Australian Dispensing Optician looking for a new adventure

[bton86]

Hi all, long time reader first time caller, well poster as it seems.

I have been working as a dispensing optician since 2003 and currently working in a behavioural practice (since 2009).
I have spent some time over the years in BC and AB and more recently toying with the idea of relocating my life to your beautiful country. I am curious as to approximate wages and availability of work as a dispenser.
Is there any further education needing to be done from the Australian Certificate IV optical dispensing course to work in Canada?
Im 29 years old and have quite a bit of experience under my belt in the industry.

Thanks in advance
Brenton

[swibgirl]

I am not sure if there is reciprocity between Australia and Canada but I would think you would have to do the Licensing Exam. We are in Saskatchewan and License wages varies from dispensary to dispensary but any where from $18.00 up to $25.00 is reasonable.

[jc17777]

Your best bet is to contact the governing body of whatever province you were planning to locate too and direct your questions to them. If ontario you would contact the college of opticians of Ontario www.coptont.org.
This is a study that was done listing out the average wages for eye care professions in canada
http://www.jobs4ecps.ca/JOBS4ECPS_Sa..._20150210.pdf?
Hope that helps.

[tmorse]

Optician licensing provisions here in Canada are rather inconsistent.

British Columbia de-regulated Dispensing in 2010, so you or anyone may work here as an ophthalmic dispenser without any training at all. But BC has also retained the ability to register you as a ‘licensed’ Dispensing Optician on a voluntary basis. None of the other Canadian provinces including Alberta has de-regulated Dispensing. And you may never fit contact lenses in BC or anywhere else in Canada unless licensed to do by one of our optical regulatory bodies.

However, you may work as an Ophthalmic Assistant for an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist here in Canada in their optical dispensary without any formal opticianry training at all. Of course optician wage rate is governed by amount of formal training and related experience.

As an International applicant for opticianry licensure in Canada, you will need to undergo Canada’s Prior Learning Assessment (PLAR) process. PLAR consists of a computerized optical test, followed by an interview by a provincial regulatory body. Fee for PLAR is about $1300.00CAD, and both your contact lens fitting and dispensing knowledge is assessed. Once you are successful in passing PLAR, you may then proceed to Canada’s National NACOR competency exams in Dispensing and Contact Lens Fitting. And when these National exams are passed, you become eligible to apply for registration as a licensed Optician/Contact Lens Fitter in the province of choice. Canada has licensure reciprocity between provinces so once licensed in any province, you may ‘exchange’ your license for another province’s license without further examination (except Quebec).

Good luck to you.