Iowa Code r. 661-502.10 - Licensure by work experience in jurisdictions without licensure requirements

(1) Work experience.

a. An applicant for initial licensure who has relocated to Iowa from another jurisdiction that did not require a license to practice the profession may be considered to have met the applicable educational and training requirements if the person has at least three years of full-time work experience within the four years preceding the date of application for initial licensure. For each application submitted under this rule, the board will determine whether the applicant's prior work experience was substantially similar in nature and scope to a training or education program typically applicable for the license sought.

b. The applicant will need to satisfy all other license requirements, including passing any required examinations, to receive a license.

(2) Documentation. An applicant seeking to substitute work experience in lieu of satisfying applicable education or training requirements bears the burden of providing all of the following by submitting relevant documents as part of a completed license application:

a. Proof of current residency in the state of Iowa pursuant to rule 701-38.17 (17A), or proof of the military member's official permanent change of station. To demonstrate Iowa residency, the applicant is to submit proof that:

(1) The applicant currently maintains a residence or place of abode in Iowa, whether owned, rented, or occupied, even if the individual is in Iowa less than 183 days of the calendar year; and

(2) One or more of the following:

1. The applicant claims a homestead credit or military tax exemption on a home in Iowa, or

2. The applicant is registered to vote in Iowa, or

3. The applicant maintains an Iowa driver's license, or

4. The applicant does not reside in an abode in any other state for more days of the calendar year than the individual resides in Iowa.

b. Proof of three or more years of full-time work experience within the four years preceding the application for Iowa licensure, which demonstrates that the work experience was substantially similar in nature and scope to a training or education program typically applicable for the license sought. Proof of work experience may include, but is not limited to:

(1) A letter from the applicant's prior employer or employers documenting the applicant's dates of employment and scope of practice;

(2) Paychecks or pay stubs; or

(3) If the applicant was self-employed, business documents filed with the secretary of state or other applicable business registry or regulatory agency in the other jurisdiction.

c. Proof that the applicant's work experience involved a substantially similar scope of practice to the practice in Iowa, which is to include:

(1) A written statement by the applicant detailing the scope of practice and stating how the work experience correlates to an applicable apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor; and

(2) Business or marketing materials detailing the services provided.

d. Proof that the other jurisdiction did not require a license to practice the profession, which may include:

(1) Copies of applicable laws;

(2) Materials from a website operated by a governmental entity in that jurisdiction; or

(3) Materials from a nationally recognized professional association applicable to the profession.

Notes

Iowa Code r. 661-502.10

ARC 7879C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24

Adopted by IAB June 30, 2021/Volume XLIII, Number 27, effective 8/4/2021 Adopted by IAB April 17, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 21, effective 5/22/2024