IMPORTANT NOTICE
(posted January 18, 2012)

On December 12, 2011, a decision on an appeal of an APGO Special Meeting of Council registration decision was handed down by the Divisional Court of Ontario. The APGO believes this decision, as worded, could have repercussions not only on APGO applicants for registration, but also on the Association’s ability to restrict membership only to those who have successfully completed specified knowledge requirements, the mobility of APGO members, and possibly on a member’s ability to act as a Qualified Person under NI43-101.

The decision hinges on whether the APGO has the legislated authority to review the content of a university degree to ascertain whether it meets the minimum knowledge requirements, as established by Geoscience Canada and as accepted by the self-regulating geoscience associations across Canada.

The APGO has filed a motion for leave to appeal the decision with the Ontario Court of Appeal. Opposing Counsel has consented to a stay of the decision pending the determination of the APGO’s motion for leave to appeal the findings of the Divisional Court. The stay of the decision was granted by the court on January 12, 2012. APGO Counsel advises that the determination of this motion for leave to appeal the decision could take three to four months. In the interim, the Association will not be processing applications that appear to be affected by the Divisional Court’s decision. Those clearly not affected will continue to be processed.

APGO finds it regrettable that it has found it necessary to seek further assistance from the Courts and does not do so without much consideration. However, this action is found to be necessary out of concern for the protection of the public, and the rights and privileges of APGO members, both current and future. Unfortunately, the Divisional Court decision has left the APGO with what it considers to be some ambiguity and confusion as to how it is to proceed in assessing and determining the underlying knowledge necessary to determine whether or not an applicant has met the specified knowledge requirements. APGO has taken the steps it has in the hope it will obtain some clarity in this regard from the Court of Appeal.

APGO welcomes Internationally-trained applicants who wish to apply for practice in Ontario either as a professional geoscientist, or as a Geoscientist-in-Training (G.I.T). In order to clarify your professional status and for more information on professional and non-professional membership classes in APGO, click here.

To inquire about registration information available in French, please contact the APGO by phone, email, or mail.
Pour obtenir des renseignements sur l’information disponible en français au sujet de l’inscription, veuillez contacter l’APGO directement par telephone, par courriel ou par la poste.

If accommodation is required for special needs, please contact the APGO by phone, email, or mail to discuss.

How to Register

Three options are available for registering as a professional geoscientist in Ontario:

1. First Time Registration in Ontario - applicants currently not registered anywhere else in Canada, including geoscientists-in-training (G.I.T.) and internationally-trained applicants. To register online, view or download the Registration/Application package, click here.

For First Time Registration, once all documentation concerning the application and the application fee have been received by the APGO, it takes approximately two months from the date of the receipt of the last piece of documentation, or the fee (should it be the last item received), for the Registration Committee to make a decision concerning the application. Should the Committee determine that further information is required from the applicant in order to make a decision, additional time would be required to make the decision.

2. Inter- Provincial Mobility - professional geoscientists registered in another province may apply through the Inter-Association Mobility Agreement (IAMA). For more information, click here.

3. Quebec/Ontario Mobility - professional geoscientists registered in either province may apply for Incidental or Temporary Practice through the Quebec-Ontario Inter Association Mobility Agreement ( OGQ-APGO Mobility Agreement). For more information, click here.

First Time Registration in Ontario
The requirements for registration as a professional geoscientist in Ontario are outlined in the Guideline to Registration document, which accompanies the Application form, Work Experience Record and Transcript Request form in the application package. For more details and to clarify this step-by-step process, it is also recommended that you refer to the Professional Geoscientists Act, 2000 (the Act), sections 10 through 14, and Registration Regulation (O. Reg. 59/01).

