Registration Process - College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba

Important Registration Eligibility Requirements for Internationally Educated Physiotherapists

Active (full, independent) registration and Examination Candidate (provisional) registration both require the submission of several key documents. The submission of these documents cannot be waived. As such, please note:

To qualify for registration, applicants must be able to obtain the following:

1. Confirmation of Practice Hours for the last 5 years submitted to CPM directly from the employer. Applicants must show proof of 1200 physiotherapy practice hours within the preceding 5-year period or must be a recent graduate (i.e., must have completed their physiotherapy program in the last 12 months). This requirement cannot be waived.

AND

2. Membership in Good Standing/Regulatory History Form from the last two Colleges where you have been registered in the past (in Canada and outside of Canada). This requirement cannot be waived.

Definition of Recent Graduate
An individual who has successfully passed all academic and clinical course requirements to be eligible to take the exam within the last 12 months.

Language Proficiency

You must must meet the language proficiency requirements in one of two ways:

1) education, or

2) language proficiency testing.

1) Education

To become licensed or registered, you must be fluent in either English or French.

If you completed your physiotherapy education (both classroom and clinical components) in one of the countries listed below, you do not need to prove your language fluency:
- Australia,
- United States of America,
- New Zealand,
- Republic of Ireland,
- United Kingdom, or
- France
If you completed your entire primary and secondary school education in Canada, you do not need to complete a language proficiency test.

As outlined Section 5(1) and 5(2) of Language Proficiency Testing Regulation, M.R. 91/2024¹, CPM must waive its testing requirement for English and French language proficiency if you have graduated from a professional education program that meets the following criteria:

(a) all components of the program were instructed and evaluated in English or French*;

(b) the program is approved, recognized, accredited or otherwise accepted by the regulated profession as qualifying the applicant to proceed with the regulated profession’s registration process.

You must be enrolled in a program that is taught in English or French for the entirety of your professional degree in physiotherapy. The professional education must be an entry-level (i.e., the degree used for your CPM registration). Other professional degrees or other levels of education will not be considered.

*This means that all academic/theory AND all clinical practicum placements, including all interactions with patients, supervisors and colleagues, must be in English or French.

Process

Waiving the requirement of language testing based on professional education requires application and assessment by our vendor the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR).

You must:

Apply for credentialling through CAPR’s Client Portal.
Apply for an English Language Proficiency Testing Waiver through the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (cost for submission of this form to CAPR is $50.00 and is payable to CPM).
CAPR will then provide you with access to the Program Language Verification form through CAPR’s Client Portal (CAPR’s fee for this review is $400.00, payable to CAPR).
Through CAPR you will complete section A of the Program Language Verification form and send the form to your physiotherapy school to have section B completed. The school must submit the form directly to CAPR. NOTE: Documents provided to CPM directly will not be accepted. The documentation requested must be sent directly to CAPR from the institution granting the professional degree in physiotherapy. For further details see the CAPR website.

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received; priority will be given to those already residing in Manitoba, and if all criteria are met, a waiver will be granted. Next steps:

Complete the credentialling process.
Complete and successfully pass the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) with CAPR.
Register with the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba.

Disclaimer: The waiver is for applicants who intend register to practice in Manitoba where the language testing proficiency regulations allow for this waiver. Other provincial regulators have different requirements. Individuals must contact the regulator in the jurisdiction they plan to register.

2) Language Proficiency

If your professional degree in physiotherapy was not taught entirely (academic/theory and clinical placements or practicums) in English or French, you must arrange for the language testing agency to submit the official language scores directly to CAPR.

The language proficiency testing must have been completed within two years of applying for credentialing with the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators.

For more information please see CPM’s Language Proficiency policy or the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators policy on Language Proficiency.

¹ Language Proficiency Testing Regulation: https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/current/091-2024.php?lang=en

You must complete the credentialling process with the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR). Please visit https://alliancept.org/ for information.

DETAILS

You must have your credentials assessed to determine if you are eligible to write the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE)

You must complete the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) with the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR).

You may apply for registration with CPM as an Examination Candidate once you have registered for the next available sitting of the CPTE or while you are waiting for your exam results.

Visit the CAPR website at alliancept.org for information about the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) including upcoming exam dates, how to apply, and how to prepare.

CAPR has registration deadlines for the CPTE. Check the CAPR website to ensure you apply on time.

1) Contact the CPM office to ensure that you qualify for Exam Candidate registration.

Please note that Exam Candidate applicants are subject to the Regulations at the time their name enters the Exam Candidate Register.

2) Verification Request Form (VRF)

Create and submit a Verification Request Form (VRF) directly through the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) client portal. After completing the form CAPR will send it to our office by email. You must be registered for the next available sitting of the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) or waiting for your exam results.

3) Membership in Good Standing/Regulatory History Form

We must receive a Member In Good Standing Form or Regulatory History Form from the country/state/province where you practiced as a physiotherapist. If you have practiced in more than one jurisdiction we must receive the Member In Good Standing /Regulatory History Form from the last two organizations where you have been registered. This requirement cannot be waived.

4) Confirmation of Practice Hours for the last 5 years

Please have your employer complete the following Verification of Practice Hours document: https://manitobaphysio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Request-for-Verification-of-Practice-Hours-CPM-2026.pdf. You will complete page 1 and send the form to your employer; they will complete page 2 and send the form directly to our office by email.

Applicants must show proof of 1200 physiotherapy practice hours within the preceding 5-year period or must be a recent graduate (i.e., they must have completed their physiotherapy program in the last 12 months). This requirement cannot be waived.

