid
This is a supplemental financial assistance program for Manitobans who do not have enough resources to pay for post-secondary education (university or college) on their own. This program provides various types of funding through the Manitoba Student Aid Program and the Canada Student Loans and Grants Programs. Funding includes repayable government student loans and non-repayable grants and/or bursaries. For more information, visit their website.

PRACTICE YOUR ENGLISH

You must be proficient in English or French to become registered with CPM and to be ready to enter practice. Take advantage of the Government of Canada’s online resources to help you practice your English from your home computer:

Resources of the Language Portal of Canada

FREE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST AND CLASSES

A free English language test and English language classes are available for all permanent residents through funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The test is called the Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT). The test is provided by the Winnipeg English Language Assessment and Referral Centre (WELARC) for placement into English language classes.

Contact WELARC if you are interested in taking English classes to improve your communication skills.

If you are curious about your Canadian Language Benchmark levels, there is an online self-assessment at https://clb-osa.ca/ which will give you a range of scores in listening and reading. If you then decide that you want or need to improve your English skills, you can contact WELARC for an assessment and referral appointment.

WELARC
400-275 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Phone: 204.943.5387
WELARC.net

You will learn more about language requirements as you read through the Registration section of this website.

Internationally Educated Professional Access Hub

An essential feature of the Canadian healthcare system is the expectation that all health professionals will have the knowledge and skills needed to function in a dynamic team-based environment. The Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Learning Modules (now available on UM Learn) offer valuable online training experience and next steps as well as a list of additional resources.

Assess your learning needs by completing the pre-assessment {Section 1) before moving on to the core modules. In the core modules {Section 2 and Section 3) learn about interprofessional collaboration, including each of the required competencies for interprofessional practice. Listen to internationally educated health professionals as they talk about their experiences and consider your role in different patient scenarios. Complete the post-assessment {Section 4) to determine how confident you feel about your understanding interprofessional collaborative practice. The conclusion {Section 5) contains additional information about this of learning experience and next steps as well as a list of additional resources.
To register and receive additional instructions, please contact IEHPAccess@umanitoba.ca


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Resources

Documents and Forms
Supervised Practice Agreement (PDF)
Application for Registration Form (PDF)

Immigration 
Ensure you qualify to immigrate to Manitoba:
Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
Immigration and Citizenship Canada

Self-Assessment
Determine if you are likely to meet the requirements for registration:
Self-Assessment Readiness Tool (SART©)

English Language
Practice English from your home computer:
English Online Program
CBC Manitoba English Program

Take a free English language test:
WELARC.net

Financial Help
For financial assistance, click here

Notarized Translations
Obtain information about notarized translations:
Immigrant Centre

Credentialing and Exams
Visit the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators for details:
alliancept.org

Employment
Use these resources to find employment:
Government of Canada’s Jobs and the Workplace website
Government of Manitoba
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA)
Workopolis
Monster.ca
Manitoba Physiotherapy Association

Insurance
Acquire Professional Liability Insurance:
Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA)
Physiosure

Insurance Agency

Criminal Record Check
Apply for a Criminal Record Check:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
Winnipeg Police Service

Appeals
Learn about the Appeals process:
The Physiotherapists Act

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Registration Process

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