REGULATING PSYCHOLOGISTS IN NOVA SCOTIA SINCE 1980
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Students starting psychology training programs in September 2025 must follow new NSBEP Guidelines for documenting training hours. Read the full policy details here: https://www.ns-rp.ca/nsbep-new-policy-tracking-hours/.
Are you a psychologist educated in another country and thinking of relocating to Nova Scotia to live and work?
Are you an internationally educated psychologist already living in Nova Scotia?
The Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology works hard to make the registration process as easy to understand as possible. Application information is available under the “International Applicants Section” section of the website, here.
International Applicants refers to applicants:
The Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology encourages all internationally educated applicants to connect with the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) http://www.isans.ca/, a community-based organization that welcomes newcomers and offers a full range of support programs towards settlement in Nova Scotia. ISANS also provides support for those intending to immigrate to Nova Scotia prior to arrival.
Under The Nova Scotia Regulated Health Professions Act and the Psychology Regulations, Regulations & NSBEP Policy, applicants who want to register with the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology must meet the following criteria:
The NSBEP’s academic requirements include completion of a minimum period of supervised work in the form of a practicum or internship as part of the academic training program. Applicants must have psychological work experience in the particular area(s) for which they are declaring. For more information, consult the Registration Requirements:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Registration_Requirements_International.pdf
Those seeking a Transfer of Registration must have completed a minimum period of supervised practice as required by the Psychologist’s Act.
For registrants with a doctoral degree, typically a minimum of 2 hours per month of supervision for a period of 1 year (for a minimum of 1500 hours of practice) is required.
For registrants with a master’s degree, typically a minimum of 2 hours per month for a period of 4 years (for a minimum of 6000 hours of practice) is required.
As part of their Practice Profile in the application, applicants complete an attestation indicating the language(s) in which they are comfortable providing services.
For more information please see the NSRP’s Language Proficiency Policy.
All applicants to the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology are required to complete a Declaration of Competence, Capacity and Character as part of their application. The Declaration requires applicants to provide details about their current and past conduct. Appropriate Competence, Capacity and Character are on-going expectations of registrants of the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology to safely and ethically practise. Registrants, as members of a self-regulating health profession, are required to provide declarations to the NSBEP as part of their initial application and at the time of their annual registration renewal process.
This requirement is initially assessed throughout the completed application, particularly under the Core Competency section for Ethics and Standards.Prior to registration with the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology, applicants are required to attest that they have reviewed the relevant local jurisprudence, standards, and resources. For information purposes, a document on the Attestation Process is accessible directly below
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Information_Attestation.pdf
Applicants approved for a Transfer of Registration are also required to attend a Transfer Interview. For more information click on the link below: https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Transfer_Interview_Information_International_Applicants.pdf
Applicants placed on the Candidate Register must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Oral Exam before advancing to the full Register of Psychologists.
Supervision is typically required for 4 years for applicants with a master’s degree or 1 year for those with a doctoral degree. During supervision, candidates are assessed in the core competencies of the profession to ensure readiness for independent practice.
For detailed information about examination, supervision, and candidacy requirements, please see:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/information-for-registrants/for-candidate-registrants/faq/
You may begin compiling documents and completing your application for registration prior to arriving in Canada.
Important: Under the Psychology Regulations, the NSBEP cannot grant registration or issue a licence until you provide proof that you are either:
You may begin compiling documents and completing your application for registration prior to arriving in Canada.
Important: Under the Psychology Regulations, the NSBEP cannot grant registration or issue a licence until you provide proof that you are either:
For a visual flowchart of the application process please visit the following URL: https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/International_Flowchart.pdf
The Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology has collaborated with participating members of the Association of Canadian Psychology Regulating Organizations (ACPRO) to make application for registration by internationally-educated psychologists more streamlined and consistent across participating Canadian jurisdictions. ACPRO has developed a portal where internationally-educated applicants can now begin their application for licensure in Canada. The ACPRO portal serves as a single window of entry for participating Canadian jurisdictions. The ACPRO portal will compile and authenticate required standard application documentation, including:
The fee for the ACPRO Portal is $500 (US Dollars). Once you have completed this process, you may authorize the ACPRO portal to provide your application package to the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology for evaluation for registration in Nova Scotia. The ACPRO portal does not determine your eligibility for registration.
