Residency Guidelines

The School of Physiotherapy at Dalhousie is the only school serving Atlantic Canada and as such, enrolment in the program is limited. A provincial quota system is in place with a specified number of seats allocated annually for residents of Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. To be eligible for competition, applicants must be permanent residents as defined below.

A resident of the Province is an individual lawfully entitled to be or remain in Canada, who makes their home and is ordinarily present in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the last deadline for admission (January 31). This includes an applicant living outside of the Province for the purpose of furthering their education, but not including a tourist, transient or visitor to the Province.

Independent Applicants

An applicant is considered a resident of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador if s/he has lived and/or worked in the Province for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31), excluding time spent as a full-time student at a post-secondary institution.

Dependent Applicants

An applicant is considered a resident of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador who lives with or is supported by parent(s), guardian(s) or sponsor(s) who resided in the Province for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31):

• If one of the parents works in another province, the applicant is a resident of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador if the family home was in the Province for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31);
  
• If the parents are separated or divorced, the province would be where the applicant normally lives or received principal support for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31). If there is no custody agreement, the province of residence is that of the parent with whom the applicant has normally resided for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31), or if the applicant lives with neither parent, the province of residence is that of the parent who has been the applicant’s principal support for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31);
  
• If the parents leave Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador after having resided there for the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31), but the applicant remains in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador to begin or continue post-secondary studies, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador will continue to be the province of residence;
  
• If the parents reside outside Canada, the province of residence will be that where the parents last resided during the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the deadline for admission (January 31) prior to their departure from Canada.

Applicants whose parent(s), legal guardian or spouse is employed by the Canadian Armed Forces who do not meet residency requirements as a direct result of a recent military transfer either into or out of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland & Labrador, would not necessarily be expected to conform to the above guidelines.

Military Applicants

Members of the Canadian Forces "and their spouses" are exempt from the School of Physiotherapy residency policy. If applying, you must indicate the province in which you are currently stationed and this will become your province of residence for your application. In order for the residency policy to be waived, please ensure that you indicate on the supplementary application form that you are "Military".

Applicants are encouraged to give complete information on their resident status at the time of application. All applicants are expected to claim the same place of residency on all applications to physiotherapy schools. Failure to do so may lead to rejection of the application. Relevant factors will be taken into account by the Admissions Committee in its determination of the residency status of each applicant. The decision of the Admissions Committee regarding the residency status of each applicant is final.