Why apply for the New York Verification Process?

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires applicants for licensure as
physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to obtain independent verification of
the authenticity of their credentials from a NYSED-approved Credential Verification
Organization (CVO).

FCCPT has been approved by NYSED to verify credentials in these two levels of
healthcare workers.

If you are a foreign-educated physical therapist or physical therapist assistant seeking a

license to practice in New York state, you need to begin the process by completing an
online application through FCCPT for the New York Verification Process.

There is a separate, additional application for licensure in New York state, the
Application for Licensure and First Registration. In order to be licensed in New York
state, you must complete this application and send it to NYSED, not FCCPT. It is
available at www.op.nysed.gov/pt.htm.

Description of the verification process

New York State licensure regulations require that the educational and licensure
documents be collected and verified in a particular way. FCCPT’s process follows
procedures set forth by New York State Education Department (NYSED).

• Applicant pays and completes the online FCCPT application for the New York
Credentials Verification Process.
• Applicant submits to FCCPT all necessary request forms for academic and license
verification. The request forms must include:
o full address of the appropriate academic and license institution,
o name of the person who will be receiving the form,
o and phone number of the office where the form will be received.
• The applicant cannot be involved in the collection process of the documents in
any way.
• FCCPT will send these request forms to the school(s) attended and to the
licensing or registration authority within 15 working days of receipt.
• The schools and licensing/registration authorities must return the forms FCCPT
sends to them along with official transcripts, course descriptions, and
license/registration documents to meet the NY verification requirements.
• Once all required documents are collected:
o FCCPT completes the verification process.
o FCCPT sends copies of the documents to New York State Education
Department (NYSED).
o NYSED completes the evaluation process.
• It is important to note that FCCPT does not evaluate any of the documents
collected for the New York Verification Process.
• FCCPT will notify the applicant when the documents have been sent to NYSED.
 • Applicants should then follow up with the NY Board for Physical Therapy.

Overview of the steps in the New York Verification Process

What the applicant will do What the applicant will NOT do
• Applicant will apply and pay
online for the New York
Verification Process.

• Applicant will send academic and

licensing request forms to FCCPT.
o NY Request for Academic
Credentials Verification
• Applicant will send a licensure
request form to FCCPT.
o NY Request for Licensure
Verification
• Applicant will complete and send
the “No License” form, if no
licenses are held.
o NY “No License Form”
• Applicant will submit a notarized
attestation page for the New York
Verification Process with photo to
FCCPT.
o New York Verification
Process Attestation form
• Applicant will send a notarized
copy of the PT or PTA diploma to
FCCPT.
• The applicant will submit a
notarized release of information if
they wish a third party to contact
the FCCPT in their place.
• Applicants will NOT send original
diplomas or certificates.
o All documents sent to the
FCCPT become the
property of the FCCPT and
will not be returned.
• Applicant will NOT send any
copies of transcripts, mark sheets,
syllabi, or license verifications to
FCCPT.
• Applicants will NOT collect
transcripts or verifications in sealed
envelopes and forward these to the
FCCPT.
• Any documents that are not
required will not be maintained in
the FCCPT files.

o Release of Information
form *optional
Actions the academic institution does NOT
What the Academic institution will do
take
• The academic institution will fill • The academic institution will not
 out the NYSED Academic
Verification Form that FCCPT
sends and submit it with the send any documents to the
official transcript and official applicant to forward on to FCCPT.
course descriptions and/or syllabi
to FCCPT.
Actions the licensing authority does NOT
What the licensing authority will do
take
• The licensing/registration authority
• The licensing authority will not
will fill out the NYSED Licensure
send any documents to the
Verification Form that FCCPT
applicant to forward on to FCCPT.
sends and submit it to FCCPT.
What Will FCCPT do Actions FCCPT does not take
• FCCPT will supply the applicant
with a file number once an online • FCCPT will not do an educational
payment and application have been credentials review. Once documents
completed. have been sent to the NYSED the
applicant should follow up with the
• FCCPT will send four requests to
NY board. The FCCPT does not
the school and licensing
have any additional contact with the
authorities.
files.
• FCCPT will send requests every 60
• FCCPT does not issue the license,
days.
the jurisdiction board does this.
• FCCPT will verify and
• FCCPT will not re-activate a file
authenticate the documents
after four attempted requests to the
according to the NYSED
agencies. An applicant will need to
regulations and send to NYSED.
apply for a new service if they wish
us to make more attempts.
• If the institutions do not respond
after four attempts then the FCCPT
• The FCCPT will NOT give out
will send what documents have
specific information to any third
been verified to NYSED, and
party without a notarized release of
applicant will follow up with the
information from the applicant
state at that time.