Click on the following links for additional information on:
• Minimum knowledge requirements for registration
• Qualifying work experience requirements
• Professional Practice and Ethics (PPE) Exam

Application Package
Except for the Application form, which is available for online registration, or by downloading the application package, the following documents can be downloaded in the application package:

Guideline to Registration
Application Form
And/ Or individually (click on each item):

Work Experience Record (Word Format 23 KB)
Referees Form
Transcript Request Form for Applicants/ Request for Canadian Academic Documents
Transcript Request Form for Applicants/ Request for International Academic Documents
The Act
Regulations
By-Laws
Complaints & Discipline Regulation (PDF size: 60 kb)


Registration options:

1) To register online click here.
2) To download an application package click here.     (self-extracting zipped executable 1 832kb)

• For registration steps as an Internationally-trained applicant, click here.
• For registration steps in APGO’s Geoscientist-in-Training (G.I.T) program, click here.
• For registration steps in APGO’s Student program, click here.

Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning registration. If you have additional questions, please e-mail the Registrar at registrar@apgo.net , or contact the APGO office at 416-203-APGO (2746), or Fax: 416-203-6181.
Note: The required fees must accompany the completed application form.

Applicant’s/Member’s Right of Appeal
APGO’s applicants or members have the right-of-appeal of decisions made by APGO’s Registration Committee. If you wish to dispute a decision made by the Registration Committee, click here for more information.

Registration Procedures for Internationally Trained Applicants

Registering in Ontario for the first time by the internationally-trained applicant is the same process as for any other applicant with one or two additional requirements:

1. English Translation:  If international transcript(s) are in a language other than English or French, applicants are required to provide a certified English translation at their own cost. This can be accomplished by:

• Sending the transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES): www.wes.org/ca, for both translation and academic equivalency assessment. See item #2 below; OR  

• Using a translator who is a member of the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO). To contact, call toll-free: 1-800-234-5030, or website address: www.atio.on.ca ; OR

• Using another translation agency and have the translation certified by a translator who is a member of ATIO , or have the translation signed, stamped and dated by a professional geoscientist, or an equivalent, who has competent knowledge of both the other language and English; OR

• If the applicant is not able to provide a certified translation, or an official transcript is not available, APGO may request the applicant to provide additional specific information. Click here for more details on the how to have your transcript(s) translated;

2. Academic Equivalency Assessment:  International transcripts also require equivalency evaluation on a course by course basis, and should be sent by the applicant’s university/institution to an assessment service. One such organization that provides both certified translation services and academic assessments is World Education Services (WES): www.wes.org/ca (Toronto - 416 972 0070). Note: The WES process of translation and assessment takes ten business days. Please visit www.wes.org/ca/fees/schedule.asp and www.wes.org/ca/application/costi.asp for information on costs and translation/assessment services.  


Before applying for membership in APGO, it is also recommended that you review the following documents and regulations:

1. To clarify the legal necessity of registering with APGO before practising geoscience in Ontario, review the Professional Geoscientists Act, 2000 (the Act), and Registration Regulation (O.Reg. 59/01, Amended to O. 378/01);
 
2. Review the requirements and procedures for registration as an international applicant and G.I.T. in the Guideline to Registration in the downloaded Application package. Also ensure that your work experience meets the five criteria as outlined in Registration Regulation (O.Reg. 59/01 Amended to O.Reg. 378/01), s.9.3 (1), in which work experience should demonstrate:

• Practical experience in the application of geoscience theory;
• Practical experience in the understanding of geoscience processes and systems;
• Management of geoscience projects;
• Proficiency in communication;
• Awareness of societal implications of geoscience.

3. Review the Minimum knowledge requirements for registration to self-assess your academic qualifications and degree. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do your academic qualifications meet the foundation mathematics and sciences, core geosciences and geoscience electives that are specified?
• Will the registration committee be able to assess from the course descriptions on your transcript that the knowledge requirements have been fulfilled?
• Would additional documentation such as university calendars or official university course descriptions be helpful to identify that the knowledge requirements have been fulfilled? If yes, please include such documentation with your transcript.

4.  Review the Qualifying work experience requirements to self-assess if your experience meets the five criteria listed in #2 above and:

• You have either fulfilled the minimum of 48 cumulative months of acceptable, verifiable work experience obtained in the last 10 years, including 12 months of Canadian or equivalent work experience; OR
• Your academic credentials will likely be accepted by the Registration Committee, and you have at least 10 years qualifying work experience obtained in the last 15 years; OR
• You are in the process of acquiring the necessary work experience and/or 12 months of Canadian work experience or equivalent. For details on how to register as a G.I.T, click here. 

