College Newsletter March 2019

Everything you need to know to renew your licence for 2019

Employer Payment Made Simple

Is your employer paying for your licence this year? You can now directly select credit card or e-transfer at the time of submitting the renewal application to make the payment. This removes the need for your employer to complete a payment form, cuts down the amount of processing time and improves credit card-related security! As with all payment options, your receipt will be available to download from your profile within 1-2 business days of receiving the payment.

E-transfer Deadlines

If you are selecting e-transfer as your method of payment, please ensure that you follow up with the transfer within 48 hours. This speeds up our processing time, ensuring quick and smooth completion of renewal applications. Applications are not complete until we have received payment and unpaid applications will incur a late fee after March 31st.

Top Five Tips for Renewal
 

1. Fees Are Increasing
The fees for registration with the College of Opticians will increase across the board. This increase is only our second in seven years and is essential for the college to continue to do work in the constantly evolving climate of healthcare regulation. You can read more about the fee change and see the new fee schedule here.

2. Update Your Information
Completing your renewal online is a perfect opportunity to ensure the information we have on file for you is up to date. Your email address is particularly important as it is the primary channel of communication we use to get in touch with you. Using your own, personal email address will help to eliminate missed communications and entering someone else’s email address is highly discouraged.

3. Submit Your Credits
According to our bylaws, your continuing education credits must be complete before you can renew your licence. If you know your credits are out of date, please contact Christopher Dodge before you attempt to renew.

4. How to Pay
We accept two types of payment – credit card (Visa and MasterCard) and e-transfer. You can select your payment method at the time of renewal. We have improved our system for accepting e-transfers and detailed instructions can be found in our FAQ and e-transfers should be sent within 48 hours of submitting the renewal.

5. Download Your Receipt
We have incorporated a new feature into our database that will allow you to download your receipt straight from your profile. Once you have completed the online renewal, you will receive an automated notice and your receipt will be available to download within 1-2 working days.

AND FINALLY! Please be patient during the renewal period, it is a busy time and we will likely be slower to respond to inquiries than usual. We thank you for your understanding and continued belief in the value of licensure.

Forgot your Login?

Click the Forgot User ID and/or Password link on the Opticians Login page. You will be emailed a password reset link. Just remember to use the email address that we have on file.

Changing Your Status or Adding a Designation

If you are changing your status between Practicing and Non-Practicing or adding an extra designation to your licence, you can do this at the same time as renewing. Simply navigate to the CHANGE STATUS tab instead of the Renewal tab and select the appropriate option. Your status change will be processed at the same time as the renewal.

Still have a burning question about renewal? Need help completing the online application?

Do not fear, all your questions are answered in our FAQ and our hand How to Renew Guide will take you through the process step-by-step.