*As part of the process for International Applications, the ACPRO portal includes an evaluation of whether the applicant’s degrees are equivalent in academic level to a Canadian degree.
Important: NSBEP must receive your completed ACPRO evaluation report directly from the portal. To ensure this, please select the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology as the recipient when authorizing release.
The purpose of the statement from the evaluation service is to indicate to the NSBEP whether the academic credentials are comparable in academic level to degrees granted by a Canadian university.
Evaluation results must demonstrate that your highest degree in psychology is at the required academic level in order for you to become registered on that basis. The minimum level of degree acceptable to the NSBEP for registration purposes is a master’s degree.
For more information, please click here.
International applicants must also complete the NSBEP’s online application form, which is specific to regulatory requirements in the province of Nova Scotia. You can begin the NSBEP online application at any stage; however, this step does not replace the required process with the ACPRO Portal.
2.1 a) Here is a link to the NSBEP Online Application Guide, which should be reviewed before starting with the Online Application:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Online_International_NSBEP_Application_Form_Guide.pdf
2.1 c) Supporting Documentation
Please refer to following Guide which outlines in detail what we expect for Supporting Documentation: https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Supporting_Documentation_International_Applicants.pdf
Once steps 1 (ACPRO Portal) and 2 (NSBEP Online Application Requirements) are completed, the NSBEP will review your complete application package.
The NSBEP’s assessment process and criteria are outlined in the following PDF:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Registration_Requirements_International.pdf
Once steps 1 & 2 are complete (1. ACPRO Portal process completed – Report shared with NSBEP & 2. the NSBEP Online Application Requirements), the NSBEP of Examiners will review your application.
Once the NSBEP has completed its assessment of your application materials, the registration decision will typically be sent to you via email, within 2 weeks of the completed review.
There are three possible outcomes following this assessment by the NSBEP:
Information concerning the registration fees and professional liability requirements is outlined via this link:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/about-nsbep/all-fees/
For information on requesting documentation related to your application for registration, please click here for the Policy.
If an application for registration is approved for placement on the Register of Psychologists, the NSBEP requires the applicant to complete a Transfer Interview and Attestation Process
Once the above processes are completed, and the registration fee is paid, the applicant is registered with the NSBEP. Information concerning the registration fees and professional liability requirements is outlined via this link:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/about-nsbep/all-fees/
1. ACPRO Portal (to begin the application process)
https://acpro-aocrp.ca/internationally-educated-applicants/
2. Requirements and Criteria for Assessing International Applicants
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Registration_Requirements_International.pdf
3. Information concerning the Attestation Process:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Attestation_Information.pdf
4. Language Proficiency Policy:
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Language_Proficiency_Policy.pdf
5. Academic Equivalency
https://www.ns-rp.ca/downloads/Academic_Equivalency_Evaluations2.pdf
6. Legal entitlement to work in Canada: Under the Psychology Regulations, the NSBEP cannot grant registration or issue a licence until you provide proof that you are either:
If you are an internationally-educated applicant, you need to start by completing your application through the ACPRO Portal. For any questions or issues related to this process, please reach out to ICD, a division of CGFNS International, Inc. They manage this part of your application.
The appropriate contact information is available via the ACPRO Portal:
https://acpro-aocrp.ca/internationally-educated-applicants/
For questions not related to the ACPRO Portal, we welcome enquiries by either phone or email. However, email may offer the opportunity for you to receive a considered response and often makes communication more efficient as the applicant and the NSBEP Office may be in different time zones. If you have asked for a reply, a staff member will answer your email as soon as possible. We aim to respond within 24-48 hours on working days but may respond more quickly if we are able to do so.
The NSBEP staff and contact information is available via the contact us page:
Please note this section is for visitors to submit comments. Submissions through this form are not responded to. Please see the “Contact Us” section if you are making an enquiry and wish to receive a response.
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