As the number of Canadian students pursuing optometry education in the United States continues to rise, questions around immigration, licensing, and career planning have become increasingly complex. The Future Focus: Cross-Border webinar was developed to address these challenges, offering Canadian students practical guidance on transitioning from U.S. education to professional practice in Canada.
The program was structured around three interconnected sessions: legal and immigration considerations, early career pathways, and returning to practise in Canada. This framework reflected the reality of student decision-making, where choices related to immigration timing, board examinations, and pursuit of employment opportunities can have long-term implications. Attendees represented 15 U.S.-based optometry schools, spanning all class cohorts.
The opening session focused on immigration and work authorization, providing accurate, up-to-date information and emphasizing careful planning amid an evolving regulatory environment. The second session adopted a moderated group-discussion format, featuring senior optometry student Nyah Miranda alongside Canadian practitioners Dr. Allison Scott, President of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and recent graduate Dr. Alexandra Baille. Discussions explored early career decisions, practice models, and differences between U.S. and Canadian clinical environments.
The final session, led by Dr. Amanda Olsen of the Optometry Examining Board of Canada, outlined the Canadian regulatory landscape, national competency standards, and licensing timelines.
Sponsor-hosted breakout sessions and live Q&A encouraged engagement and networking. Overall, the webinar underscored the importance of early preparation, credible information, and adaptable planning for Canadian students navigating cross-border optometric careers. The event was made possible by the generous support of Visionary Sponsors, including Eye Recommend, FYI doctors, OSI Group and Specsavers Canada.
Want to see more like this article? Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazines and e-newsletters!
Being back at the Seneca College Trade Show on February 5 was truly special for me. Seeing an event that started years ago in my classroom, with the early support of McCray Optical and Marchon, growing into such a full-scope industry trade show was incredibly rewarding. What began as a small, educational initiative has evolved into a meaningful platform connecting students with every corner of our profession.
A heartfelt thank-you to the faculty, especially Dorina Reiz and Tatiana Mighiu ,whose dedication continues to drive this event forward. This year’s show was elevated even further with the support of The Optical Group as Platinum Sponsor, helping bring the entire experience together.
Seneca College was also proud to be supported by long-standing industry partners, including Gold Sponsors Marchon, McCray Optical, and ZEISS, Silver Sponsor the Ontario Opticians Association, and Bronze Sponsor Optik Magazine. Their continued involvement reflects a shared commitment to education, innovation, and the future of opticianry.
The sense of industry collaboration was undeniable. It was fantastic to see representations from the College of Opticians of Ontario, Opticians Association of Canada and Ontario Opticians Association alongside an impressive lineup of frame, lens, and contact lens suppliers. Each partner came ready to educate, share, and inspire, giving students real insight into the newest products and innovations shaping our industry.
The students were the true stars of the day. Their fashion show was confident and creative, and the student volunteers were exceptional throughout.
Special thanks to Joyce Raggio and Jay Segovia for their behind-the-scenes support. Overall, it was an uplifting reminder of what’s possible when education and industry grow together.
Want to see more like this article? Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazines and e-newsletters!
A new research report from The Vision Council indicates that eyecare providers experienced improved revenue performance in the second half of 2025, despite ongoing pressures from tariffs, inflation and staffing shortages.
The findings come from the organization’s latest report, Provider inSights Q3–Q4 2025, based on a survey of more than 300 U.S. eyecare professionals. According to the report, many practices reported stronger revenues and improved patient retention compared with the first half of the year.
At the same time, economic concerns remain widespread across the sector. More than half of respondents said the U.S. economy performed worse in the latter half of 2025 than in the first six months of the year, and nearly half expect conditions to decline further in 2026.
Tariffs were identified as a major challenge for many practices, most commonly through higher wholesale prices for eyewear and supplies. Inflation also continued to affect operations, with more than 70% of practices reporting some level of impact during the period.
“The data reveals a sector that is adapting, not just enduring,” said Alysse Henkel, Vice President of Research and inSights at The Vision Council. “Providers navigated real economic challenges in 2025, including tariff-driven cost increases, persistent inflation, and staffing pressures, yet still reported stronger revenue and improved patient retention for the second half of the year.”
The report also examines additional industry trends, including practice investment plans, telehealth adoption, hearing aid sales and the purchasing influence of opticians.
Vision Expo has revealed the finalists for the 2026 NOW Awards, marking the first year the competition was open to the entire global eyewear community. Designers and brands were able to submit entries regardless of whether they were exhibiting at Vision Expo, with participation offered free of charge.
According to organizers, submissions were evaluated based on artistry, innovative design, functionality and overall contribution to advancing the eyewear industry.
The winners will be announced March 12 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the NOW Stage during Vision Expo 2026, taking place March 11–14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. All submitted designs, including finalists, will also be displayed in a dedicated NOW showcase at the show entrance.
“The idea behind NOW has always been to create a space where creativity leads and talent is celebrated,” said Nico Roseillier, creator and director of NOW by Vision Expo. “By opening the NOW Awards to the entire industry, we’re giving every designer, no matter where they are, the chance to showcase their work in a meaningful way.”
Finalists span several categories including Best Optical Style (Independent and Licensed), Best Sun Style (Independent and Licensed), Best Emerging Brand, Best Direct-to-Consumer Brand, and The Ultimate Accessory.
Participating brands include Silhouette Atelier, MOREL, Bruno Chaussignand, NINA MÛR, Vera Wang by Kenmark, Calvin Klein by Marchon, Prada by EssilorLuxottica, Paloceras, KARÜN, Thierry Larsy, Moncler by EssilorLuxottica, All Saints by WestGroupe, Sunday Somewhere by WestGroupe, PRESS Eyewear, Pair Eyewear, and others.
Entries were reviewed by a panel of industry leaders spanning design, retail, fashion and eyecare, including Gary Black, Christian Roth, Eric Domege, Selima Salaun, Victor Sanz, Bob Schulze, Dr. Jennifer Tsai, and Jeneene Allen.
Vision Expo organizers say the expanded awards program reflects the event’s role as a global platform highlighting innovation and creativity in eyewear design.
SightGlass Vision is presenting findings from two scientific studies on March 9 at the 2026 Netherlands Contact Lens Congress (NCC) to further reinforce prescriber confidence in its DOT™ spectacle lenses. Both focus on the power of contrast management for slowing myopia progression in children; one explores efficacy across diverse populations and the other investigates its relationship to astigmatism.
“Our contributions to this year’s NCC program add to the substantial body of evidence surrounding our innovative DOT spectacle lenses,” said Andrew Sedgwick, CEO of SightGlass Vision. “More than 1.5 million children have already worn these lenses worldwide, and we are committed to helping eye care professionals understand their immense potential through rigorous clinical science and experience.[1]”
Efficacy of Contrast Management Spectacle Lenses in North American and Chinese Children (Carta F, et al) analyzed 12-month data sets from two long-term, multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials. Despite the diverse participant ethnicity (North America: 75% Caucasian, 20% Black; China: 100% Chinese), both axial length (AL) progression and cycloplegic Spherical Equivalent Refraction (cSER) progression were significantly slower in children who wore DOT lenses compared to the control groups. The study was conducted in partnership with Indiana University.
Relationship Between Contrast Management Spectacle Lenses for Myopia Control and Refractive Astigmatism (Webley D, et al) explored if potential links between peripheral defocus spectacle lenses and increased astigmatism could extend to contrast management.[2] Investigators evaluated right eye refractive data from two long-term, multicenter clinical trials of DOT spectacle lenses in North America and China, noting astigmatism (>0.25DC) at baseline and 12 months. No significant change in astigmatism between the test and control groups infers that practitioners can prescribe DOT lenses with minimal concern of inducing this undesirable effect. The work was conducted with Aston University.
NCC takes place from March 8-9 at the NH Conference Centre Koningshof in Veldhoven, Netherlands, attracting clinicians, researchers, educators, and developers from across the ocular science and eye care spectrum.
DOT lenses are the first myopia management treatment specifically designed to reduce retinal contrast signalling through the incorporation of light scattering elements.[3] Children are spending more time indoors, studying, reading, and playing in modern, artificial environments, which may be linked to accelerated myopia progression.[4][5][6][7][8] The lenses mimic more natural contrast to counteract this.[9],[10] They have made their commercial debut in Canada, China, Israel, Spain, and the U.K. *
Want to see more like this article? Click here to subscribe to our FREE print magazines and e-newsletters!
[1] SGV data on file 2025: 2024/25 sales data and repeat purchase rates; reflects global usage across multiple regions.
[2] Xu et al. The Peripheral Defocus Designed Spectacle Lenses Might Increase Astigmatism in Myopic Children. Translational Vision Science and Technology 2025 14:3:8:2
[3] Rappon et al. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: 12-month results of a randomised controlled, efficacy and safety study (CYPRESS). Br J Ophthalmol. 2023;107(11):1709–1715.
[4] Morgan IG, Wu PC, Ostrin LA, Tideman JWL, Yam JC, Lan W, Baraas RC, He X, Sankaridurg P, Saw SM, French AN, Rose KA, Guggenheim JA. IMI Risk Factors for Myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021 Apr 28;62(5):3. doi: 10.1167/iovs.62.5.3. PMID: 33909035; PMCID: PMC8083079.
[5] Biswas S, El Kareh A, Qureshi M, Lee DMX, Sun CH, Lam JSH, Saw SM, Najjar RP. The influence of the environment and lifestyle on myopia. J Physiol Anthropol 2024;43(1):7.
[6] Flitcroft et al. The Spatial Frequency Content of Urban and Indoor Environments as a Potential Risk Factor for Myopia Development. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2020;61(11):42
[7] Guo Y, Liu LJ, Tang P, Lv YY, Feng Y, et al. (2017) Outdoor activity and myopia progression in 4-year follow-up of Chinese primary school children: The Beijing Children Eye Study. PLOS ONE 12(4): e0175921
[8] Li X, Li L, Qin W, et al. Urban Living Environment and Myopia in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2346999. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46999
[9] Laughton D, et al. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: 4-year results of a multicentre randomised controlled, efficacy and safety study (CYPRESS): BMJ Open Ophthalmology 2024;9:e001790;
[10] Laughton et al. Control of myopia using contrast modulation spectacle lenses in a Chinese population: 12-month results. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2025;66(8):2815.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists says optimizing optometric scope of practice is key to improving access to safe, timely eye care across Canada.
Warby Parker has launched Warby Parker Sport, a new performance eyewear category featuring sport-focused frames and polarized lenses for active lifestyles.
Alcon and ARVO are continuing their partnership on the 2026 Eye Pitch event, which will showcase early- and mid-stage innovations in eye and vision research at the ARVO Annual Meeting.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists says optimizing optometric scope of practice is key to improving access to safe, timely eye care across Canada.
Warby Parker has launched Warby Parker Sport, a new performance eyewear category featuring sport-focused frames and polarized lenses for active lifestyles.
Alcon and ARVO are continuing their partnership on the 2026 Eye Pitch event, which will showcase early- and mid-stage innovations in eye and vision research at the ARVO Annual Meeting.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists says optimizing optometric scope of practice is key to improving access to safe, timely eye care across Canada.
Warby Parker has launched Warby Parker Sport, a new performance eyewear category featuring sport-focused frames and polarized lenses for active lifestyles.
Alcon and ARVO are continuing their partnership on the 2026 Eye Pitch event, which will showcase early- and mid-stage innovations in eye and vision research at the ARVO Annual Meeting.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists says optimizing optometric scope of practice is key to improving access to safe, timely eye care across Canada.
Warby Parker has launched Warby Parker Sport, a new performance eyewear category featuring sport-focused frames and polarized lenses for active lifestyles.
Alcon and ARVO are continuing their partnership on the 2026 Eye Pitch event, which will showcase early- and mid-stage innovations in eye and vision research at the ARVO Annual Meeting.
