Associate Membership Application Process

If you are internationally trained or a graduate from a program in Canada that is not accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board (CFAB), when you apply for Provisional Membership OPFA staff will discuss with you whether you wish to work towards Full or Associate Membership.

Associate Membership may be a suitable option for you if any or all of the following apply:

you are working in a specific area of professional forestry
you wish to continue working in Ontario only
you do not meet the education requirements to undergo the Credential Assessment Process (CAP) for Full Membership
you have competency gaps that you need to fill before being eligible to apply for Full Membership.

Associate Members have a defined scope of practice; which is a description of the specific professional forestry services that they are able to provide and the limitations on the scope (for example they may be working only on private land, and/or in a specific geographical region and forest type).

Applicants for Associate Membership undergo an academic competency assessment which evaluates their courses against the Certification Standards for the profession of forestry in Canada. The applicant is then given a prescribed scope of practice which includes those competencies that were demonstrated by the applicants academic qualifications. This prescribed scope of practice is the scope of practice for which the individual is eligible to apply for Associate Membership under, once they have met the 18-month mentored work experience requirement, the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training requirement, and the Professionalism and Ethics Standard. There is the opportunity to expand this scope of practice, or work towards Full Membership (if eligible- 4yr BSc or equivalent) as a next step or in the future.

Please refer to this step-by-step summary for a description of the entire Associate Membership registration process, from applying for Provisional Membership (R.P.F. in Training) to becoming an Associate Member (Associate R.P.F.).

Forms & Instructional Documents

To apply:

Please contact the OPFA Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca with a copy of your CV/resume to determine eligibility before applying.

If you decide to proceed you will need to:

Create a profile through the Registration Link (if you are not a current Student Member)
Complete the application (after setting up your profile)
Upload a line numbered CV/resume (work experience in YYYY/MM/DD format)
Complete the online Professionalism and Ethics Evaluation*
Pay the Application Fee

*This is an online multiple-choice evaluation. There is no fee to complete the evaluation. You may only complete the evaluation once, unless extenuating circumstances apply (please contact the Registrar). The results of the Professionalism and Ethics Evaluation do not affect your application; they are simply used to determine whether you currently meet the Professionalism and Ethics Standard or will be required to complete the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module as one of the requirements for Associate or Full Membership. Information on the content, format and fees for the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module are available through the above link.

When received, this application material will be considered by the Registration Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting. You can find a list of upcoming Registration Committee meeting dates and the deadline to submit materials for them here. You will receive formal written notification within 2 weeks of the meeting date.

After approval as a Provisional Member (R.P.F. in Training):

An Orientation Session will be provided shortly after approval as a Provisional Member, to provide instructions on the next steps.

Mentoring Agreement- Section 1: Establishment of Mentorship and Section 2: Conclusion of Mentorship – please also review the Mentorship Instructions
Provisional Member Guide to Developing a Personal Practice Focus and a Learning Plan
Provisional Membership Work History Form
Criteria For Relevant Experience
Request for Prior Experience Form (eligible experience only – please refer to the Criteria for Relevant Experience or contact the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca to determine eligibility to submit this form)
- You can complete this request through the Applications tab in your online portal

You will need to have official transcripts submitted directly to the OPFA from the academic institution(s). For international qualifications, a course-by-course credential evaluation must be completed and submitted directly to the OPFA. We recommend World Education Services (WES) or the University of Toronto CES (others may be accepted please contact to confirm)- these service providers can also include copies of official transcripts in their evaluations which will be accepted by the OPFA.

Provisional Members are also required to update their Progress Report Table every February and August to show how they are working towards meeting the registration requirements. This is an individual online report; the link will be provided to you.

Preparing for the Academic Assessment:

The Registration Manager will provide you with the materials and instructions to prepare for the academic assessment after the Orientation Session. You will need to prepare these materials and submit them to the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca.

You will need to:

Identify which of your courses are relevant to each of the competency elements in the Certification Standards (where appliable).
Provide detailed course outlines for all relevant courses
Have official transcripts submitted to opfa@opfa.ca or the office mailing address directly from the institution(s)

Method of assessment:

Eligible candidates (those with a minimum of a 4yr BSc or equivalent) will undergo the Credential Assessment Process Phase 1 academic assessment. The Credential Assessment Process (CAP) is a national process that is developed and implemented by the Forest Professional Regulators of Canada (FPRC). For information regarding the CAP, please visit the Credential Assessment Website.

Candidates who are not eligible to undergo the CAP will undergo academic assessment through the Registration Committee- these candidates are eligible for Associate Membership but are not able to progress to Full Membership until they have met the equivalence eligibility and the competency and policy requirements.

