Registration Application

To practise veterinary medicine in British Columbia, you must first be registered with the CVBC.

Classes of Registration

Requirements for registration are established in the bylaws (s. 2.7, 2.12-2.15) and identified in the application form.  The general requirements are similar across all of the registration classes, except for the distinctions between the classes as noted below:

Private Practice – unrestricted license to practice veterinary medicine; requires a Certificate of Qualification from the CVMA-National Examining Board.

Provisional Supervised Active (PSA) Registration – in September 2021, the CVBC introduced Provisional Supervised registration as a subcategory of the Private Practice class. It is available to veterinarians who do not yet have a Certificate of Qualification.  Eligible candidates must have already completed the BCSE and NAVLE exams. PSA registration enables these veterinarians to work under supervision of a CVBC veterinarian while they prepare for and complete the Pre-Surgical Assessment and Clinical Proficiency Exam.  More information on PSA registration can be found below (after the general registration information).

Specialty Private Practice – only available to Diplomates of the American or European Boards of Veterinary Specialties; privilege to practice is restricted to the registrant’s documented area of board certification(s); no Certificate of Qualification is required.

Public Sector – only available to veterinarians employed by the federal or provincial governments, or similar; no Certificate of Qualification is required, but the applicant must provide a copy of their employment contract, must only practice within the scope of their duties within that role, and must cease to practice if/when their contract ends.

Temporary Registration for an External Licensed Veterinarian – a veterinarian who maintains a current equivalent license in another recognized jurisdiction may seek a temporary license to practice in BC (in the Private Practice or Specialty Private Practice area) for a maximum of 30 days (consecutive or non-consecutive within 1 calendar year.  The applicant is not required to complete the bylaw exam or attend a bylaw seminar, but does not have full privileges of registration.  This class is intended for veterinarians based in other jurisdictions who are coming to BC for a short-term contract, or infrequently (eg. locum or visiting specialist services).

Application Requirements

Registration Application Flow Chart

Class-Specific Application Summary and Submissions Checklists:

  1. Create an Applicant Account and complete the online Application for Registration

To apply for registration, please  create an online “Applicant Account, after which you will be able to complete the CVBC’s Online Application for Registration.  

Alternatively, you can print and manually complete the pdf-version of the Application Form.

With either format, a hard copy of the completed application must be signed in front of a notary public or commissioner of oaths, then the original document, with all supporting materials (see #2), must be mailed to the CVBC office to the attention of the Registration Coordinator.

  1. Provide all additional required documents, as identified within the application form

The requirements of the application form are explained in the CVBC’s bylaws (Part 2 – Registration)

Unless provided to the office as original documents or received by the CVBC office directly from the issuing body, all supporting materials must be submitted as copies that have been “certified true” by a notary public in Canada.

Supporting documents (letters of standing/license verification from other jurisdictions; Dean’s letters of conduct for new graduates; reference letters if required) must not predate the application to the CVBC by more than 1 month.

Notarized copies of diplomas or transcripts will be accepted up to one year after the date of notarization, or the Registrar may accept a copy of a diploma or transcript that is forwarded to the CVBC directly from another regulatory body.

  1. Provide payment of Fees:
    1. Application for Registration Fee (see “Fees Summary” below)
    2. Bylaw Examination Fee (not required for TEMP registration)
  2. Successfully complete the bylaw exam (see below)
  3. Provide Payment of annual registration fee (prorated to the quarter of the registration year in which new registration is issued; see “Fees Summary” below).

English Language Proficiency (CVBC Bylaws, Part 2 – Registration, s. 2.12(1)(b))

Any applicant who completed their veterinary education at a veterinary school where instruction was provided in English is considered to have satisfied the CVBC’s requirement for English Language Proficiency.

However, if the applicant completed their veterinary education at a veterinary school where instruction was not provided in English, they will satisfy the CVBC’s registration requirements for proficiency in the English language by providing a verifiable and satisfactory test score from one of the following testing providers:

Internet-Based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT)

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic version

Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment

Required minimum scores for each of these tests are specified in section 2.12(2) of the CVBC Bylaws, Part 2 – Registration.

Assessment of Currency of Skills & Knowledge

The National Examining Boards assessment examination(s) that result in the issuance of a Certificate of Qualification (CQ) are accepted as the initial assessment of skills and qualification of a veterinarian.  Once a veterinarian has received a CQ, the CVBC’s bylaws set the expectation that skills and knowledge are maintained by a minimum of 12 months of practise in Canada within a 5-year period (bylaw s. 2.12(3)).

Therefore, once a veterinarian has held a CQ for 5 or more years, the CVBC must consider whether the applicant for Private Practice registration has met this minimum requirement.  If an applicant has not practised veterinary medicine in Canada for a minimum of 12 months in the preceding 5 year period, the Registration Committee must make its own assessment of the applicant’s currency of skill and knowledge before making a registration decision.