Collecting the documents for the New York Verification Process

Applicants are not allowed to send any of the required documents for this service except
for the PT or PTA diploma. Applicants also are not allowed to contact the school and/or
licensing/registration authority to have them send the documents directly to FCCPT. Only
FCCPT as the NYSED-approved Credential Verification Organization (CVO) authorized
to collect and verify these documents. Applicant involvement in the collection of
documents is the most common reason for a delay in the verification process.

Applicants must submit all appropriate NY request forms for academic institutions and
licensing/registration authorities to the FCCPT at this address:

Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy

124 West Street South, 3rd Floor
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2825.

FCCPT will send these forms to the addresses of the academic and licensing/registration
authorities. Applicants can arrange to have the request letters sent to the addresses of the
school(s) and license/registration authorities by Federal Express by opening a personal
account with Fed-Ex and supplying FCCPT with this information.

New York State Education Department (NYSED) does not require the collection of
documents from any U.S. academic institutions or licensure boards. Applicants should
not submit request forms for U.S. documents. These documents should be submitted
directly to NYSED using the forms from the NYSED website.

Applicants may:

• Notify their school and/or licensing/registration authority to expect a letter from

FCCPT requesting the required documents.
• Arrange for payment of any fee that the school and/or licensing/registration
authority may have for issuing official documents.
• Explain to the school and/or licensing/registration authority that it must return
FCCPT’s request forms with the documents that they send to us.

If the documents arrive without FCCPT’s verification request forms, NYSED will not
accept them and the FCCPT must request them again.

Applicants should not arrange for third parties to pick up documents in an effort to
expedite their delivery. FCCPT cannot verify that these are official documents if they
are not sent directly from the institution issuing the documents. If an applicant uses a
courier service, such as FedEx, DHL, etc., the representative from the institution must
place the sealed documents in the courier package. When there is any question of
document mishandling, FCCPT will verify that the documents are authentic. This will
delay the processing.

Application Policy:

• All applications must be online and payment must be made by credit or debit card
(Visa or Master card only).
Payment Policy:

• Full payment for services is due at the time of application.

• If payment is not made the online system will not issue a file number and may not
save any data.
• If full payment is not made a late fee of $100 will be assessed after 30 days.

Withdrawal Policy:

• Applicants may withdraw a submitted application within five business days.

• A refund will be subject to a $100 service fee.
• There will be no refund for a withdrawal after the fifth day.
• If an applicant subsequently reopens an application, the full fee will be required at
that time.
• Requests for withdrawal should be sent with a signature via Fax or mail

Change of Service Request Policy:

• An applicant who wishes to make a change in services will be subject to a $100

service fee for the change.
• Requests for changes should be sent with a signature via Fax or mail
Application Fee Schedule
New fee (USD)
Description
effective 1/1/2009
FCCPT Comprehensive Credentials Evaluation
$750.00
(Type I)1
FCCPT Educational Credentials Review 2 $490.00
New York Verification Process $390.00
FCCPT Physical Therapist Assistant Educational
$490.00
Equivalency Review 3
Planned Learning and Assistance Network 4 $450.00
P-L-A-N increments of 1/2 hour $100.00
Reactivation 5 $210.00
Re-evaluation 6 $350.00
Type I Certificate Renewal $350.00
Duplicate Reports $90.00
Fees for states that require conversion of credentials
to a second state form: California, New Jersey, $50.00
Texas
Requests for copies for states that require conversion
after first review has been completed and mailed = $350.00
re-evaluation
Photocopies of original documents notarized by
$25.00
FCCPT
Change of Service Requests $100.00
Late Fees $100.00

Important Note:
All payments are to be submitted via credit card at the time of request/application. FCCPT
reserves the right to adjust the fee schedule at any time without notice.

1. FCCPT Comprehensive Credentials Evaluation Certificate (Type I) includes

certificate and report forwarded to applicant and one state. If additional report(s)
are required, a duplicate report fee will be charged.
2. FCCPT Educational Credentials Review includes report forwarded to applicant and
one state. If additional report(s) are required, a duplicate report fee will be charged.
3. Physical Therapist Assistant Educational Equivalency Review includes a report
forwarded to the applicant and to one state. If additional report(s) are required, a
duplicate report fee will be charged.
4. The FULL P-L-A-N counseling continues to include the cost of one re-evaluation
after coursework is completed.
5. Reactivation fee to reinstate expired application.