Reinstatement applicant – previously registered with ACSW

To practice in the scope of social work in Alberta, you must be registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers and have an active practice permit. 

If you were previously registered as a social worker with ACSW and your registration was cancelled, this application is for you. 

The process of having your registration reinstated differs from person to person. It is strongly recommended that you email us at registration@acsw.ab.ca to understand your specific requirements.  

• If you have been suspended, please do not use this application. Log in to the registrant portal and complete your renewal.

• If it has been less than three years since your registration was cancelled and you were previously on the general registry: 

• • you will be registered on the general registry when you complete the reinstatement process 

• If your registration has been cancelled for more than three years and you are not registered in another recognized jurisdiction, you will be:  

• • placed on the provisional registry 
  • required to pass an exam 
  • required to complete 1500 supervised practice hours 

Please note: If you are registered as a social worker in another jurisdiction and were previously registered with ACSW, you may be able to register as a “Currently Regulated Applicant”. Please contact us at registration@acsw.ab.ca if this might apply to you.

Detailed requirements follow. Please read carefully. Then log in to the registrant portal and look for the Application to Reinstate with ACSW.  

Requirements for reinstatement

Reinstatement requirements are determined by several things: 

• whether you are currently registered in a recognized jurisdiction 
• your regulatory status at the time of cancellation 
• the length of time that you have not been regulated by a recognized regulatory body 
• whether you had outstanding requirements at the time your registration was cancelled 

Required documents 

• Resume / CV
  Your up-to-date resume should include: 

• • education 
  • work experience 
  • activities related to social work 
  • locations and dates for all of the above 

• Character reference
  You have two options: complete the ACSW character reference form OR submit a reference letter addressed to ACSW that supports your application to be a social worker 

• • The character reference must be submitted by someone who knows you 

• • • The person can not be a family member or partner  
    • The person does not have to be a social worker 

• • The completed form must be uploaded by you
  • ACSW will also accept a reference letter that shows support for you in the role of regulated social worker 
  • If you were previously registered on the general registry and it has been less than three years since your registration was cancelled  

• • At a later stage of registration, you will need a supervisor reference. Your supervisor reference can not come from the same individual who completes the character reference 

• Current criminal record check 

• • A criminal record check is valid for three months from the date it was issued 

• • • It must be valid at the time you submit your complete application 
    • You might have to resubmit it if it has expired when your registration is approved 

• • A vulnerable sector check is not required 
  • We accept criminal record checks from local and federal law enforcement agencies or online providers 
  • Inconclusive results require a fingerprint check 
  • You pay any costs to get the criminal record check 
  • A criminal record check in a language other than English must have an official translation 

• Mandatory training
  
  • Click here to complete the mandatory training course: Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Education for Health Professionals. Save and submit the certificate of completion. The course will take approximately 90 minutes to complete.

• Other professions/jurisdictions 

• • If you are, or have been, registered/licensed/certified in social work or another profession, you must complete the verification form for each profession 
  • Complete the top portion of the form and send it to the other regulatory body or bodies 
  • You pay any costs for the verifications 

• Education transcripts 

• • If you have upgraded social work education since last registering with ACSW, you must have official and complete transcripts from the educational institution(s), showing the highest level of social work education completed.  
  • Transcripts must be submitted directly from the institution(s) to ACSW 
  • Transcripts provided directly from you will not be accepted for registration

• Payment of registration fees  

• • When the complete application is reviewed and approved by ACSW, you will be notified by email that payment of registration fees is now required 
  • When your payment is processed, you will be registered on the provisional or general registry and your practice permit will be available for download
  • A REINSTATEMENT application costs $600. This includes a $200 reinstatement fee and a $400 annual fee.  

If your application is not complete within two months, it will be closed and you will need to submit a new application.
For an application to be considered complete, you must pay the application fee and submit all required documents.  

If you have not heard from us within three weeks, please contact ACSW to inquire about the status of your application. 

To apply for reinstatement, log in to the registrant portal and look for the Application to Reinstate with ACSW.