Overview
The Fair Registration Practices Act and Regulation applies to more than 70 regulatory bodies that oversee the licensing and certification of more than 170 professions, occupations and trades in Alberta.
Regulatory bodies assess an applicant’s qualifications before determining whether to grant a license or certificate.
- Find out if your profession is regulated.
- Find out if your designated occupation or trade is regulated.
- Learn how to get licensed for these professions, occupations and trades.
Learn more about the Fair Registration Practices Code.
Responsibilities
Regulatory bodies must clearly inform applicants of registration:
- requirements
- documents
- fees
- timelines
Regulatory bodies must also
- explain the evaluation process
- where possible, identify supports to help applicants
- ensure assessors or someone in a decision-making role are trained
Registration review
When rejecting a registration, regulatory bodies must:
- give the decision in writing and include reasons
- explain to the applicant how to access the internal review or appeal process
- have the internal review or appeal heard and reviewed by people who are not part of the original decision
Timelines
Regulatory bodies must give an interim registration decision within 6 months. The interim registration decision tells an applicant the next steps of the registration process.
Regulatory bodies must let applicants know within a reasonable amount of time if their application is registered or rejected.
Reporting
Regulatory bodies must report to the Minister of Advanced Education on their registration practices to make sure they are:
- transparent
- objective
- impartial
- procedurally fair
Reports may include a wide variety of information, including:
- requirements for registration
- how the applicants can meet registration requirements
- the number of applications received in a year
- the number of applications approved or rejected for registration
- the number of applicants who are internationally trained or trained elsewhere in Canada
- the number of internal review/appeals
- what training regulatory bodies provides to its assessors
- how long it takes a regulatory body to reach an interim registration decision or a registration decision
Audits
The Minister of Advanced Education may recommend an audit if reports show continued issues with a regulatory body.
An audit determines a regulatory body’s risk of not meeting its obligations under the Fair Registration Practices Act and Regulation, and identifies supports to help address the issue.
The regulatory body is responsible for all costs associated with an audit.
Compliance
The Minister of Advanced Education may issue a compliance order if a regulatory body fails to comply with the Fair Registration Practices Act. Failure to comply is an offence, and if found guilty, may result in a fine as set out in the Fair Registration Practices Act.