5.  If applying for membership in APGO, you are required to write and pass the Professional Practice and Ethics (PPE) exam within two years of applying as a practising geoscientist. For more details on the Professional Practice and Ethics (PPE) exam, click here.

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How to Register with APGO as an Internationally-Trained Applicant:

1. Download the application package and read the document, Guideline to Registration;

2. Complete the Application Form; for more detailed information on registration procedure, read Completing the Application Form in the Guideline document;

3. Arrange to have your transcript(s) sent directly from your university/institution to World Education Services (WES): www.wes.org/ca, or another recognized transcript service of your choice for a course by course academic assessment, and a certified translation, if necessary. Contact WES and indicate that you will be using their services. Also indicate to WES that the completed assessment should be sent directly to APGO;

4. Complete your Work Experience Record (WER) in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position. Enclose a copy with the Application form, and in addition, send a copy of the WER along with a Reference form to each Referee, to verify your work experience. Specify that both documents be sent directly to APGO;

5. If applying as a Practising member, provide a minimum of three referees in which two of the three must be either P.Geo.s, OR one P.Geo. and one P.Eng.(qualified to practice geoscience). Note: For more specific instructions on how to select an appropriate Referee, click here to review Ontario Regulation 59/01, Amended to O.Reg.378/01: section 9.1, subsections (3), items # 1.and # 2.;   

6. The final requirement, the Professional Practice and Ethics (PPE) exam must be written and passed before being accepted as a practising geoscientist in Ontario;

7. If registering online as a Practising member, you may use credit card payment or cheques, bank drafts or money orders to pay the application fee of $275 plus applicable tax in Canadian funds OR if using the downloaded Application form in the Application package to register, send a cheque, bank draft or money order payable to APGO with your completed application form.  Once accepted, the applicant wil be invoiced the first-year membership dues of $400 plus applicable tax.

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Geoscientist-in-Training (G.I.T) Program for the Internationally Trained
This is an internship and mentoring program for the G.I.T. or an internationally-trained applicant, during which 48 cumulative months of required work experience is acquired, including 12 months of Canadian or equivalent work experience. To apply for APGO’s G.I.T. program, the following steps are necessary:

1. Download the application package and read the document, Guideline to Registration;

2. Complete the Application Form; for more detailed information on registration procedure, read Completing the Application Form in the Guideline document. Check boxes for Sections 2.7 and 11.3 which specify the Geoscientist-in-Training category;

3. Arrange to have your transcript(s) sent directly from your university/institution to World Education Services (WES): www.wes.org/ca, or another recognized transcript service of your choice for a course by course academic assessment, and a certified translation, if necessary. Contact WES and indicate that you will be using their services. Also indicate to WES that the completed assessment should be sent directly to APGO;

4. Provide a minimum of one character reference. Note: Referees do not have to be a P.Geo., or P.Eng. at this stage in the process. Once the work experience requirement has been a satisfied, a G.I.T. may apply for a change of designation to Practising, and a further two references (both P.Geo.s, or one P.Geo.and one P.Eng. who is qualified to conduct geoscience)  are necessary in order to verify the current Work Experience Record (WER);

5. Provide current WER in reverse chronological order, if submitting qualifying geoscience work at this time, and include a copy with the completed application form, and a copy of the WER with each Reference form sent to a Referee. Note. Both documents must be sent by the Referee directly to APGO;

6. Include application fees of $100 in Canadian funds, plus applicable tax. Once the applicant has been accepted as a G.I.T., the applicant will be invoiced separately for annual dues of $140 plus applicable tax. New: The first year's dues for a G.I.T. membership are waived if the G.I.T. applicant applies within six (6) months of being awarded a university (or equivalent institution) Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent credential). Supporting documentation (transcripts, confirmatory exam results, etc.) must be provided to the Association within three (3) months of the date of completion.