Initial/Examination Foreign Educated

 

Read completely prior to beginning the application process. It is advised that applicants follow the steps in the order they are written.

 

 

 

It is hightly recommended that applicants complete the steps below in order. Please be advised that deviating from this order may delay your application process. 

 

Important Note:

A passing score on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is required prior to being issued a provisional license to complete the supervised clinical period.

 

Step 1: Set up a User Account and Apply Online

  1. Located at the bottom of the Home page, select “Apply for a License”.
  2. Click on “No account? Sign up!”.
  3. Select “New Applicant”, type in your information, and create a password. 
    *It is recommended that applicants do not to use a university email address as most students eventually lose access to their school email accounts.*
  4. Click “Create Account”.
  5. Log in using the email address and password that you used to create your account.  It will take you to your Dashboard.
  6. Complete the Online Application - Click the link at the top of your Dashboard, or go to www.laptboard.org/apply.
    • Please be advised that once you complete the online application, you will not be able go back and edit it.  Put your school’s name and anticipated graduation date on the application.
    • Applicaiont fees are payable via Visa, Mastercard, Discove, or AMEX.
    • A sample application can be viewed here.
  7. Pass the Jurisprudence Exam - All applicants must make a 75% or higher to pass the Board's online jurisprudence.  The exam is free of charge and consists of 40 questions from the Louisiana Practice Act and Rules. 
    • To take the exam online, click the link at the top of your Dashboard.
  8. Complete the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Survey and Privacy Statement
    • You will be given a password at the end of the survey to enter into the passcode field on your applicant checklist. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. If the question is not applicable to your situation, enter n/a. We are aware that you will not have a license number to enter in the survey. Please complete the survey without it. 

Step 2: Additional Documents

 Please make copies of documents, then upload them to your dashboard.  Pictures of  documents will not be accepted.

  1. Official Transcript - The transcript must not be a copy and must be sent directly from the school to the Board.Transcripts may be sent via postal mail or emailed to Transcripts@laptboard.org. Please do not send transcript to other board email addresses. When you request a final transcript from your institution, verify that the transcript states that the degree was conferred or awarded. 
     
  2. Passport-Sized Photo - Upload one (1) 2 in. x 2in. recent passport-type photograph (taken within six (6) months of the application date) to be used for identification purposes.
    • Applicants most commonly use photos taken for passports.
    • Photos must be only of the applicant and cannot include animals or other people. You must be fully dressed in the photo, no tank tops or other revealing clothing.
  3. Upload proper form of identification to prove identity and authorization to work in the United States. A copy of your social security card must be submitted. You must also submit a copy of your Driver's License (front and back) or your passport. All copies must be in color. If you are not a citizen of the United States, submit proper documentation evidencing that you have obtained legal authority to work in the United States. Expired documentation will not be accepted.

 

Step 3: Complete Background Check

 

All applicants must complete the online application prior to starting the background check process.

 The background check process has been updated effective March 1, 2024. Click here for instructions. 

 

Disclaimer: 
Louisiana Physical Therapy Board  may use the criminal convictions of applicants as a basis for denial of an application for licensure. The Board is required to consider the following factors in deciding whether to grant a license to an applicant with one or more criminal convictions:
 
(1) the nature and seriousness of the offense(s);
(2) the nature of the specific duties and responsibilities for which the license is required;
(3) the amount of time that has passed since the conviction(s);
(4) facts relevant to the circumstances of the offense(s), including any aggravating or mitigating circumstances or social conditions surrounding the commission of the offence(s); and
(5) evidence of rehabilitation or treatment undertaken by the person since the conviction(s).
 
Applicants for licensure do have the right to petition for a pre-application eligibility determination prior to meeting the general qualifications for a license. The Pre-Application Determination form must be completed and submitted with the appropriate documentation. 

Pre-Application Determination Form
 
For more information, please review relevant Louisiana statutes and board rules: La. R.S. 37:35; La. R.S. 37:2409; La. R.S. 37:2413; La. R.S. 37:2950, and LAC 46:LIV §151(E) and (F).


