As license year comes to an end you might be wondering if you should renew. There are many reasons to take some time off from work whether you’re expecting a new addition to the family, taking an extended vacation or have a sick relative; we understand that life throws curve balls and that is why we have the option to renew as a non-practicing optician.
Below we have provided some answers to our most frequently asked questions about changing your status.
Why register as non-practicing?
Changing your status to non-practicing is an easy and cost-efficient way to maintain your license. While you might be taking time off work, registering as non-practicing means that you aren’t taking time away from your profession. All you have to do is pay a reduced fee and register online as usual just select the “renew as a non-practicing optician” option.
What does it mean to be non-practicing?
You still hold your reserved titles: Optician/Contact Lens Fitter/Automated Refractor
You pay a reduced fee
You are not currently working
You still maintain your competency through continuing education
What happens if I do not renew my license?
You cannot use reserved titles: Optician/Contact Lens Fitter/Automated Refractor
You have to pay a reinstatement fee of $200/year of suspension
You may have to do additional steps like assessments and courses depending on the length of your absence from Opticianry
What do I have to do to change back to practicing?
Within 3years of registering as non-practicing all you have to do to change your status back to practicing is:
Keep up and submit your mandatory continuing education credits
Fill out the Change of Status form
Pay the difference between the practicing and non-practicing fee
After 3 years of registering as non-practicing you are required to take further steps in order to demonstrate that you are still qualified to practice.
If you have any more questions about what it means to register as non-practicing please feel free to contact us at the College. We are here to help you with all of your renewal and registration questions