You are only required to undergo an academic assessment once. When the academic assessment has been completed you will be provided with the results and your prescribed scope of practice for Associate Membership. Please note that as a Provisional Member you will not be licensed to practice under your prescribed scope of practice yet; you must meet the other standard requirements and apply for Associate Membership to do so.

Opportunities to discuss expanding your Associate Member scope of practice and/or working towards Full Membership will be discussed with you. Possibilities include taking additional training to fill competency gaps and/or undergoing an assessment of your experience.

Fees: The current fee for either type of academic assessment is $500

Please contact the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca to determine which method of assessment applies to you, and receive the instructions on how to get started.

Complaints and appeals: Specific results of your academic assessment can be appealed through the Registrar and Registration Committee. There is no fee to do so, and the Registrar is available to provide advice and guide you through the process. If you have complaints about the Registration Committee and/or CAP assessment process they can be submitted in writing to opfa@opfa.ca and OPFA staff will work with the Registration Committee or FPRC (as appropriate) to resolve the issue.

Meeting the Professionalism and Ethics Standard

All applicants must meet the Professionalism and Ethics Standard. This can be done in the following ways:

Complete the online Professionalism and Ethics Evaluation to determine whether you are required to completed the Bridge Training module. If you prefer to complete the Bridge Training module without undergoing the online evaluation you may do so. This is an online multiple-choice online evaluation that can be completed at any time. There is no fee to complete the evaluation. You may only complete the evaluation once, unless extenuating circumstances apply (please contact the Registrar). Please contact OPFA staff for access to the online evaluation.
Complete the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module (recommended) – this is a single online module which is self-paced and can be started at any time (even before approval as a Provisional Member). Successful completion of this module meets the Standard. Information on module content and fees can be found at the above link.

Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training

All applicants for Associate Membership will be asked to complete modules 1 & 2 of the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training, which are provided by Lakehead University. These are online self-paced modules that can be begun at any point during the registration process. You can see the associated fees and register for the modules here (the last two listed).

If you believe that you are already competent in Ontario forest policy and legislative framework you may choose to complete the Ontario Forest Policy Screening Test. This is an online multiple choice test with an 80% passing grade and a short (15-20 min) interview to confirm competence. There is no fee to complete the screening test. Applicants have one attempt to pass the screening test unless extenuating or special circumstances apply (please contact the Registrar for any extenuating circumstances). Failure to successfully complete the screening test does not result in a rejected application; applicants are simply directed to complete the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training modules 1 & 2.

While we recommend that all applicants do complete both modules, applicants for Associate Membership may request an exemption from modules they do not feel are relevant to their scope of practice; this request will be considered by the Registration Committee at one of their scheduled meetings. Please review the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Requirement Policy and contact the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca if you wish to make such a request.

Indigenous Peoples Lands & Resources Standard Training Modules

As of May 1, 2025 all applicants for Full or Associate Membership are required to demonstrate competency in the OPFA’s Indigenous Peoples Lands and Resources Standard. There are 3 online self-paced modules (one for each competency in the Standard) available that can be begun at any point during the registration process. You will receive an email invite giving you access to the OPFA Training Centre upon approval of your Provisional Membership. There is no cost for OPFA Members to access these training resources. There is no cost or time limit for applicants to access these training resources and the modules and exams can be completed as many times as needed.

If you already have education or knowledge in these areas you may choose to complete the screening exams in order to evaluate your knowledge. These are short online multiple choice tests with an 80% pass grade. Failure to achieve a passing grade does not result in a failed application. If you are not successful in passing these exams you will be referred to the training modules, with the opportunity to attempt the exams again at the end of the modules (as many times as needed). Additional information about the implementation of this Standard is linked below.

Implementation of the OPFA Indigenous Peoples Lands & Resources Standard

After the academic competency assessment & when the experience requirement has been met:

The following documents will be required to be submitted after the academic assessment and when the 18 months of relevant mentored experience requirement has been met. Please note that 6 months of this experience must be attained after 80% of the competencies required for the scope of practice have been demonstrated; which includes those competencies in the Professionalism and Ethics Standard. The Criteria for Relevant Experience describes eligible experience, as well as how to make a request to get credit for eligible experience that you already have. The Registration Manager is available to provide guidance.

Character Witness Form (2 required- please review the eligibility requirements at the top of the form)
Sponsorship Form (2 required- please review the Sponsorship Instructions)
Your sponsors will also be required to review a completed copy of your Work History Form
Associate Membership Application Form
You will also need to report (by email is acceptable) that your Personal Practice Focus and Learning Plan are complete and up to date.

Have questions? Please contact the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca for assistance.

Application Process & Forms > Associate Membership Application Process