This assessment is accomplished through a review of recent Continuing Education efforts, the applicant’s resumé and detailed professional history, and letters sought from recent colleagues who are able to attest to the nature and scope of the applicant’s recent veterinary practice experience, and serve as references for the applicant’s skill, knowledge and professional conduct.

Registration Decisions

An application file will be forwarded to the Registrar for decision only when it is complete and includes all of the required documentation and confirmation of payment of required fees. The Registrar must be satisfied that the applicant meets all requirements and is qualified to be registered.

The Registrar may grant registration, may make further inquiries regarding the applicant, or may refer the application to the Registration Committee. Following review of a referred application, the Registration Committee may direct the Registrar to either:

  1. register the applicant,
  2. seek additional information, or
  3. hold a registration hearing.

Contact and Practice Facility Information

All registrants are required to keep the CVBC informed of their current personal contact information and their practice facility affiliations.  At the time of registration, applicants are asked to complete and return the Contact and Practice Information Form:

This form serves several purposes:

  1. Opportunity to update/confirm personal contact information (in case it has changed since the initial application was submitted).
  2. Provide details about what practice facility(s) a new registrant will be practising at, along with a rough summary of areas of practice.
  3. Provide authorization for which practice facility information*the registrant wants the CVBC’s Online Registry to include:
  4.  
  • Practice facility name, phone number and address, vs.
  • Practice facility name and phone number only, vs.
  • No practice facility information

*Note: the CVBC does not publish any personal contact information in the online registry; only practice facility information is published.

Provisional Supervised Active (PSA) Registration

Who is this form of registration for?

Provisional supervised active registration may be sought by veterinarians who wish to be registered with the CVBC in the Private Practice class but are not yet eligible because they do not yet have a Certificate of Qualification (CQ) granted by the National Examining Board (NEB).  PSA registration in the Private Practice class is intended as a transitional form of registration that enables veterinarians to practice in BC, under controlled supervised circumstances, until they acquire a CQ and will be eligible for full unrestricted registration.

This form of registration is intended for:

  • Internationally-educated veterinarians who received their training at a veterinary college that is not AVMA-accredited.

To earn a CQ from the NEB, these candidates must successfully complete the Basic & Clinical Sciences Exam (BCSE), the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE), the Pre-Surgical Assessment (the “other” PSA) and the Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE).

            – Once a candidate has completed, at a minimum, the BCSE and the NAVLE, they are eligible to apply for Provisional Supervised registration with the CVBC, while waiting and preparing for the Pre-Surgical Assessment and the CPE.

  • Veterinarians who did receive their training at an AVMA-accredited university but who required more than 3 attempts to successfully complete the NAVLE examination.

     These candidates are required by the NEB to also complete the Pre-Surgical Assessment and the CPE before they can receive a CQ.

    – Once a candidate has completed the NAVLE, they are eligible to apply for Provisional Supervised registration with the CVBC, while waiting and preparing for the Pre-Surgical Assessment and the CPE.

What does it mean to hold Provisional Supervised registration in the Private Practice class?

A PSA registrant is permitted to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in British Columbia but must at all times work under the direct supervision of a veterinarian who:

      1. Is an active registrant of the CVBC in the Private Practice class, in good standing with the CVBC; and
      2. Has accepted the responsibility of the supervision and has been approved by the CVBC to act as a supervisor for the PSA registrant in question.

For information about the bylaw and policy requirements of a PSA registrant, and of the PSA registrant’s Primary and additional supervisors, please refer to:

CVBC Bylaws, Part 2 – Registration, section 2.8(A) and 2.12

Registration Committee Policy: Requirements of a Primary Supervisor to a PSA Registrant

Approval of a Primary and any Additional Supervisor

Veterinarians interested in acting as the Primary Supervisor for a PSA registrant must complete and submit the  Primary Registrant Supervision Agreement form for approval by the Registrar.

Any time a Primary Supervisor wishes to delegate supervisory responsibilities to another registrant, the proposed ‘additional supervisor’ will need to review the supervisor responsibility policy, and submit a completed Additional Registrant Supervisor Agreement to the CVBC office for Registrar approval. 

A supervisor [primary or additional] should not have a conflict of interest that will interfere with their ability to provide objective evaluation of the PSA registrant.  If either the proposed Primary Supervisor, and proposed additional supervisors, or the PSA registrant is concerned that there may be a real or perceived conflict of interest, or if either party is unsure what might create a conflict of interest, please contact the CVBC (604-929-7090, registration@cvbc.ca) to discuss. 

The CVBC is preparing a “Provisional Supervised Registration Handbookthat summarizes the information in the above resources and also provides additional information.  Once complete, it will be available here as a downloadable resource.