Resources 

Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights

Privacy Act Statement

 

Step 4: Register and pay for the NPTE

Visit www.fsbpt.org for more details.
Once you take the exam, FSBPT will send the Board your score report. 
§169.A. The Board adopts a criterion–referenced passing point of 600 which is based on a scale ranging from 200 to 800.  

ADA accommodations requests will be reviewed and processed by FSBPT.

ADA Accommodations

NOTE: You may apply for a provisional license pending examination.  To obtain a provisional license, you must complete all required procedures plus submit a Supervisory Request Form to the Board office. Your Supervisory Request Form must be submitted no fewer than 5 business days prior to your employment start date. 

 Step 5: Credentials Evaluation

A foreign graduate PT applicant must submit to the board a credentials evaluation of professional education and training prepared by a board-approved credentialing entity using the Course Work Tool. The credential report must have been prepared no more than eighteen months prior to the date of the application for licensure, and must be submitted to the board directly by the credential evaluation agency.  The applicant is responsible for any expense associated with the credentials evaluation.

  1. The credentials evaluation must provide documentation that the applicant's education from outside a state or territory of the US is substantially equivalent to the education of a PT who has graduated from a physical therapy education program accredited by CAPTE.  The evaluation must also establish that the institution at which the applicant received their physical therapy education is recognized by the Ministry of Education or an equivalent agency in that country.
  2. To determine substantial equivalency, the credentialing evaluation entity shall use a Course Work Tool (CWT) adopted by the FSBPT and approved by the board.
  3. To determine substantial equivalency, the entity shall use the version of the CWT in place at the time of entry by the applicant into the US.
  4. To be considered substantially equivalent to the requirements established in this rule, the applicant's foreign education must contain evidence of the content and distribution of coursework identified in the appropriate coursework evaluation tool identified in Paragraph D.3 of this rule.
  5. An evaluation prepared by a credentialing agency reflects only the findings and conclusion of that agency, and shall not bind the Board. If the board determines that the applicant's education is not substantially equivalent to an entry-level physical therapy program accredited by CAPTE, the Board will notify the applicant in writing, identifying the deficiencies.

Organizations recognized by USCIS to issue Healthcare Worker Certificates

 Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)

 Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) 

Organizations licensed to use the FSBPT Coursework Tool (CWT)

 Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)

 International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD)

 International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)

 Step 6: Interview with Board Representative

The purpose of the interview is to discuss license requirements, fees, examination process, renewal requirements, continuing education, and practice issues including prohibitions, disciplinary procedures, supervision of support personnel and temporary permit holders.

Upon receipt of completed application and payment of fees, a personal interview will be scheduled with a Board Representative at the Board office in Lafayette. Applicants must present the following ORIGINAL documents at the time of the interview:

  1. Original Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant Diploma.  If you can not locate your diploma, you may request from your graduating school that they send the Board your transcript.  The transcript must not be a copy and must be mailed directly from the school to the Board.
  2. Proper form of identification - Original U.S. Passport.  If you do not have a passport, you may present your original Driver's License and Social Security Card.

Please refer to your checklist for updates on your application status. If you have questions after reviewing your checklist you may contact the Licensing Analyst.

Danielle Linzer, Licensing Analyst: Danielle@laptboard.org

FEE SCHEDULE
§501.A. the board may collect the following fees...

The application fee is electronic only and payable by all major credit/debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

A license issued to an applicant for the first time shall be for a term of one year or two years, to be determined by the birth year of the applicant (Rule §175.C).  THIS FEE IS NON-REFUNDABLE

  • Even Birth Year & Odd Application Year  $250
  • Odd Birth Year & Even Application Year  $250
  • Even Birth Year & Even Application Year  $390
  • Odd Birth Year & Odd Application Year  $390  

 

Applicants that apply at the end of one calendar year and receive their license in the following year may either owe additional fees or be entitled to a partial refund per the Fee Schedule referenced above. Please contact the Licensing Analyst for guidance.

 

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