Registering with HRPA means you join a community of HR professionals who are committed to continuous learning, ethical HR practice and moving the profession forwards. While joining HRPA is voluntary, it signals your commitment to being part of a self-regulated profession that believes in protecting the public through HR excellence and creating better workplaces for everyone.
Of course, being part of a self-regulated profession also means taking on certain professional obligations, such as abiding by the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013, the By-laws and the Rules of Professional Conduct. It is your willingness to take on those obligations that elevate the HR profession to the same level as the other self-regulated professions, such as lawyers and accountants.
Practitioner, Allied Professional or Student – Finding the Right Registration Class for You
You can join HRPA at any time by completing the online application. Before you start the process, we would encourage you to review our registration classes to determine whether Practitioner, Allied Professional or Student would be the right class for you.
Practitioner
Practitioner is our main registration class for new applicants. If you are not eligible to join as either a Student or an Allied Professional, this is the class you would apply for – and you can join as a Practitioner even if you are not currently practicing HR.
Student
If you are looking towards a career in HR but are still in college or university, you can join as a student and start interacting with our community of HR professionals. There are two main requirements to be eligible for student registration: (a) you need to be enrolled in an HR program on a full-time basis at an accredited Ontario post-secondary institution, taking HRPA-approved courses and (b) you cannot work full-time. To confirm your eligibility, please submit of your course registration, a letter from your school or an unofficial transcript together with your application.
Allied Professional
If you are a current member of another self-regulated profession in Ontario (a complete list of which can be found on the Office of the Fairness Commissioner website), but would also like to be part of HRPA, you can join as an Allied Professional. Please ask your regulatory body to submit a Certificate of Standing directly to HRPA to confirm that you are a member of good standing, and then reconfirm your status annually as part of your renewal with HRPA. If you are part of a regulatory body that is not listed on the Office of the Fairness Commissioner website, please reach out to us and we’ll determine whether you may still qualify as an Allied Professional.
New to Canada
If you are new to Canada, meaning you have received permanent resident status or an open work permit within the last two years, you may be eligible for International Educated Professional (IEP) dues for your initial registration. IEP dues give you the opportunity to establish yourself in the Ontario HR community and get to know HRPA. Please note that IEP dues are a special price-point only and you would join as a Practitioner.
For an overview of the IEP dues, as well as information on how to apply, please click here.
Application Process
HRPA’s registration year runs from June 1st–May 31st. As we mentioned above, you can join at any time. Your application dues will depend on two factors: which class you are applying for – Practitioner, Student or Allied Professional – and when you join. Dues are pro-rated on a monthly basis, so you only ever pay for the number of months remaining until the next May 31st. For an overview of the current application dues, please click here. All registration dues are non-refundable.
When you join HRPA, if you reside within the province of Ontario, you will be asked to select a Chapter, which functions as your community within HRPA. We recommend that you select a Chapter close to home/work so you can actively participate in your Chapter. If you reside outside of Ontario, please select ‘Out of Province’ instead. Your dues will be adjusted accordingly since, unfortunately, you will not be able to take advantage of the Chapter community.
The first step in the application process is for you to complete the online application, pay your application dues and submit any supporting documentation, if applicable. Your application will then be reviewed by a staff member of the Office of the Registrar – that process usually takes between 5–10 business days.
If your application is deemed complete – meaning you have met the Good Character requirement (more on that below) and all applicable supporting documentation has been received – we will send you a confirmation email and add you to HRPA’s Public Register. Additionally, we would encourage you to contact your Chapter Experience Coordinator to find out more about your Chapter Community.
When you complete your application to join HRPA, you will notice that there are thirteen so-called Good Character questions that you are required to answer. Good Character questions are standard for regulatory associations such as HRPA and saying yes to one or more of those questions does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to join HRPA. If you said yes to any of the Good Character questions, a staff member will reach out to you for more information. The information you provide will be reviewed by the Registrar, who may either approve your application or refer the matter to the Registration Committee for a final decision. The Registration Committee can either approve your application outright, impose Terms, Limits or Conditions upon your admission to HRPA or, in limited circumstances, deny your application. You should receive the decision of the Registration Committee within 2–4 weeks of your application being referred, including the reasons for the decision.
What is the process if I hold a CPHR designation?
If you currently hold an HR designation through one of the provincial HR associations outside of Ontario, please contact HRPA at registrar@hrpa.ca before proceeding with the application process and ask your provincial HR association to submit a Certificate of Standing for you directly to HRPA.
What if I was previously a member or student registered with HRPA?
If you were previously registered with HRPA as a member or student, you can re-apply at any time by completing a new application online and rejoin as a Practitioner or, if eligible, as an Allied Professional or as a Student.
To rejoin HRPA, please follow the instructions below:
- Click on “Login” below the Menu
- Enter your email address associated with your previous record and password
- Click on “Dashboard” below the Search icon
- From your Dashboard click on the “Not Registered? Start a New Registration Application” button and go through the five (5) steps until you reach the checkout page
- Click on “Express Check-Out” and enter payment information then click on “Submit Order”
- A receipt will be sent via email once the payment is processed
If you previously held a designation granted by HRPA, in addition to rejoining, a separate process would apply to re-activate your designation. Unfortunately, re-applying for registration does not automatically re-grant a designation. If your membership or student registration was previously resigned or revoked, you would need to meet all current designation requirements in order to re-achieve your designation(s). For more detailed information, please review our Reinstatement and Re-Achievement Policy.
For more information about Joining HRPA please review the Member and Student Handbook or our Registration FAQs for more information.
Access to Registration Records
For more information about accessing your registration records from HRPA, please click here.