5) Completed Registration Form
Please ensure that the form is signed and dated on the last page.

6) Copy of your Diploma, Baccalaureate, Master’s, and/or Doctorate degree in physiotherapy
If the name on your degree is different from your current name we will require submission of additional documents.

7) Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check from each province where you have been residing within the past 6 months

This document should be obtained from your local police service or Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment. This document is valid for 6 months from date of issue.

8) Professional Liability Insurance Certificate or Employer Letter Confirming Insurance Coverage

You require a minimum of $5 million in Professional Liability Insurance coverage (also known as Errors and Omissions Insurance). Please see the TIP section on the right hand side of this page for information on where to purchase insurance.

If you will be working at a facility that provides insurance coverage for their employees, CPM will accept a letter from the facility which confirms your liability insurance coverage. Please note that it is strongly recommended that registrants purchase their own individual professional liability insurance.

For the following three requirements, please find more information on the Employment under Supervision (Manitoba Employer) tab.

Please note: The Supervision Agreement and Supervision Plan must be reviewed and confirmed as complete before an Examination Candidate can start work under supervision. Please also note that you cannot begin employment (this includes orientation) until you are registered.

9) Employment Letter

The employment letter is an offer of employment from a Manitoba employer on clinic/facility letterhead. The proposed start date of employment should be included.

10) Supervised Practice Agreement

11) Supervised Practice Plan

TIP

Ways to Obtain Insurance Coverage
1. Become a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA)

2. Contact Physiosure Canada

3. Visit an insurance agency

REGISTRATION FEES

Payment is required once all registration documents have been received and your registration has been processed. CPM admin staff will contact you with payment instructions.

Registration Fees:

Initial registration fee of $200 if applicable.
Exam Candidate registration fee of $863.00 or $431.50 pro-rated* (2026).
*Your registration fee is prorated if you register after August 1.

Payment options:

Credit card (online payment through Member Portal)
E-Transfer to info@manitobaphysio.com

All documents can be submitted by email attachment to registration@manitobaphysio.com or by fax at 204-474-2506.

EMPLOYMENT
Contact an employer and tell them you want to register with CPM and that you need to work under supervision. This means that a supervisor must:

Assign clients to you that you are competent to treat
Oversee your work to ensure that you are practicing correctly
Provide you with feedback and written performance evaluations of you work

You can ask the employer if he or she is willing to review your resume or interview you for employment. Your supervisor must be registered for Active Practice with CPM and must have been practicing on the Active register for a minimum of two years.

Please visit the Supervised Practice page of the CPM website for more information.

LETTER OF OFFER
Ask your employer to write a letter of offer, which includes:

Your place of employment
A statement that you will begin employment once you become registered as an Exam Candidate
The date you will begin employment
If applicable, confirmation that your employer will provide you with a minimum of $5 million in Professional Liability Insurance coverage (also known as Errors and Omissions Insurance)

SUPERVISED PRACTICE AGREEMENT and SUPERVISED PRACTICE PLAN

You and your supervisor must complete and sign a Supervised Practice Agreement and a Supervised Practice Plan. These documents can be found on the Supervised Practice page.

You must submit both Supervised Practice documents to CPM. Please note: The Supervision Agreement and Supervision Plan must be reviewed and confirmed as complete before an Examination Candidate can start work under supervision. Please also note that you cannot begin employment (this includes orientation) until you are registered.

TIMELINE

Secure employment and obtain a Letter of Offer with start date
Obtain a Supervisor and Complete a Supervised Practice Agreement and Supervised Practice Plan
Obtain Professional Liability Insurance

f you have passed the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE) you may apply for Active (full, independent) registration with the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM). If you are currently registered with CPM as an Exam Candidate, please contact the CPM office to learn which documents must be submitted for your transfer to the Active Register.

If you are seeking registration with CPM for the first time, you must complete these tasks to become registered on the Active Practice register with the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba (CPM):

1) Contact the CPM office to ensure that you qualify for Active registration.

2) Verification Request Form (VRF)

Create and submit a Verification Request Form (VRF) directly through the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators (CAPR) client portal. After completing the form CAPR will send it to our office by email. This form must show successful completion of the Canadian Physiotherapy Examination (CPTE).

3) Membership in Good Standing/Regulatory History Form

4) Confirmation of Practice Hours for the last 5 years

5) Completed Registration Form
Please ensure that the form is signed and dated on the last page.

7) Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check from each province where you have been residing within the past 6 months

This document should be obtained from your local police service or Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment. This document is valid for 6 months from date of issue.

8) Professional Liability Insurance Certificate or Employer Letter Confirming Insurance Coverage

You require a minimum of $5 million in Professional Liability Insurance coverage (also known as Errors and Omissions Insurance. Please see the TIP section on the right hand side of this page for information on where to purchase this insurance.

9) Employment Letter

The employment letter is an offer of employment from a Manitoba employer on clinic/facility letterhead). The proposed start date of employment should be included.

TIP

Ways to Obtain Insurance Coverage
1. Become a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA)

2. Contact Physiosure Canada

3. Visit an insurance agency

REGISTRATION FEES

Payment is required once all registration documents have been received and your registration has been processed. CPM admin staff will contact you with payment instructions.

Registration Fees:

Initial registration fee of $200 if applicable.
Active registration fee of $913.00 or $456.50 pro-rated* (2026).
*Your registration fee is prorated if you register after August 1.

Payment options: