Canadian membership of STEP is both diverse and highly specialized, with accredited professionals from all facets of the trust and estate planning industries including legal, accountancy, corporate, trust, banking and insurance.

STEP's Canadian members are experts in their field, having earned the profession's most respected and recognized designation, the Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP). These senior-level practitioners are involved in the planning, creation, management of and accounting for trusts, estates and taxation of individuals and families.

There are three routes leading to full membership of STEP, one for experienced practitioners and two student routes:

• The Experienced Practitioner (Invitation) route - open to persons who hold a recognized professional qualification and who have a minimum of ten years current practical experience in trusts and/or estates related matters.
• The Qualified Practitioner (Essay) route - open to persons who hold a recognized professional qualification and who have a minimum of two years current post qualification practical experience in trusts and/or estates related matters.
• The STEP Diploma for Canada (Exam) route - intended for candidates who work, or aspire to work, in the trusts and estates industry in Canada. No experience or professional qualification is required for student membership.

There are three types of membership in STEP:

• Full membership is available to those who hold the designation TEP and to those who acquire it by meeting the assessment criteria under either of the two student routes to Membership — Qualified Practitioner or Diploma route (see below) — and who

  

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  have a significant involvement at a specialist level, with one or more of the planning, creation, management of and accounting for trusts and estates, executorship administration and related taxes, and who are engaged at a level requiring little or no supervision from others. ("Significant involvement" shall mean either full-time activity in a specialist trust or probate role, or, if the applicant has responsibilities outside trust or estate work, being involved in aspects of trust or estate work at a level requiring little or no supervision from others.)
• Student membership is awarded to candidates seeking full membership via the Qualified Practitioner or Diploma route (see below).
• Associate membership is available to student members who have met all the assessment criteria for membership but are in the process of meeting the 'significant involvement' criterion.