Practitioners travelling overseas or taking extended leave

This page provides useful information for registered practitioners who do not plan to practise in New Zealand for a year or more.  There are four common questions:

• What happens to my registration status?
• What do I do with my Continuing Competence Framework for Recertification (CCFR) objectives and activities?
• What will I need to do to get a practising certificate when I return?
• Will I need anything from the OTBNZ if I want to work as an occupational therapist overseas? 

Each of these questions are answered below. 

Registration and practising status

There are two options available for practitioners who are taking a break from practising occupational therapy in New Zealand: either request that their name be removed from the Register, or stay on the Register with a non-practising status.  To find out more about each option, please see the non-practising page. 

The chosen option will dictate which application category will apply when the practitioner returns to practice in New Zealand. It is important to consider these requirements so that an informed decision can be made.  Please see the returning to practice information below.

Continuing competence framework for recertification

Departing practitioners should enter a short explanation in one of their CCFR self-assessments so that the reason for the break in activity is clear to supervisors or future auditors.

It is also advisable for these practitioners to update their CCFR (around the time they leave their place of employment) to record the progress on each current objective/activity, by entering text into the outcome and critical reflection fields – even if the objective/activity is not complete. 

When practitioners return to practice, for each objective and activity they can choose to either: continue pursuing that objective/activity, amend the objective/activity, record the progress and mark it as complete (even if it has not been fully completed), or record N/A in the outcome and explain why it is no longer applicable.

Practitioners are not required to participate in the CCFR programme while they are not practising in New Zealand, although they may do so if they choose.

Process for returning to practice

The process for obtaining a practising certificate depends on the returning practitioner’s registration status and the length of time since his or her last practising certificate.

If the returning practitioner is still registered with the OTBNZ, and the last practising certificate expired less than three years ago, the practising certificate process is just the same as a recertification application (see the recertification page for details).

If the returning practitioner is still registered and the last practising certificate expired more than three years ago, there are additional requirements, and the process is explained on the return to practice page.

If the returning practitioner is no longer registered, the practitioner will need to submit a restoration to the Register application.  More information on this can be found on the restoration to the Register page.

Additional information for practitioners travelling overseas

Practitioners who apply for registration as an occupational therapist in other countries may be asked to provide a letter of good standing (alternatively known as a certificate of professional status or a verification of registration) from the OTBNZ.  Practitioners should contact the OTBNZ if they require a letter of good standing.