Terms & Conditions of Provisional Supervised Active Registration

Provisional Supervised Active registration is granted by the Registration Committee for a maximum of 2 years (with registration to be renewed, and registration fees paid, annually as with all CVBC registrants, by no later than December 31st of each year).  A PSA registrant who does not successfully complete the NEB requirements and receive a CQ within the allotted 2 years may request an extension from the Registration Committee; any approved extension must not exceed 2 years.

Extension Requests for Approval for Provisional Supervised Active Registration Policy

Throughout the term of the PSA registration, the Registrar’s Office must receive Quarterly Reports from the PSA’s Primary Supervisor.  The Registration Committee will receive updates from the Registrar about a PSA registrant’s progress, and of any discussions that the Registrar has with the PSA and/or the Primary Supervisor regarding the assessments included in the quarterly reports.

Once a PSA registrant has successfully completed the NEB’s examinations and has been issued a Certificate of Qualification, the Registrar may grant the registrant full registration in the Private Practice class following receipt of an official copy of the candidate’s CQ or notification directly from the NEB.

Applying for PSA Registration

Individuals wishing to apply for PSA registration may use the general online Application for Registration form which can be accessed by first creating an online Applicant Account, and follow the instructions provided. 

Once the office has received the application, your supporting documents and the necessary fees, you have completed the bylaw exam and your application is otherwise complete (except for a CQ), it will be presented to the Registration Committee for consideration for PSA registration. 

The Registration Committee generally meets on a 4-5 week cycle.  Please contact the Registration Coordinator, Christina Spring, at registration@cvbc.ca for more information.

Bylaw Seminar and Exam

All applicants for Private Practice, Specialty Private Practice, and Public Sector registration are required to:

  • attend a Bylaw & Ethics seminar; and,
  • pass a CVBC Bylaw examination as a pre-requirement for registration.

The seminar and examination are hosted for on-demand completion on the CVBC’s Learning Hub.  Applicants must first successfully complete the Bylaw & Ethics Seminar before they will be eligible to attempt the Bylaw Examination.

Applicants will be granted access to the seminar and exam by CVBC staff once their application has been received.  This involves the submission to the office of a minimum of the following items:

  1. A completed and notarized ‘Application for Registration’ form
  2. Official copies of 2 pieces of valid, government-issued identification (at least one of which has a photo)
  3. Full payment of the application fee, and
  4.  Full payment of the exam & seminar fee

Seminar

The Bylaw & Ethics Seminar is presented as a pre-recorded webinar, available on-demand for applicants to complete on their own schedule.  The webinar is divided into a series of three short modules (30 minutes, 30 minutes and 1 hour).  Each module has a post-session quiz which must be successfully completed before the applicant can proceed to the next module.

Once all modules of the seminar have been completed a Certificate of Completion will be issued, and then access to the Bylaw Examination will be granted.

Examination Details

The Bylaw examination is an ‘open book’ exam (during the exam, test takers can consult the Veterinarians Act and the CVBC Bylaws, posted on the CVBC’s website under Resources/Legislation, Standards & Policies), consisting of a combination of multiple choice & true/false questions.

Applicants should be familiar with the documents below before taking the exam:

Additionally, all new registrants are expected to familiarize themselves with the CVBC’s various Policies, Standards and Guidelines, as posted on our website here.

Fees Summary

All registration-related fees are established in the bylaws and are not subject to change without registrant vote.  See Schedule C – Prescribed Fees & Assessments. Application Fee: $500 + GST (=$525) Bylaw Exam: $367.50 ($350 + GST) *This fee is not applied to applicants for TEMP registration NOTE: late cancellation or failure to attend the scheduled bylaw exam session may result in an additional fee to the applicant.

Registration Fees

The following fees are for a complete year of registration.  Fees for new registrants are prorated on a quarterly basis, depending on Initial registration dates.
Class                                     Date Registration Granted
January 1 – March 31 April 1 – June 30 July 1 – September 30 October 1 – December 31
Private Practice (PP) $1395 + GST = $1464.75 $1046.25 + GST = $1098.56 $697.50 + GST = $732.38 $348.75 + GST = $366.19
Provisional Supervised Active (PSA) $1395 + GST = $1464.75 $1046.25 + GST = $1098.56 $697.50 + GST = $732.38 $348.75 + GST = $366.19
Specialty Private Practice $1395 + GST = $1464.75 $1046.25 + GST = $1098.56 $697.50 + GST = $732.38 $348.75 + GST = $366.19
Public Sector $1046.25 + GST = $1098.56 $784.69 + GST =$823.92 $523.13 + GST = $549.28 $261.56 + GST = $274.64
Temporary Registration for an External Licensed Veterinarian $400 + GST (for 30 days of practice within 1 calendar year) = $420.00